Proposal for a Concentration in Neuroscience

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Proposal for Neuroscience Concentration

June 24, 2014

Below we provide background information and a brief outline of the proposed new Neuroscience

concentration. Attached is a draft of the UA for the new concentration, as well as a draft of the

revised UA for the Neuroscience Certificate program, which will be revised in parallel with the

creation of the new concentration.

Background

This proposal is motivated by three primary factors: 1) neuroscience is a well established

discipline; 2) most of our peer institutions have neuroscience concentrations; 3) increasing

numbers of undergraduate applicants and our enrolled students are expressing an interest in such

a concentration. The last factor is perhaps the most important. We are receiving a growing

number of inquiries from applicants to Princeton about whether it is possible to concentrate in

neuroscience, and our own students have begun to clamor for a Neuroscience concentration.

While the Certificate program serves the interests of many students (and we propose to preserve

it — see below) the size of the program continues to grow (from 2 graduates per year at its

inception to 50 last year) and an increasing number of participants are expressing the desire to

focus on neuroscience as their primary area of study rather than as an adjunct. This growth ofinterest has been paralleled by the growth and maturation of the Princeton Neuroscience Institute

(PNI). Since its inception in 2005 six new neuroscience faculty have been hired, the number of

neuroscience-related course offerings has approximately doubled, PNI has taken up residence in

its own new building replete with dedicated teaching laboratories and with space and plans for

the recruitment of another six new faculty. Thus, the development of PNI has positioned it well

to meet the demands for a Neuroscience concentration. Creating such a concentration will allow

Princeton to remain competitive with its peer institutions in this critical and rapidly growing

area.

Overview of Program

The proposed Neuroscience concentration is intended for students with a strong interest in

studying the functions of the brain, and how it gives rise to thought, emotion and behavior.

Prerequisites for participation are a grounding in basic science and formal methods, including

college-level introductory courses in physics, chemistry, calculus, statistics and computer

science, as well as the sequence of introductory core courses in neuroscience (NEU 258 and 259)

and a new 300-level laboratory course to be offered on modern methods in neuroscience. In

PRINCETON NEUROSCIENCE INSTITUTE PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY 08540



addition, students will be required to take six elective courses, drawn from at least two of three

content areas: molecular and cellular neuroscience; systems and computational neuroscience;

and cognitive, affective and social neuroscience (a full list of currently offered courses is

included in the attached proposed UA). NEU concentrators will also be expected to initiate

independent research work during their junior year, and to conduct an independent research

project for their senior thesis. Those pursuing a laboratory project (which we anticipate will bethe majority of students) are strongly encouraged to become engaged with a faculty laboratory

early during their junior year, and at the latest over the summer between their junior and senior

years. This is required in order to gain the skills necessary for conducting laboratory work.

Finally, students will be expected to attend the PNI retreat during their junior and senior years,

and to present their work at least once in the undergraduate poster session.

Summer Opportunities

For the past two years, PNI has run a highly successful summer internship program for

undergraduates interested in pursuing a summer research experience in neuroscience (http://www.princeton.edu/neuroscience/summer-internship-program/). This includes a scholarship

program for under-represented minorities. About 20 students participate in the program each

summer, about half of whom have been from Princeton. The program includes a didactic

component with lectures provided by faculty, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, a

career training component (in coordination with the PSURE program), and a weekly journal

club, as well as a summer research project conducted in a faculty member’s laboratory. We

anticipate that this program will accommodate Neuroscience concentrators at Princeton who

wish to participate (as it presently does Neuroscience Certificate participants). However, should

the need arise, it will be expanded as necessary to accommodate any growth in the concentration,

while maintaining its goals of insuring the diversity of its participants.

Cohort Experience

PNI currently hosts an annual retreat in which undergraduates have regularly participated. With

the formation of a concentration, we will establish a new, undergraduate-dedicated poster session

at the retreat. Neuroscience concentrators will be required to present at least once during their

term at Princeton. PNI also present hosts a Neuroscience Class day at which prizes are given out

to participants in the Neuroscience Certificate (including a graduate student teaching award).

