Course Catalog

Course Catalog for NEUROSCIENCE

NESC 101

The Brain

Recent developments in neuroscience have revolutionized our views of familiar human experiences such as locomotion, substance abuse, mental illness, sleep, and memorization. Through highly enjoyable and selected readings, presentations by visiting faculty, demonstrations and other activities, we will explore the foundations of this field as well as recent discoveries. The overall objective of this course is to provide students with a basic understanding of neuroscience, enabling them to make important decisions that may affect their lives. (NAT)

1.00 units, Lecture

NESC 103

Adolescence and Drug Use

Adolescence is a time of firsts, including (for many) their first experiences with drugs of abuse. This course focuses on the interaction between things that are happening within the body (e.g., hormonal changes associated with puberty, brain development) with outside factors (e.g. societal norms, peer pressure), to ultimately help explain the onset of drug use/abuse. Although this course will be approached from the human perspective, lecture and in-class discussions/activities will be informed by readings drawn from the human as well as non-human animal literature. Some understanding of basic biology and psychology is helpful, but not a prerequisite. (NAT)

1.00 units, Lecture

NESC 104

The Body Electric

What happens when you get struck by lightning? How do electric eels shock their prey? Was there any science behind Frankenstein? Electricity powers all the key events of human life from fertilization to death. Electric currents underly every thought, muscle twitch, heartbeat, sight perceived, and sound heard. Scientists convincingly demonstrated the connection between electricity and biology in the 18th century. However, most of us are unaware of the daily electrical events of human life. This course will give novice and emerging scientists an overview of electrical signaling from bacteria to electric fish to the human brain. We will draw on sources from science/pop-sci, popular culture, and the arts. We will approach this topic through readings, lectures, discussions, and in-class demonstrations. (NAT)

1.00 units, Lecture

NESC 105

Hartford on the Brain

Hartford has a rich history of eminent neuroscientists, psychologists, health care professionals, and educators. We will look at the man who taught us about memory Henry Molaison "HM", Roger Sperry who won the Nobel prize for split-brain studies, Alice Cogswell and the American School for the Deaf, the Institute of Living, Edna Negron Rosario, Anna Louise James, Yung Wing, and others. We will read about their work and then take walking tours where we see their homes or workplaces and learn about their lives in Hartford from interviews with current community members. (NATW)

0.50 units, Seminar

NESC 106

Address Your Stress!

Students will learn the neurobiology of the human stress response, the negative consequences and symptoms associated with both short term and long term stress, how to recognize when they are experiencing stress, and evidence-based steps they can take to reduce their stress and improve their health and well being. (WELL)

0.50 units, Lecture

NESC 107

The Divided Brain

At the core of brain science is a tension between the immaterial mind, soul, or consciousness and the tangible body and nervous system. Similarly, compelling case studies from split-brain patients and evidence for the left-lateralization of language functions have encouraged dualistic notions of the "emotional, artistic, creative" right-brain and the "verbal, mathematical, logical" left-brain hemispheres. Following a brief introduction to neuroanatomy, this course explores the analogous "mind-body" and "left-right brain" problems by integrating evolutionary, biomedical, socio-cultural, and humanities perspectives on the intricate neurobiological bases and phenomenological aspects of human experience. We interrogate the hypothesis that human brain-culture coevolution has accelerated left-hemispheric dominance exacerbating challenges of the western world ranging from the increased prevalence of mental illness and political polarization to climate change. (NAT)

1.00 units, Lecture

NESC 108

Stress, Wellness, and Coping

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 120

Nervous Connections

Recent scientific research indicates that a worm has 302 neurons, snails have long-term memory, and elephants can hear through their feet. This course will draw on current research in neuroscience to explain why information about other animals is relevant to our lives. Selected readings, lectures and class discussions will provide a basic understanding of the human nervous system and how research on animal systems has yielded this knowledge. Laboratory exercises will introduce the students to nervous system anatomy and function through dissection and experimental techniques. A basic understanding of biology and chemistry will be helpful, but this course has no pre-requisites. First-year students are given preference. (NAT)

1.00 units, Lecture

NESC 201

Principles of Neuroscience Laboratory

A team-taught introductory course in neuroscience that will examine the neuron and its biological interactions in animal nervous systems. Topics will include the anatomy, development, chemistry, and physiology of nervous systems. (NAT)
Prerequisite: C- or better in Biology 183L or permission of instructor.

