Courses

This course is designed to give an overview of the field of neuroscience progressing from a molecular level onwards to individual neurons, neural circuits, and ultimately regulated output behaviors of the nervous system. Topics include a survey of the structure and function of the nervous system, basic neurophysiology and neurochemistry, learning and memory, sensory and motor systems, and clinical disorders. Throughout the course, many examples from current research in neuroscience are used to illustrate the concepts being considered. The lab portion of the course will emphasize a) practical hands-on exercises that amplify the material presented in class; b) interpreting and analyzing data; c) presenting the results in written form and placing them in the context of published work; and d) reading and critiquing scientific papers. [ more ]

Opioid misuse has emerged as a major health epidemic in the United States. This course will explore the science of opioids as well as the historical and societal context surrounding their use. We will examine the neurobiological mechanisms through which opioids interact with pain pathways and reward circuits within the brain and we will explore how changes in these systems contribute to opioid tolerance, dependence, and addiction. We will consider how genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors can powerfully influence these processes. Finally, we will consider alternative approaches to pain management as well as interventions for the treatment of opioid use disorder. Critical evaluation of peer-reviewed primary literature from animal and human studies will serve as a foundation for class discussions. Evaluation will be based on class presentations, participation in discussions and empirical projects, written assignments, and an oral presentation of the empirical project. [ more ]

How does the brain process information? Despite the continuous scientific pursuits to understand the brain, many questions about brain function remain unanswered. In this course, we take an interdisciplinary, hands-on approach to understanding the brain, focusing on how neural systems encode, transmit, and decode information. Students will learn foundational techniques in computational neuroscience as it pertains to simulating neuronal dynamics with canonical models such as the integrate-and-fire, Hodgkin-Huxley, and Wilson-Cowan equations, performing statistical analysis of neurological data, and examining biological neural networks and their parallels to artificial intelligence. [ more ]

This course examines how experimental methods in neuroscience can be used to understand the role of nature (genes) and nurture (the environment) in shaping the brain and behavior. In particular, we will explore how neuroscience informs our understanding of psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. We will investigate the biological underpinning of these disorders as well as their treatments. Readings will include human studies as well as work based on animal models. Topics will include: the ways in which environmental and genetic factors shape risk and resiliency in the context of psychiatric disease, the neural circuits and peripheral systems that contribute to psychopathology, and the mechanisms through which interventions may act. In the laboratory component of the course, students will gain hands-on experience in using animal models to study complex behavior and their associated neural mechanisms. [ more ]

How does an animal experience its environment? What mechanisms allow an animal to select and generate behaviors? In this course we will use a comparative approach to examine how nervous systems have evolved to solve problems inherent to an animal's natural environment. We will discuss how animals sense physical and chemical properties of their surroundings and convert this information to a signal encoded in their brain. We will explore how nervous systems of diverse species are adapted to extract sensory information that is relevant to their survival--such as sound, light, and smell. We will also examine how neural circuits control muscles to generate motor behaviors such as locomotion and vocalization and how sensory information is integrated to influence behavior. To highlight the discovery process, we will read and discuss primary research articles that complement course content. During labs we will use a variety of approaches such as electrophysiology, optogenetics, behavior, and data analysis to understand sensory and motor systems in several different organisms. [ more ]

How are nervous systems assembled during development? Can injuries to an adult nervous system be repaired? The nervous system, which can range in size from a few hundred to 100 billion neurons, underlies every animal's response to its environment. The spectacular diversity of nervous systems comes about through precise spatial and temporal control of signals that generate and connect neurons. We will explore the intricate molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie growth, patterning, circuit assembly, and plasticity in nervous systems across the animal kingdom. We will also consider mechanisms of neural regeneration, which occurs routinely in some species, but is severely limited in the mammalian central nervous system. Insights into regeneration processes might inform new therapies for human brain or spinal injury. In the laboratory, students will learn current research techniques in model organisms, and then design and carry out independent investigations to test their own hypotheses, critically interpret data, and communicate their findings. [ more ]

Animals must adapt their behaviors to match their environment in order to survive and reproduce. How does the nervous system mediate behavioral change that occurs in seconds, hours, months, or millions of years? In this course we will use a comparative approach to explore how neural circuits control behavioral flexibility over a range of timescales. We will first discuss circuits that control behavioral switches that occur very rapidly based on environmental and social stimuli. Next, we will consider the role that internal state and identity play in modulating neuronal circuits over an organism's lifetime to influence behavioral decisions. Finally, we will examine how evolution tinkers with neural circuits to lead to behavioral change over very long timescales. Throughout the course we will explore how modifications to neural circuits--including connectivity, synaptic plasticity, neuromodulation and neuron physiology--can lead to differences in behavior and ask if there are connections between common mechanisms underlying behavioral change across timescales. Discussions and assignments in this course will focus on reading and critically evaluating primary scientific literature. [ more ]

Interoception refers to the sensation of our own internal body states. Compared to the well-studied external senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste, our understanding of how the brain processes internal signals is still in its early stages. For example, how does the brain measure the nutrient and water content of the body to regulate homeostasis and influence behavioral decisions? How are blood pressure and other cardiovascular parameters measured and regulated by the brain? How does the presence of an infection induce sickness behavior? How does an animal know when it is time to go to the bathroom? This course, taught in a tutorial format, explores the intricate communication between the peripheral organs and the brain, highlighting how this bidirectional dialogue regulates normal physiology and influences behavior. Concepts include the transduction of sensory stimuli by organ systems, the mapping of neural circuits that connect peripheral tissues with the brain, the identification of molecular and cellular characteristics of neurons located at critical junctures in interoceptive pathways, the effects of stimulation or inhibition of various parts of these systems, and the investigation of how interoceptive processes are altered in disease states. By engaging with these concepts, students will develop a deeper understanding of the fundamental role that interoception plays in shaping behavior, maintaining health, and influencing disease. [ more ]

Independent study. [ more ]

Independent study. [ more ]

Neuroscientists explore issues inherent in the study of brain and behavior. The overall objective of this seminar is to create a culminating senior experience in which previous course work in specific areas in the Neuroscience Program can be brought to bear in a synthetic, interdisciplinary approach to understanding complex problems. The specific goals for students in this seminar are to evaluate original research and critically examine the experimental evidence for theoretical issues in the discipline. Topics and instructional formats will vary somewhat from year to year, but in all cases the course will emphasize an integrative approach in which students will be asked to consider topics from a range of perspectives including molecular, cellular, systems, behavioral and clinical neuroscience. Previous topics have included autism, depression, stress, neurogenesis, novel neuromodulators, language, retrograde messengers, synaptic plasticity, and learning and memory. [ more ]

Neuroscience senior thesis; this is part of a full-year thesis (493-494). Independent research for two semesters and a winter study under the guidance of one or more neuroscience faculty. After reviewing the literature in a specialized field of neuroscience, students design and conduct an original research project, the results of which are reported in a thesis. Senior thesis work is supervised by the faculty participating in the program. [ more ]

Neuroscience senior thesis; this is part of a full-year thesis (493-494). Independent research for two semesters and a winter study under the guidance of one or more neuroscience faculty. After reviewing the literature in a specialized field of neuroscience, students design and conduct an original research project, the results of which are reported in a thesis. Senior thesis work is supervised by the faculty participating in the program. [ more ]