This will naturally be extended to the concentration, for which at least one new award will be

created (best Neuroscience Thesis Award). Finally, a new semiannual PNI undergraduate socialgathering will be instituted, for participants in the Certificate Program and Concentration.

Comparison with Peer Institutions

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Academic Resources

Faculty and Courses. At present, there are 20 core members of PNI all of whom have committed

at least 50% of their teaching responsibilities to PNI, and 9 Associated Faculty who also

participate in the teaching mission of PNI. Furthermore, as noted above, additional faculty

growth is anticipated (there is laboratory space in the new building for an additional 6 hires, and

PNI is currently involved in the recruitment of 3 of these). Even at our present size, however, we

do not anticipate that formation of a concentration will significantly impact faculty teaching or

advising load. Students pursuing concentrations in Psychology and Molecular Biology have

consistently made up over 70% of the Neuroscience Certificate program, and these are the

students who are most likely to pursue a Neuroscience concentration if it is offered. Since most

of these students are already advised by PNI faculty (who have joint appointments in Psychology

and Molecular Biology), switching to a Neuroscience concentration would not substantially

affect faculty advising load. We also believe that the number of neuroscience-related courses

currently offered by PNI-associated faculty (in excess of 30) is sufficient to mount a

concentration (see attached UA). Furthermore, as noted above, the number of PNI faculty is

likely to grow by at least six over the next several years, thus ensuring commensurate growth in

neuroscience-related course offerings.

Existing concentrations. Based on the composition of the Neuroscience Certificate, we

anticipate that most students who would choose to pursue a concentration in neuroscience are

ones presently concentrating in either Psychology or Molecular Biology. Since these are both

large concentrations, and since most of the faculty who advise these students and teach

neuroscience-related courses are also from these two departments (many of which count toward

concentrations in these departments), we do not expect that the creation of Neuroscience

concentration will have a deleterious impact on existing programs.

Administrative and Physical Resources

A component of the PNI administrative budget is dedicated to support of the neuroscience

certificate program. We anticipate that most of the students who would choose to concentrate inneuroscience would be drawn from the pool of certificate students. Assuming that the demands

of tracking and communicating with students in the concentration are roughly comparable to

those for students presently in the certificate program, we do not anticipate that any additional

administrative resources will be needed to mount the concentration, at least in the immediate

future. As noted above, PNI has recently moved to its own building, with dedicated teaching

facilities including a neuroscience teaching laboratory. Thus, PNI presently has both the



administrative and physical resources needed to mount the concentration. However, if the

combined number of students enrolled in the certificate program and concentration grows

substantially beyond the current level of about 50, then additional administrative support may be

needed.

Neuroscience Certificate

The creation of a Neuroscience concentration will allow us to revise the Neuroscience Certificate

to make it more accessible to a broader range of students with an interest in neuroscience (e.g.,

from the social sciences and humanities). At present, the Certificate Program is under the

tension of having to serve two constituencies: students who have a primary interest in, and wish

to pursue and in-depth course of study in neuroscience, and those whose primary interests lie in

another area but who wish to gain exposure to neuroscience. With the creation of a

concentration, we would relax some of the requirements of the certificate program, to

accommodate a broader range of students interested in the program. Specifically, we propose to

eliminate the mathematics requirement as a prerequisite, as well as the requirement for aneuroscience-related thesis (offering the option of an additional neuroscience-related elective

course in its place). A copy of the proposed UA for a Neuroscience Certificate Program revised

along these lines is attached.