0.25 units, Laboratory

NESC 201

Principles of Neuroscience

1.00 units, Lecture

NESC 205

Neurons, Learning and Memory: How do you remember?

For centuries, scientists have explored how we learn, memorize, and forget items and for the last several decades have tried to determine where in the brain memories are encoded and stored. Recent developments in neuroscience are helping us understand how we learn, remember, forget, and relearn, including the structures, chemicals, and networks in the brain that are involved in these processes. Through enjoyable readings, discussions, guest lectures, films, and demonstrations, we will explore the foundations of this field, as well as recent discoveries and common misconceptions about it. The overall objective of this course is to provide students with a basic understanding of the neuroscience of learning and memory, enabling them to separate scientific fact from fiction in popular media and beyond. (NAT)
Prerequisite: C- or better in Psychology 101. or Biology 181, 182 or 183

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 207

Metabolic Health

Metabolic health correlates with long-term wellbeing and reduced risk for chronic disease. This course is an evidence-based survey of biological and behavioral factors that can optimize fitness, with particular emphasis on genomics, exercise, nutrition and stress as potent metabolic modulators in brain and muscle that influence physical and cognitive health. (NAT)
Prerequisite: C- or better in Biology 182, Biology 183, and Chemistry 111 (or concurrent enrollment in 111) or permission of instructor.

1.00 units, Lecture

NESC 210

Neuroendocrinology

This course will explore how the brain interacts with neuroendocrine/endocrine glands to control aspects of our physiology and behavior. The development, organization, and function of neuroendocrine systems underlying energy use and metabolism, growth and development, biological rhythms, stress and arousal, and reproduction will be examined. In order to facilitate a broad understanding of this field from its historical origins to present day findings, course materials will draw from textbook readings, review articles, and primary research articles. The associated laboratory will utilize surgical, pharmacological, behavioral and neuroanatomical techniques to examine the neuroendocrine regulation of reproduction using a rodent model of sexual behavior. (NAT)
Prerequisite: C- or better in Biology 183.

1.00 units, Lecture

NESC 210

Neurendocrinology Lab

Introduction to Neuroendocrinology Laboratory This is an optional laboratory that supplements the lecture component of Introduction to Neuroendocrinology. This laboratory will highlight the specific mechanisms whereby hormones regulate reproductive system function and reproductive behaviors, using a rodent model of sexual behavior. A combination of surgical, pharmacological, behavioral and neuroanatomical approaches will be utilized to address this topic. Concurrent enrollment in NESC 210 lecture is required. (NAT)
Concurrent Enrollin NESC210

0.25 units, Laboratory

NESC 212

Landscape Planning and Environmental Education for Brain Health

This Perspectives course will translate emerging research on brain health into landscape planning that supports the health of the planet and everyone in Connecticut's rural, suburban and urban communities. The focus will be nature-based solutions to support biodiversity and protect the climate, green infrastructure to clean our air and water and prevent flooding and heat islands, and public areas that offer refuge and quiet as well as education and recreation. Guest speakers will share their expertise in public policy, environmental law, local ecology, urban planning and environmental justice. There will be a field component and a semester-long project planning interpretive ecology stations and citizen science databases. Grading will be based on a final project, short reflective essays and research papers, and an oral exam. (SOC)

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 220

Statistics For Life Sciences

This course is geared towards neuroscience students and emphasizes interactive, hands-on research projects, using simple experimental design, data collection and analysis, and presentation of results. Descriptive statistical methods are reviewed, including measures of central tendency, variance and graphical presentation and calculated using student-collected data. Elementary probability and inferential statistics are reviewed (estimation, hypothesis testing, sample size, power) and calculated using SPSS. Research projects will be presented. The class will meet three times per week in a computer lab. (NUM)

