INTRODUCTION TO NEUROSCIENCE
This course is required for all the other courses offered in Neuroscience and Behavior. The course introduces students to the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system. The topics include the biological structure of the nervous system and its different cell types, the basis of the action potential, principles of neurotransmission, neuronal basis of behavior, sleep/wake cycles, and basic aspects of clinical neuroscience.
LABORATORY IN NEUROSCIENCE
NEUROSCIENCE LAB
This course provides a hands-on introduction to techniques commonly used in current neurobiological research. Topics covered will include neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and invertebrate animal behavioral genetics. Participation in this course involves dissection of sheep brains and experimentation with invertebrate animals.
- W 1:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
- R 1:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
- F 9:10 a.m.-1 p.m.
- 3 points
STATISTICS AND EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
STATISTICS & EXPERIMTL DE
This course is for students interested in learning how to conduct scientific research. They will learn how to (i) design well-controlled experiments and identify “quack” science; (ii) organize, summarize and illustrate data, (iii) analyze different types of data; and (iv) interpret the results of statistical tests.
- T 4:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
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Instructor:
Anamaria Alexandrescu
Info - 4 points
Fundamentals in Computational Neuroscien
FUND COMPUT NEUROSC MODEL
Computational neuroscience is an exciting, constantly evolving subfield in neuroscience that brings together theories and ideas from many different areas in STEM such as physics, chemistry, math, computer science, and psychology. Through the exploration of computational models of neuronal and neural network activity, students will be introduced to a handful of quantitative STEM concepts that intersect with neuroscience. Before beginning this course students are expected to know about the action potential and synaptic transmission (see prerequisites). In this course, we will connect those biological phenomena to quantitative STEM concepts and then to computational models in Matlab. This course is designed for Neuroscience and Biology majors who want to take their first steps towards mathematical and computational models of the brain. Students interested in the computational track for the Neuroscience major should consider taking this course. By the end of this course students will be able to:
● Identify the scope of a neuroscience model and determine what it can and cannot tell us.
● Compare models and select an appropriate model for a given scientific question from among the models covered in this course.
● Make connections from the action potential and synaptic transmission to quantitative concepts from other STEM disciplines.
● Design, construct, and implement computational neuroscience models of neurons and neural networks using Matlab.
- MW 5:40 p.m.-6:55 p.m.
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Instructor:
Gabrielle J Gutierrez
Info - 3 points
CELLULAR & MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
This upper-level lecture course provides an in-depth analysis of neuroscience at the molecular and cellular levels. Topics include: the structure and function of neuronal membranes, the ionic basis of the membrane potential and action potential, synaptic transmission and sensory transduction.
- TR 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
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Instructor:
Abigail N Zadina
Info - 3 points
PSYCHOBIOLOGY OF INFANT DEVELOPMENT
Prerequisites: BC1001 and BC1128/1129 Developmental (lab and lecture taken together) or BC1129 (only lecture). Or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 15 students. Analysis of human development during the fetal period and early infancy. Review of effects of environmental factors on perinatal perceptual, cognitive, sensory-motor, and neurobehavioral capacities, with emphasis on critical conditions involved in both normal and abnormal brain development. Other topics include acute and long term effects of toxic exposures (stress, smoking, and alcohol) during pregnancy, and interaction of genes and the environment in shaping the developing brain of high-risk infants, including premature infants and those at risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
- T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
William P Fifer
CULPA: 7
h-index: 40
Info
- 4 points
Visual Neuroscience: From the Eyeball to
VISUAL NEUROSCIENCE
By absorbing electromagnetic radiation through their eyes, people are able to catch frisbees, recognize faces, and judge the beauty of art. For most of us, seeing feels effortless. That feeling is misleading. Seeing requires not only precise optics to focus images on the retina, but also the concerted action of millions of nerve cells in the brain. This intricate circuitry infers the likely causes of incoming patterns of light and transforms that information into feelings, thoughts, and actions. In this course we will study how light evokes electrical activity in a hierarchy of specialized neural networks that accomplish many unique aspects of seeing. Students will have the opportunity to focus their study on particular aspects, such as color, motion, object recognition, learning, attention, awareness, and how sight can be lost and recovered. Throughout the course we will discuss principles of neural information coding (e.g., receptive field tuning, adaptation, normalization, etc.) that are relevant to other areas of neuroscience, as well as medicine, engineering, art and design.
- T 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
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Instructor:
Alex White
h-index: 13 Info - 4 points
RHYTHMS OF THE BRAIN
The brain constantly generates rhythmic fluctuations of electrical activity. By monitoring these brain rhythms, one can tell whether a person is awake or asleep and whether they are dreaming. Brain rhythms can even be used to predict how a person perceives the world, what they are paying attention to, and what decisions they will make. Despite these remarkable findings, brain rhythms have not yet broken into mainstream neuroscience textbooks. This seminar is a great opportunity to learn more about this up-and-coming research field, and more specifically, to understand the role of brain rhythms in supporting cognitive function. In the first part of the seminar, we will learn how to measure and analyze the fundamental properties of brain rhythms with the method of electroencephalography (EEG). In the second part of the seminar, we will review a number of experiments showing changes in brain rhythms that accompany changes in perception (visual illusions), attention, decision-making, language and consciousness. We will also examine studies reporting abnormal brain rhythms in aging and neuropsychiatric conditions (schizophrenia and autism). Throughout the seminar, we will discuss these experimental findings in light of theories implicating brain rhythms in computational operations underlying cognition. Finally, with this background in mind, we will consider the future directions for this research field, including rhythm-based neuroenhancement devices and therapeutic approaches.