Neuroscience Concentration

[0030] Information and Institute Plan of Study

The Princeton Neuroscience Institute offers the Neuroscience concentration for undergraduateswith a strong interest in pursuing in-depth study of the brain. Neuroscience is a broad

interdisciplinary field requiring rigorous preparation in basic science. Students in this disciplineare expected to understand the basic principles of neuroscience, cognition as well as cell and

systems biology. Thus, the concentration provides an opportunity for serious study of molecular,cellular, developmental, and systems neuroscience as it interfaces with cognitive and behavioral

research. Since modern neuroscience is relying increasingly on quantitatively sophisticatedmethods and theory, students are also expected to gain competency in mathematics and statistics,

physics and/or computer science. By offering a combination of courses and interdisciplinaryresearch, students who complete the Neuroscience concentration will be highly qualified to

pursue graduate work at the best neuroscience, psychology or biology graduate programs and

will also have completed the background requirements to enter medical or veterinary school.

[0070] Admission to the Program

Prerequisites for entry into the Neuroscience concentration are the courses NEU 258 and NEU

259.

[0120] Program of Study

Course work

The following courses are requirements and, in general, should be completed before the beginning of the junior year:

General Physics (PHY 101 and 102) or (PHY 103 and 104)

General Chemistry (CHM 201 and 202) or one unit of AP credit and CHM 202 or CHM 215 or

two units of CHM credit

Mathematics (MAT 100 and 102) or (MAT 103 and [MAT 104 or MAT 175, PSY 251, MOL410, MOL/EEB 355]). Other courses may be substituted upon approval by a departmental

representative.

Statistics (ORF 245 or the equivalent).

Computer Science (COS 126 or higher)



All of the above prerequisites and requirements, with the exception of NEU 258 and NEU 259,can be satisfied with advanced placement and/or summer courses at other universities (within

University guidelines). NEU 258 and NEU 259 must be taken at Princeton University.

The following core course is required:

Methods in Neuroscience— NEU 3XX . This course will offer students hands-on experience

with the range of experimental and theoretical methods that comprise modern neuroscienceresearch, from viral tract tracing and single unit neural recordings in non-human species to EEG

and fMRI in humans. Students will be responsible for conducting laboratory exercises andwriting lab reports that involve detailed quantitative analysis of the data generated in the labs

Electives. Six electives must be taken from three different subject areas: A) molecular and

cellular neuroscience; B) systems and computational neuroscience; and C) cognitive, affectiveand social neuroscience. A list of current offerings (with distributional area designations) is

appended below.

No substitutions are allowed, with the exception of students completing both years of theIntegrated Science program, and students who are pursuing study abroad. For students studying

abroad, up to two courses may be in a qualified program with prior departmental approval. Allstudents must take at least six departmental courses. No courses may be taken pass/D/fail.

Independent work

Junior Independent Work . In the fall semester of the junior year students participate in tutorials

with a faculty adviser, read papers from the original literature, and prepare a review paper on anassigned topic. In the spring term students carry out a second program of independent work with

the faculty adviser with whom they will eventually do their senior thesis. In some instances thismay include experimental work. A paper, in the form of a grant proposal, preparatory for the

senior independent work, is due in early May.

Senior Independent Work . During the senior year each student, with the guidance of a facultyadviser, undertakes a major research effort. This research project can be a laboratory or

independent study that will be written and presented as a senior thesis.

Senior Departmental Examination

The senior thesis serves as the basis for the first part of the senior comprehensive exam, a 60-

minute oral examination conducted by two members of the faculty. The exam consists of two parts: (1) a defense of the thesis and a discussion of its implications, and (2) some more general

questions on the broader field of neuroscience.

Study Abroad

The department encourages students to consider studying abroad for one semester, or even for a

full year, in conjunction with departmental concentration in neuroscience. Concentrators mayreceive credit for up to two courses per semester spent studying abroad, to count toward their

departmental course requirements. Courses taken while studying abroad require the priorapproval of the departmental representative. To secure approval, students must document the

work load and material covered by proposed courses.