1.00 units, Lecture

NESC 248

Nature and Brain Health: From Urban Places to Wild Spaces

An awareness of the health benefits of nature is experiencing a major global revival. While health is just one "ecosystem service" of the natural world, brain health is arguably the most valuable. As we approach the 200th birthday of Frederick Law Olmsted, founder of landscape architecture, this course will consider new science and diverse perspectives on the role that urban places and wild spaces play in our physical and mental wellbeing. An approximately biweekly series of expert presentations will link history, emerging science and public policy in the context of current Olmsted's appreciation for the immersive and restorative properties of nature. A range of assigned readings, discussions, and written analyses and reflection papers will complement semester-long translational projects. (SOC)

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 301

Introduction to Neuroscience Methodology

A laboratory course that will introduce the student to current methods and techniques used in neuroscience research. The course consists of three-week rotations in the laboratories of staff members. Among the topics to be covered will be radioligand binding assays, neurochemical assays, electrophysiology, psychobiological techniques, experiments in perception, and methods in cognitive science. This course is normally taken in the junior year. (NAT)

1.00 units, Lecture

NESC 303

Neurobiology of Psychiatric Diseases

This course examines the lives of individuals who suffer from and the science behind psychiatric diseases including Schizophrenia, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety, Personality Disorders. Discussions will be based on books written by authors with mental illness, case reports and in-class guest speakers to understand what life is like beyond the diagnosis while getting a review of the anatomical structures, neurological abnormalities, etiology and management of each disease. Prerequisite PSYC 261 Brain and Behavior. (WEB)
Prerequisite: C- or better in Psychology 261, or concurrent enrollment.

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 304

Atoms, Animal Spirits & Monads: A History of Neuroscience & the Mind-Body Problem

This course examines central questions in the mind-body problem, with a focus on the brain. We will investigate a diverse selection of texts, including those of Aristotle, Lucretius, Augustine, Descartes, La Mettrie, Spinoza, Leibniz, Damasio, and Dennett. We will consider how this lineage of thinking influenced early psychiatry, and also influenced how we continue to think through the question of neuro-identity. Students will consider various arguments pertaining to the nature of what we think of as the soul, the mind, and the brain. Through our reading of primary sources by philosophers and physicians and secondary sources by historians, sociologists, and neuroscientists, this course will explore what is at stake in locating personal identity in neurological terms, and historicize the ground on which we think through this question. (WEB)

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 305

Neurolaw

Neurolaw is an emerging field that investigates the application of neuroscience principles and technologies to the legal context. Relying on an evolutionary framework for understanding functional neuroanatomy, this course begins with a detailed overview of how the brain works. It then explores basic scientific findings in affective and cognitive neuroscience and their relevance for substantive laws and procedural rules. In the process, students will learn about the structure of the American legal system and growing opportunities therein for the integration of neuroscientific evidence. Special attention will be paid to the role of structural inequalities and early adverse experiences on brain development, and the use of neuroscience in juvenile justice and in death penalty litigation. (NAT)
All seats are reserved for juniors and seniors.

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 306

Social Neuroscience

Social neuroscience explores the brain bases of behaviors ranging from dyadic, group, and family interactions to complex cultural phenomena. It deals with the evolutionary, genetic, neuronal, hormonal, developmental, ecological, and socioeconomic determinants of social cognitive processes. After reviewing the foundational principles of social neuroscience, we discuss the brain bases for the self, others, and groups as well as the embodiment of rules governing interpersonal relations. Additional topics include the development and maturation of social-cognitive functions, clinical disorders associated with socioemotional deficits; the role of mirror neuron systems, sensory processes, and brain language areas in social cooperation and competition; culture-gene influences on brain function; the neural representation of macro phenomena (e.g., politics, religion, poverty, and discrimination); and the health benefits of social support. (NAT)
Prerequisite: C- or better in Psychology 261 or Neuroscience 201.