NEUROETHOLOGY
This seminar delves into the neural circuits and molecular mechanisms responsible for natural animal behaviors (i.e. ethology). Animal models are crucial to biological research. Without fruit flies we would know little about genetic inheritance or how genes relate to fundamental behaviors, such as circadian rhythms. Without the barn owl we would not fully understand how the brain detects interaural time differences and localizes sounds. Without echolocating bats our knowledge of three-dimensional navigation and memory would be diminished. Through the study of animal systems that are specialized for particular sensory and motor acts, scientists have been able to dissect the circuit computations underlying key behaviors, such as decision making, prey detection, foraging, mate selection, and communication, that are fundamental across species. Through short introductory talks and in-depth discussions of primary scientific literature, this course will provide a foundation for understanding these behaviors, and relate discoveries in animal research to broader themes in neurobiology, ecology, and medicine.
- W 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
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Instructor:
Abigail N Zadina
Info - 4 points
TOPICS IN NEUROETHICS
Prerequisites: BC1001 and one of the following: Neurobiology, Behavioral Neuroscience, Fundamentals of Neuropsychology, or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 20 students. Recent advancements in neuroscience raise profound ethical questions. Neuroethics integrates neuroscience, philosophy, and ethics in an attempt to address these issues. Reviews current debated topics relevant to the brain, cognition, and behavior. Bioethical and philosophical principles will be applied allowing students to develop skill in ethical analysis.
- R 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
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Instructor:
E'Mett McCaskill
CULPA: 38
Info
- 4 points
MODELS OF NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS
MODELS NEUROPSYCHIATRIC D
This course is a seminar designed to enhance students understanding of the methods used in primary research to inform how we study and understand the neural basis of both normative and pathological behavior in humans through the use of model systems. Through this course students will read and discuss primary research papers, debate the merits, limitations, and applicability of various approaches for advancing our understanding of the human condition, gain skills in presentation of scientific data, and a richer understanding of the scientific process. Topics covered will include the study of depression, anxiety, aging, memory, evolution, developmental disorders, and genetics (among others).
- W 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
Kevin G Bath
Info - 4 points
NEURONAL CIRCUITS: NEUROGENETICS AND PRI
This course introduces students to state-of-the art genetic and computational tools to study connectivity in neuronal circuits that control behavior. The focus will be on the
Drosophila
Circadian Clock Neuron Network (CCNN), a well-characterized neuronal circuit that controls sleep/wake cycles among other rhythms in physiology and behavior. Students will learn about genetic tools for neuronal circuit mapping and connectomics analysis, and will perform behavioral experiments with transgenic animals in which specific neuronal subpopulations within the CCNN were genetically manipulated.
- F 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
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Instructor:
Maria de la Paz Fernandez
h-index: 11 Info - 4 points
NEUROSCIENCE OF TRAUMA
This course is a comprehensive review of the neural basis of the emotional, cognitive and behavioral responses to traumatic events. The
acute
experience of trauma and the
memory
of the trauma may influence neural processes influencing social relatedness, attachment, emotional regulation, physiological homeostasis and the stress response. Neuroscientific research provides insight into these processes and informs pharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions for individual survivors.
Students will review neuroscientific theoretical models and research relevant to the neurobiology, neurophysiology, neuroanatomy and neurodevelopmental processes underlying the traumatic response. The neuroendocrine system and its relevance will also be reviewed. The course will begin with a critical review of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) diagnosis of Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders, to acquire an understanding of the symptoms and diagnosis. Next, students will review theory and research relevant to trauma and neurobiology, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. Finally, students will critique the application of these research findings to the design of current “neuro-informed” therapeutic interventions. Throughout the course, individual case studies will provide insight into the brain’s influence on symptomatology and foster greater understanding and sensitivity to the personal post-traumatic experience.
- TR 1:10 p.m.-2:25 p.m.
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Instructor:
E'Mett McCaskill
CULPA: 38
Info
- 3 points
NEUROSCIENCE GUIDED RESEARCH
Neuroscience research commonly generates datasets that are increasingly complex and large. Open science and data sharing platforms have emerged across a wide range of neuroscience disciplines, laying the foundation for a transformation in the way scientists share, analyze, and reuse immense amounts of data collected in laboratories around the world. This class is designed to introduce students to several open source databases that span multiple investigative levels of neuroscience research. Students will utilize the datasets to conduct individual research projects.
RSRCH/SEM-NEUROSCNCE&BEHAVIOR
Prerequisites: Open to senior Neuroscience and Behavior majors. Permission of the instructor. This is a year-long course. By the end of the spring semester program planning period during junior year, majors should identify the lab they will be working in during their senior year. Discussion and conferences on a research project culminate in a written and oral senior thesis. Each project must be supervised by a scientist working at Barnard or at another local institution. Successful completion of the seminar substitutes for the major examination.
- R 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
Elizabeth P Bauer
CULPA: 3 h-index: 21 Info -
Instructor:
Gabrielle J Gutierrez
Info -
Instructor:
Alex White
h-index: 13 Info - 4 points