Elective Courses
Students must follow the curriculum requirements of their home departments. The following courses are recommended electives for neuroscience students:
Advanced Behavioral Endocrinology (BIOL 611). Fall semester. 4 credit hours. Interactions of hormones, brain and behavior.
Advanced Biostatistics (BIOL 650). Fall semester. 4 credit hours. Application of statistical methods commonly used in life sciences, with emphasis on interpretation of experimental data.
Advanced Developmental Neurobiology (BIOL 630). 4 credit hours. A study of developmental biology with a strong nervous system emphasis. Discussion topics will include cell type specification, cell-cell signaling, cell motility, axon guidance, synapse formation, trophic factors, and synapse remodeling and refining.
Advanced Biochemistry (BIOC 645). Fall semester. 4 credit hours. Chemistry of amino acids, peptides, proteins, nucleotides and nucleic acids; methods of analysis and laboratory synthesis; nucleotides; RNA, DNA and protein biosynthesis.
Advanced Developmental Psychology (PSYC 661). Spring semester. 3 credit hours. Survey of the major areas of developmental psychology and of special problems encountered in research with infants and children.
Advanced Gene Structure and Function (BIOL 642). Spring semester. 4 credit hours. Advanced topics in genetics of prokaryotes and eukaryotes, including chromosome structure and function, and gene regulation.
Behavioral Neuroscience PSYC 642. 3 credit hours. Survey of the neural and physiological factors which influence behavior
Cell Biology (MBIO 667). Spring semester.3 credit hours. An advanced treatment of contemporary cell biology including membrane structure and function, cytoskeleton, signal transduction, regulation of cell cycle, apoptosis, and molecular mechanisms of cellular differentiation.
Cognitive Neuroscience PSYC 645. 3 credit hours. Neuroanatomical basis of cognitive and motor functions, including attention, memory, and language. Primary focus on brain imaging studies of cognition in normal adults
Cognitive Processes (PSYC 621). Fall semester. 3 credit hours. Discussion of attention, memory, thinking, and concept learning; language; and problem solving.
Current Topics in Sensory System Research (ASNB 677). Fall and spring semesters. 1 credit hour. Recent research directed toward understanding the organization and function of the auditory, gustatory, olfactory, somatosensory, and visual systems will be presented and critiqued.
Molecular Biology (BIOC/BIOL 668). Fall semester. 4 credit hours. Molecular aspects of the structure and function of cells with emphasis on mechanisms and regulation of gene expression.
Molecular Neurobiology (ASNB 614). Fall semester. 4 credit hours. Structure and function of the nervous system from a molecular perspective. Includes description of membrane proteins, channels and receptors in neurons and glia. Discussion of the role of such molecular structures in the nervous system.
Neural Systems (ASNB 608). Spring semester. 4 credit hours. Topics covered include: electrical potentials in the nervous system, synaptic transmission, somatosensory pathways, special senses (vision, hearing, balance, taste, smell), eye movements, motor systems, higher functions (language, sleep and wakefulness, learning and memory). Emphasis is placed on clinical relevance
Neuroanatomy (ASNB 607). Fall semester. 3 credit hours. Anatomy of the nervous system (brain and spinal cord) is taught through a combination of self study, lectures and laboratories.
Original Investigation/Dissertation Research (ASNB 619/ PSYC 701). Fall, spring and summer semesters. This course is taken by students who have identified a mentor. The objectives of the course are to allow faculty to interact closely with the student in the laboratory and provide feedback on their performance. A letter grade is given by the potential mentor. The course serves as the final stage of selection by the student and mentor prior to beginning dissertation research, and is normally taken in second year. This course cannot be used to fulfill elective credit requirements.
Principles of Hearing Science I (PSYC 646/AUDI 648). Spring semester. The first in a two-course sequence in Hearing Science. It will survey contemporary theory and research in audition, with emphasis on modern mathematical and psychological methods. Major topics will include the anatomy and physiology of the auditory system, measurement and control of sound, auditory signal analysis, and basic auditory abilities such as detection, discrimination, and masking.
Principles of Neuroscience (PSYC 643). Fall semester. 3 credit hours. Fall semester. A survey of the processes underlying the functioning of neurons and neural systems.
Principles of Visual Science I (PSYC 632). Fall semester. 3 credit hours. An introduction of the structure and functioning of the visual system including normal and disrupted visual performance. Surveys and integrates findings from neuroanatomical, electrophysiological, psychophysical and clinical research.
Research Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology I-IV (PHTX 672, 673, 674, 675) Fall semester. 1 credit hour per module. Module 672 provides introductory exposure to fundamental techniques of laboratory practice, the scientific method, hypothesis testing and statistical analysis in decision making as applied to research in pharmacology and toxicology. Module 673 provides introductory exposure to fundamental techniques of laboratory practice which employ the tools of cellular and molecular biology as applied to research in pharmacology and toxicology. Module 674 provides introductory exposure to fundamental techniques of biochemical and physicochemical qualitative and quantitative analysis as applied to research in pharmacology and toxicology. Module 675 provides introductory exposure to fundamental model living systems used for research in pharmacology and toxicology. These include whole animal, organ and tissue level systems, cellular systems, as well as genetically altered in vivo systems.
Techniques of Biological Electron Microscopy (ASNB 665). Spring semester. 3 credit hours. This course aims to develop in the student reasonable proficiency in specimen preparation techniques and operation of the electron microscope as a foundation for the pursuit of electron microscopic biomedical investigations.
Topical Seminar in Psychology (PSYC 609). Fall and spring semesters. 3 credit hours. Seminars dealing with interdisciplinary issues of modern psychology. Subject matter to be indicated in semester schedules.
Ultrastructure of the Central Nervous System (ASNB 666) Spring semester. Weekly lecture 1 credit hour, optional laboratory component, 1 credit hour. An overview of the ultrastructure and synaptic organization of the central nervous system. Students registered for optional laboratory sessions will prepare and evaluate nervous tissue using electron microscopy techniques.ASNB 665 is a prerequisite for the laboratory component.