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 306

Social Neuroscience Lab

This course surveys the various methodologies used in social neuroscience research. Students will gain familiarity with its commonly used instruments (e.g., games, questionnaires), tools (e.g., functional magnetic resonance imaging [fMRI], positron emission tomography [PET], electroencephalography [EEG], and magnetoencephalography [MEG]), and techniques (e.g., psychoneuroimmunology and endocrine assays). In addition to developing a critical eye for study design and statistical inference, as part of a data-centered classroom, students will consider the neuroscience applications for big data analytics and machine learning. Lab is optional but must be taken concurrently with the lecture. (NAT)
Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in NESC 306 Lecture

0.25 units, Laboratory

NESC 307

Clinical Psychobiology

In this course, we will explore the anatomy, connectivity, and functions of the brain circuits involved in psychiatric illness. Specifically, neural networks linking the medial, cingulate, and orbitofrontal cortices, subcortical regions such as the amygdala, 'limbic' thalamus and the nucleus accumbens, and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis are discussed in terms of their relevance to emotion processing and psychiatric disorders. Students will read autobiographies and case studies as well as primary research on the current state of knowledge on the pathophysiology of psychiatric illnesses, with particular emphasis on schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, autism and post-traumatic stress disorder. Emphasis is placed on the application of current knowledge to treatment and policy. (NAT)
PR:PSYC261

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 308

Cultural Neuroscience

Cultural neuroscience is a multidisciplinary field that melds neuroscience with cultural anthropology and cultural psychology. It asks: Is culture embodied in the brain? And what are the neurobiological correlates of cultural variation? This course examines how human evolutionary biology has influenced our tendency to socially aggregate and behave in ways that can be predicted based on affiliation with groups that have proscribed values, beliefs, and practices. It surveys the neurobiological markers of inter-group processes and cultural diversity in genes and behavior (e.g., personality, parenting strategies, lifestyle, religion, social rituals, language and material artifacts). Finally, it explores culturally relative definitions of the mind and considers the importance of biopsychosocial approaches for the study of neurodiversity and global mental health disparities. (NAT)
Prerequisite: C- or better in PSYC 261 or ANTH 101 or permission of instructor.

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 312

Neurobiology of Movement

Animal movements are a delicate balance of neural impulses, muscle contraction, bone and connective tissue elasticity, balance, rhythm, energetics and biofeedback. An understanding of the anatomy and physiology of animal muscles is important from many perspectives beyond the biological sciences. Artists and computer animators, Robotics engineers, Athletic trainers and even video security analysts study the unique signatures of individual human movement. In this course, we will study the neuromuscular control of movement. The first half of the course will be dedicated to the basic anatomy and physiology of the mammalian neuromuscular system. The second half will examine several animal models different forms of locomotion including, bipedal walking and running, quadrupedal walking and running, swimming, flying, and jumping. Prerequisites - Bio 182, 183 and Psyc 261 or Nesc 201 (NAT)
Prerequisite: C- or better in BIOL 182, 183, and NESC 201 or PSYC 261

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 313

Emotion and Motivation

Human emotion and motivation emerge from complex and multileveled processes through which evolutionary predispositions, developmental experience, proximate social circumstances, and broad ecological or cultural contexts become integrated in the service of behavior. While emphasizing underlying neurobiological mechanisms, this course surveys theories on the intrinsic (biological and psychological) and extrinsic (social-ecological, cultural and behavioral economic) factors governing emotion and motivation. We use behavioral genetics as well as affective and cognitive neuroscience research on humans and other animals to illustrate the various mechanisms by which genes, sex, and the environment shape the organization (connectivity) and activation (functioning) of brain systems (e.g., limbic system, dopamine) that regulate motivated behavior. By highlighting neurobiological mechanisms, we untangle the phenomenology of emotion (as a communication tool, internal state/feelings oraffective valence, aspects of autonomic nervous system arousal). (NAT)
Prerequisite: C- or better in Neuroscience 201 or Psychology 261

1.00 units, Lecture

NESC 313

Emotion and Motivation Lab

In this complementary laboratory course, students enrolled in the Emotion & Motivation lecture will gain hands-on-experience through an exploration of cognitive and affective neuroscience technologies that are commonly used to study intrinsic (internal: biological and psychological) and extrinsic (external: ecological, cultural and economic) factors governing emotion and motivation. As part of this course, students will design, execute and present their own independent research projects on some neurobiological aspect of emotion or motivation. Concurrent enrollment in NESC Emotion & Motivation lecture is required. (NAT)
Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in NESC 313.