Courses

NEU 101 Neuroscience and Everyday Life (also MOL 110/STC 102) — STL

Acquaints non-science concentrators with classical and modern neuroscience. Lectures will givean overview at levels ranging from molecular signaling to cognitive science with a focus on theneuroscience of everyday life, from the general (love, memory, and personality) to the particular

(jet lag, autism, and weight loss). The laboratory will offer hands-on experience in recordingsignals from single neurons, examining neural structures, and analysis of whole-brain functional

brain imaging data. Two 90-minute lectures, one laboratory.

NEU 258 Fundamentals of Neuroscience (also PSY 258) — STN / Pre-Req. This is a survey course on neuroscience, focusing mainly on sensory and motor processing in the

primate brain. How does information from the outside world get into the brain, what neuronal pathways does it follow, how is it processed and used to construct an internal model of three-

dimensional reality, and how does the brain choose and coordinate the correct behavioralresponse?

NEU 259A & B Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience (also PSY 259A) — EC / Pre-Req.

An introduction to cognitive brain functions, including higher perceptual functions, attention andselective perception, systems for short- and long-term memory, language, cerebral lateralization,

motor control, executive functions of the frontal lobe, cognitive development and plasticity, andthe problem of consciousness. Major neuropsychological syndromes (e.g., agnosia, amnesia) will

be discussed. Prerequisite: 258 or instructor's permission. Two 90-minute lectures, one preceptorial or one three-hour laboratory.

NEU 330 Introduction to Connectionist Models: Bridging between Brain and Mind (also

PSY 330) — Distribution B, C A fundamental goal of cognitive neuroscience is to understand how psychological functions such

as attention, memory, language, and decision making arise from computations performed byassemblies of neurons in the brain. This course will provide an introduction to the use of

connectionist models (also known as neural network or parallel distributed processing models) asa tool for exploring how psychological functions are implemented in the brain, and how they go

awry in patients with brain damage. Prerequisite: instructor's permission. Two 90-minutelectures, one laboratory.

NEU 339 Brain and Movement (also PSY 339) — Distribution B, C

This course covers the brain control of movement with an emphasis on how the cerebral cortexof 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 cortexin 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.



NEU 403 Neurogenetics of Behavior (also MOL 403) — Distribution A, B How do seemingly simple organisms generate complex behaviors? This course will explore our

current understanding of the genetic and neural basis for animal behavior, with an emphasis oncutting-edge research and model systems that are amenable to genetic manipulation. Each week

we will discuss a new behavior with a focus on the underlying mechanisms; students will also

lead discussions of primary literature. The goal of this course is to provide required background,knowledge, and critical thinking skills to move beyond the published literature to proposingoriginal experiments. This effort will culminate in a final paper from each student.

NEU 408 Cellular and Systems Neuroscience (also MOL 408/PSY 404) — STN /

Distribution A, B 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. Two90-minute lectures, one preceptorial.

NEU 425 Neuroeconomics (also PSY 425) — Distribution C

This seminar focuses on the recent explosion of interest in understanding the neural basis ofvaluation and decision making, and the resulting marriage between the formal rigor of economics

and the empirical basis of psychology and neuroscience, termed "neuroeconomics". We willapproach the question of how the brain makes economic decisions from multiple perspectives,

drawing on theoretical, behavioral, and neural data from economics, psychology, andneurobiology. Major topics include: decision under risk and uncertainty; the role of learning in

evaluating options; choice mechanisms; and multiplayer interactions and social decision making.

NEU 437 Computational Neuroscience (also MOL 437/PSY 437) — STL / Distribution B Introduction to the biophysics of nerve cells and synapses, and the mathematics of neural

networks. How can networks of neurons compute? How do we model and analyze data fromneuroscientific experiments? Data from experiments running at Princeton will be used as

examples (e.g., blowfly visual system, hippocampal slice, rodent prefrontal cortex). Each topicwill have a lecture and a computer laboratory component. Prerequisite: MOL 410, or elementary

knowledge of linear algebra, differential equations, probability, and basic programming ability,or permission of the instructor. Two 90 minute lectures, one laboratory.

