Global Arc

This course covers the brain control of movement with an emphasis on how the cerebral cortex of the primate brain coordinates meaningful behavior. The topics range from the low-level control of muscles by motor cortex and the spinal cord, to the highest levels of interaction between the motor system and cognitive function. For example, the machinery for motor control may play a direct role in social cognition. The course begins with the discovery of motor cortex in 1870. It then covers a network of cortical and subcortical areas that together control movement and guide movement on the basis of cognitive decision and sensory input.

This course is designed to introduce undergraduate students to modern methods of analysis applied to single neurons, the synaptic connections between neurons and the dynamics of networks of neurons underlying learning and decision making. The course will include mammalian cellular and system neuroanatomy and the influence of experience on the production of new neurons. Students will learn modern methods of microscopy and the application of optogenetic approaches to analysis of neuronal function. Basic neuroscience concepts will be studied using both invertebrate and mammalian CNS preparations.

Innate behaviors, whether fleeing from predators, looking for mates, defending territory, or caring for young, are the foundation of life. How does the brain generate these complex behaviors across the lifespan of an individual? What are the links between hormone systems and the generation of survival behaviors? We will look at a range of social and nonsocial innate behaviors, and examine their relationship to neuroethology, endocrinology, and to an emerging understanding of mammalian subcortical circuits for survival. A combination of lecture and student-led deep paper reads and emphasis on modern methods for neural circuit analysis.

This course will address how to find structure and meaning in data. Introductory statistics courses teach the mechanics of testing, while laboratory courses typically produce datasets whose analytical goal is often specified in advance. This course builds intuitions in what to do in the absence of explicit guidance, a relevant skill for any science discipline. Topics include data transforms, finding relationships between variables, understanding when simple tools like correlation and regression will fail, deciding what analysis to do, and graphical presentation. Real datasets will be used to demonstrate principles for discovering insights.

A survey of fundamental principles in neurobiology at the biophysical, cellular, and system levels. Lectures will address the basis of the action potential, synaptic transmission and plasticity, local circuit computation, sensory physiology, and motor control. Prerequisites: MOL 214 or MOL 215, PSY 258, PHY 103-104, and MAT 103-104, or permission of instructor. Two 90-minute lectures, one preceptorial.

Stress has been linked to a wide range of physical and mental illnesses, yet stress is part of everyday life and most organisms respond to challenges with adaptation and recovery. This course will consider both foundational and contemporary research regarding stress effects on the body and brain with the goal of gaining an understanding of the mechanisms of both resilience to stress and stress-induced pathology. The course will be divided into three modules, each covering basic themes in stress research.

The brain is made up of billions of neurons, each sending and receiving signals from thousands of other neurons. This densely connected network of neurons gives rise to rich spatial and temporal dynamics. This course will investigate these dynamics. The course will present experimental results from systems-level neuroscience and then discuss the theoretical implications of these findings, particularly as they relate to higher-order, cognitive behaviors.

This seminar focuses on the recent explosion of interest in understanding the neural basis of valuation and decision making, and the resulting marriage between the formal rigor of economics and the empirical basis of psychology and neuroscience, termed "neuroeconomics". We will approach the question of how the brain makes economic decisions from multiple perspectives, drawing on theoretical, behavioral, and neural data from economics, psychology, and neurobiology. Major topics include: decision under risk and uncertainty; the role of learning in evaluating options; choice mechanisms; and multiplayer interactions and social decision making.

The brain is more than a mere collection of its constituent parts. In this class we aim to understand how neurons interact together in local circuits and distributed brain dynamics to perform behaviorally relevant functions. The class will be organized into modules, which are selected to cover most of the major divisions of the brain. For most modules, we will first discuss a simpler circuit/system for which detailed mechanistic models and concrete ideas about function are known. Then, we will go on to discuss more complex systems, which are related to the simpler system.

Neurodevelopmental disorders,autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, developmental dyslexia and dyspraxia, affect approximately 1 in 6 children and present major challenges. We will discuss the neural basis, clinical symptoms and interventional strategies of major neurodevelopmental conditions. Students will have the opportunity to engage in hands-on experience with children afflicted with dyslexia and ASD through observational studies performed in special education schools. The course is aimed at premeds, NEU concentrators, teacher prep program, and students with an interest in clinical applications.