0.25 units, Laboratory

NESC 320

Neuroanatomy, Neurobiology, and Cognition across the Lifespan

This course will provide an overview of the developmental assembly of a complex nervous system. We will investigate the relations between developmental changes in the brain (morphology, neurochemistry, connectivity), and developmental changes in perceptual, cognitive, and social abilities (e.g., attention, executive function, empathy) throughout the lifespan. We will also address fundamental theoretical issues in the field of developmental neuroscience, such as the role of experience versus innate biological predisposition, the range of plasticity, and the functional degree of specialization in the brain. Part of this course will be devoted to gaining a better understanding of experimental methods utilized in the field of developmental neuroscience, in order to both critically analyze such studies, and, as a final paper, design your own study. (WEB)
Prerequisite: C- or better in Neuroscience 201 or Psychology 261

1.00 units, Lecture

NESC 325

Hormones and Social Behavior

This course will examine how hormones act within the brain to ultimately influence the expression of social behaviors. We will address how hormones drive the development and function of specific brain areas, with a particular focus on sex differences in these processes. We will consider a wide range of behaviors with implications for our social lives, including sexual attraction, bonding/affiliation, aggression, and social cognition, within the context of both normative and disease states. Although this course will be approached from the human perspective, discussions will be informed by primary research conducted in both human and non-human models. Consequently, course materials will draw upon primary research articles as well as assigned readings from the text. (NAT)
Prerequisite: C- or better in Neuroscience 201 or Psychology 261

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 345

Mind, Brain, and Society

This course will cover topics in neuroscience and psychology that have social justice or human rights implications. This will include environment exposure to neurotoxins (e.g., lead, pesticides); stress due to exposure to violence (interpersonal violence, violent conflict, community gun violence); racial stress and trauma; the intersection of brain injury and mental illness with homelessness and incarceration; and disability rights of those who have neurological or psychiatric illness. We would explore who is most impacted and differences in outcomes. We will focus on primary research articles/review articles but will also read first person stories. (NAT)
PR:PSYC261

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 362

Neuroethology

This course will explore the control of animal behavior by the nervous system from an evolutionary perspective. Topics to be covered include motor control (orientation, navigation, pursuit and escape behavior), communication systems (mate searching, territoriality, and social interactions), resource location and ingestion, circadian and other rhythmic behaviors and learning and memory. Examples will be drawn from a wide variety of vertebrate and invertebrate animals as appropriate to the topic. For select topics special attention will be paid to experimental design and data analysis. Text readings and selected primary research articles will guide discussion of each topic. In addition to exams and quizzes, students will write several short essays and one term paper during the course of the semester. (WEB)
Prerequisite: C- or better in Neuroscience 201 or Psychology 261

1.00 units, Lecture

NESC 362

Neuroethology Lab

The field of neuroethology examines discrete behaviors of a diverse animals with the goal of an intimate understanding of the neural control of natural animal behavior. In this lab we will use a variety of laboratory techniques to explore the anatomy and physiology underlying repeatable behaviors in several model research animals. I will work with the students to design experiments based on our discussion of the scientific literature. Potential lab exercises will include experiments on the visual system including electroretinography and tract tracing, recording rhythmic activity generated during locomotion, video recording and analysis of avoidance behavior, field observation of territorial behavior, and memory assays among others. Experimental design, data analysis and scientific writing will be stressed. (NAT)
Prerequisite: C- or better in Neuroscience 201 or Psychology 261

0.25 units, Laboratory

NESC 364

Neuropsychopharmacology

This seminar will examine how drugs act upon, amplify, and modify neural functions, ultimately affecting mood and behavior. It will provide an introduction to the principles of pharmacology and neurochemistry. An in-depth study of the brain and behavioral mechanisms of drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, heroin, LSD, and alcohol, and the neurobiology of addiction. Additionally, we will examine the effects of prenatal exposure to these drugs. (WEB)
Prerequisite: C- or better in Psychology 261 or Neuroscience 201.

