Graduate Course 9550/9650
Advanced Topics in Integrative Neuroscience
ANATCELL 9550/9650
Fall-Winter 2012/2013
(1.0 credit)
Course Managers:
Drs. Arthur Brown
Course Objectives:
The objectives of this advanced graduate level neuroscience course are:
A) To provide an overview and discuss current hot topics in different areas of integrative neuroscience. We define integrative neuroscience as the study of how ensembles of neurons and their circuitry mediate fundamental aspects of behavior and physiology, and how dysfunction at this level can lead to neurologic and psychiatric disease. Topics to be covered include rewarding behaviors (sex, aggression), neuroendocrine systems, circadian rhythms, learning and memory, drug addiction, cognitive neuroscience, psychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, depression) and spinal cord function.
B)To provide discussion of the types of experimental models and data analyses used in neuroscience research
C) To teach students research skills on how to review, criticize, write, discuss and present experimental results.
Text:
Instructors will select recent papers and review articles to be read for each of the topic areas.
Time & Location:
3 hours per week for two terms: Usually every Thursday 1:30 - 4:30
Places:
RRI 4th floor conference room
Grading:
25% of the final grade will be based on oral presentations of recently published papers in one of the areas covered by the course. (Students will select the papers and submit it to the course manager for approval.)
25% of the final grade will be based on a written critique of one recently published paper in a selected topic of neuroscience. The paper will be provided by the course manager.
25% of the final grade will be based on a written grant proposal (NSERC discovery grant-style).
25% of the final grade will be based on participation and critical discussion of the selected material in class. At the beginning of each lecture, students will submit a written comment on the provided research paper.
Enrollment:
Minimum 4, Maximum 20
Prerequisites:
General introduction to neuroscience.
Course Lecture Schedule:
Overview of General Topics:
Biological Rhythms (Webb)
Learning and memory (Schmid)
Reward and addiction (Laviolette)
Neurobiology of psychiatric disorders (Rushlow, Osuch, Rajakumar)
Cognitive Neuroscience (Mitchell)
Integrative neurobiology of spinal cord function and injury (Brown)
Classes held Thursdays 1:30 - 4:30 RRI 4th floor conference room
Schedule
Fall term:
September 20: Meet and Greet; Introduction
September 27: Techniques and the Nervous System
Arthur Brown
October 4:
October 11: Neurodevelopment
Arthur Brown
October 18: Neural Stem Cells
Arthur Brown
Disorders of neuroplasticity
October 25: Spinal cord injury
Arthur Brown
November 1: Neuroplasticity
Steve Lomber
November 8: Epillepsy
Mike poulter
November 15: Reward and Addiction I
Steve Laviolette
November 23: Schizophrenia and Depression 1
Raj Rajakumar
November 29 Cellular Mechanisms 1
Walter Rushlow
December 6 Cellular Mechanisms 2
Walter Rushlow
December 13 No class – prepare critique
December 20 Written critique due
Winter Term:
January 10: Critique discussion (Brown)
Neuroimaging/Cognition
January 17: Imaging neuropathology in-vivo
Ravi Menon
January 24: Cognitive Neuroscience 1
Derek Mitchell
January 31: Cognitive Neuroscience 2
Derek Mitchell
Behavioural Neuroscience
February 7: Learning and Memory 1
Susanne Schmid
February 14: Learning and Memory 2
Susanne Schmid
February 21: Brian Corneil
February 28: Behavioural Neuroscience
David Sherry
March 7: Abstract and Poster Writing Session
Arthur Brown
March 14: Clinical studies
Elizabeth Osuch
March 21: Glutamate receptor signaling and plasticity
John MacDonald
March 28: Diseases of synaptic transmission
Marco Prado
April 4: Grant writing 1
Arthur Brown
April 11: Grant writing 2
Arthur Brown
April 27: Deadline grant proposal