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 365

Cognitive Neuroscience

This course examines the way in which brain function influences mental processes and overt action. We will consider a range of cognitive functions, primarily from the perspective of neuroscience and draw on such related disciplines as cognitive psychology and computational analysis as needed. The functions to be reviewed include perception, attention, memory, executive control, and thinking. We will apply principles of brain development, plasticity and evolution to these cognitive functions to help understand brain diseases and disorders. (WEB)

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 388

Current Issues in Neuroscience

This half-credit course considers current neuroscience research on topics ranging from clinical research to molecular biology. Students will attend presentations by neuroscience researchers and read and discuss pertinent research literature prior to each presentation. Some special scheduling arrangements will be necessary for activities outside of the regular class meeting time. (NAT)
Prerequisite: Senior Neuroscience major, and a C- or better in Neuroscience 201, or permission of instructor.

0.50 units, Lecture

NESC 399

Independent Study

Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor are required for enrollment. (NAT)

0.50 units min / 2.00 units max, Independent Study

NESC 401

Neurochemistry

An interdisciplinary course investigating the chemical processes involved in central nervous system functioning and communication. Emphasis will be placed on the chemical aspects of synthesis, metabolism, and release of neurotransmitters. The role of neurochemistry in behavioral and neurological disease states will be evaluated. Current research topics in this area will also be presented. (WEB)
Prerequisite: C- or better in Neuroscience 201, Chemistry 211, or permission of instructor.

1.00 units, Lecture

NESC 402

Neurodegenerative Diseases

This course will investigate the current research that is attempting to elucidate the neurochemical mechanisms responsible for the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease: Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, and Multiple Sclerosis. Students will read, evaluate and present background review articles, seminal past research papers, and recent research papers. Opportunities to attend relevant seminars at both the UConn Medical School and the Neuroscience Institute at Hartford Hospital. Opportunities to have guest lecturers from these same institutions will also be pursued. (NAT)

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 405

Neurochemistry Lab

This course provides a practical accompaniment to the Neurochemistry lecture course. Topics covered will include purification of synaptic vesicles, neurotransmitter release and degradation, and action of neurotransmitters at their receptors. Recommended to be taken with NESC 401 but can be taken separately. (NAT)
Prerequisite: C- or better in Neuroscience 201, Chemistry 211, or permission of instructor.

0.25 units, Laboratory

NESC 425

Research in Neuroscience (Laboratory)

Students will conduct original laboratory research projects under the direction of an individual faculty member. Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor are required for enrollment. (NAT)

0.50 units min / 1.00 units max, Independent Study

NESC 432

Nutrition and Brain Health

An exploration of the critical role of the brain in the regulation of food intake and of the effect of dietary nutrients in brain function. This seminar will highlight metabolic requirements for optimal brain health and will critique nutritional approaches to manage neurological disorders. Students will analyze, discuss and present relevant literature in physiology, cellular and molecular biology, and neuroscience. This seminar meets the Writing Emphasis 2 requirements in the biology and neuroscience major. (WEB)
Prerequisite: C- or better in Biology 182L or Biology 183L, and C- or better in Biology 227L or BIOL 317L, or Neuroscience 201, or permission of instructor

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 466

Teaching Assistantship

Submission of the special registration form, available online, and the approval of the instructor are required for enrollment. Guidelines are available in the College Bulletin. (0.5 - 1 course credit)

0.50 units min / 1.00 units max, Independent Study

NESC 490

Research Assistantship

This course is designed to provide students with the opportunity to undertake substantial research work with a faculty member. Students need to complete a special registration form, available online, and have it signed by the supervising instructor.

0.50 units min / 1.00 units max, Independent Study

NESC 498

Senior Thesis Part 1

Submission of the special registration form and the approval of the instructor are required for each semester of this year-long thesis. (2 course credits to be completed in two semesters.) (WEB)

1.00 units, Independent Study

NESC 499

Senior Thesis Part 2

Submission of the special registration form and the approval of the instructor are required for each semester of this year-long thesis. The research culminates in a thesis, an oral presentation, and a poster at the undergraduate research symposium. (2 course credits to be completed in two semesters.) (WEB)

1.00 units, Independent Study

NESC 800

Graduate Seminar in Neuroscience

This half-credit seminar will cover current topics in neuroscience, including issues in research methodology, ethics in research and public policy issues. In addition, time will be spent reviewing the literature and methodology of the theses of enrolled students. The course will be structured like a journal club with students preparing a discussion of one to two articles each week to be shared. Many of the articles may be drawn from the background literature of the thesis topic. Students will also attend presentations by neuroscience researchers and read and discuss pertinent research literature prior to each presentation. (NAT)

0.50 units, Seminar

NESC 801

Neurochemistry

1.00 units, Lecture

NESC 803

Behavioral Neuroscience

A selective exploration of dynamic biological and psychological mechanisms and underlying anatomy associated with various behaviors. It will explore behavior in the framework of brain health versus brain disease and include neurological disorders and their treatments as well interactions between the environment and behavior. (NAT)

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 816

Neural Engineering

This introductory course uses an integrative and cross-disciplinary approach to survey basic principles and modern theories and methods in several important areas of neural engineering. Course topics include: neural prosthetics, neural stimulation, neurophysiology, neural signal detection, and analysis and computational neural networks. The practicalities of the emerging technology of brain-computer interface as well as other research topics in neural engineering will be discussed. Students will also have the opportunity to perform hands-on computer simulation and modeling of neural circuits and systems. (NAT)

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 834

Boundaries of the Mind

This seminar will explore current “hot topics” in cognitive research. For example, we’ll investigate how our minds interface with our bodies (How do we learn new skills like swinging a bat or doing gymnastics? How do people control the movement of artificial limbs or wheelchairs?) and how the different “pieces” of cognition interact (Can how well we hear impact memory? How does lack of sleep change the way we pay attention?). In class and in writing, we will analyze behavioral, neurological, and philosophical research in cognition and evaluate the impact of these issues for psychologists and for people’s lives in the “real world.” (WEB)

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 848

Focusing the Mind: the Psychology of Attention

More than 100 years ago, William James famously declared, “Everyone knows what attention is. It is the taking possession by the mind, in clear and vivid form, of one out of what seem several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thought.” And while James’ conception of attention resonates with a colloquial understanding of the term that’s still in use today, empirical treatment of attention in the psychological and neuroscientific literature suggests that consensus on what attention is and what attention does has not yet been reached. Using primary sources, scholarly reviews, and popular science pieces, we will work toward a more nuanced understanding of what attention is and delve deeply into what it means to selectively focus the mind in a world full of distraction. (WEB)

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 862

Neuroethology

1.00 units, Lecture

NESC 864

Neuropsychopharmacology

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 865

Cognitive Neuroscience

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 874

Minds and Brains

The neurosciences have made striking progress in recent years toward understanding the brains of animals and human beings. Through readings in philosophy and science we will consider what contribution this explosion of neuroscientific data can make to our understanding of the mind. (NAT)

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 892

Human Neuropsychology

This course will examine the effects of disorders on human cognitive and affective functioning. Using first person accounts, case studies, and primary research articles, we will explore a series of neurological disorders including agnosia, hemispatial neglect, amnesia, and aphasia, among others. We will analyze these disorders both to understand current assessment and treatment options, and to see what these disorders can teach us about the typical attention, memory, language, executive and emotional functioning of the healthy brain. (WEB)

1.00 units, Seminar

NESC 951

Independent Research

Under the guidance of a faculty member, graduate students may do an independent research project on a topic in neuroscience. Written approval of the graduate adviser and the program director are required. Contact the Office of Graduate Studies for the special approval form. (NAT)

0.50 units min / 2.00 units max, Independent Study

NESC 953

Thesis Part 1

First credit of a two semester, two credit thesis in Neuroscience. Written approval of the graduate adviser and the program director are required. Contact the Office of Graduate Studies for the special approval form. (NAT)

1.00 units, Independent Study

NESC 954

Thesis Part II

A continuation of NESC 953. Second credit of a two semester, two credit thesis in Neuroscience. Written approval of the graduate adviser and the program director are required. Contact the Office of Graduate Studies for the special approval form. (NAT)

1.00 units, Independent Study

NESC 956

Thesis

Two credit thesis in Neuroscience. Written approval of the graduate adviser and the program director are required. Contact the Office of Graduate Studies for the special approval form. (NAT)

2.00 units, Independent Study