NEU 501A - Neuroscience: from molecules to systems to behavior — Distribution A, B

A survey of modern neuroscience in lecture format combining theoretical andcomputational/quantitative approaches. Topics include cellular neurophysiology, neuroanatomy,

neural circuits and dynamics, neural development and plasticity, sensory systems, genetic modelsystems, and molecular neuroscience. This is one-half of a double-credit core course required of

all Neuroscience Ph.D. students.

NEU 501B - Neuroscience: from molecules to systems to behavior — Distribution A, B

This laboratory course complements NEU 501A and introduces students to the variety of

techniques and concepts used in modern neuroscience, from the point of view of experimentaland computational/quantitative approaches. Topics include synaptic transmission and plasticity,



two-photon imaging, patch clamp recording in brain slices, optogenetic methods to controlneural activity and student-designed special projects. In-lab lectures give students the

background necessary to understand the scientific content of the labs but the emphasis is on thelaboratory work. Second half of a double-credit core course required of all NEU Ph.D. students.

NEU 502A From Molecules to Systems to Behavior — Distribution B, CA survey of modern neuroscience in lecture format combining theoretical, experimental, andcomputational/quantitative approaches. Topics include systems and cognitive neuroscience,

perception and attention, learning and behavior, memory, executive function/decision-making,motor control and sequential actions. Diseases of the nervous system are considered. This is one-

half of a double-credit core course required of all Neuroscience Ph.D. students.

NEU 502B From Molecules to Systems to Behavior — Distribution B, C

This lab course complements NEU 502A and introduces students to the variety of techniques and

concepts used in modern neuroscience, from the point of view of experimental andcomputational/quantitative approaches. Topics include electrophysiological recording, functional

magnetic resonance imaging, psychophysics, and computational modeling. In-lab lectures givestudents the background necessary to understand the scientific content of the labs, but the

emphasis is on the labs themselves. Second half of a double-credit core course required of all Neuroscience Ph.D. students.

NEU 508 Computation and Coding in Microcircuits: The Retina and Beyond —

Distribution B

This lecture-style course will explore principles of neural computation and coding in

microcircuits; the instructors will draw examples from the retina as well as develop analogies toother systems, in which circuit-level functions can be confidently connected to cellular and

synaptic mechanisms. Quantitative experiments and computational models will be emphasized.

PSY 260 The Life Cycle of Behaviors (also NEU 260) — STN / Distribution A, B

The goal of this course is to illuminate the interactions between the brain, body and behavior

over the course of development and how this shapes a species' evolution. We will first exploredevelopmental events at the cellular level that are shaped by parental behavior. We will then see

how these events influence the developing circuits of the brain. Finally, we will learn aboutinfluences at the level of niche or culture, where the changes that organisms make to their

environments and to themselves influence and modify the patterns of behaviors exhibited in thenext generation.

PSY 306 Memory and Cognition (also NEU 306) — EC / Distribution B, C

An integrative treatment of learning and memory in humans and animals. We will exploreworking memory (our ability to actively maintain thoughts in the face of distraction) and

episodic memory (our ability to rapidly memorize specific details so we can recall them later), aswell as more incremental forms of learning. In studying these topics, we will consider both the

behavioral paradigms used to extract learning and memory data, as well as techniques fromcognitive neuroscience (e.g., neuroimaging, lesion studies, computational modeling) that shed

light on how the brain gives rise to learning and memory.



PSY 336 The Diversity of Brains (also EEB 336 – NEU 336) — EC / Distribution B

The premise of this seminar is that an understanding of the neural basis of behavior can be

gained by examining species-typical behaviors. Each animal species has evolved neural solutionsto specific problems posed to them by their environment. The course will focus primarily on

forebrain mechanisms in mammals, highlighting the unique environmental problems that a

species must solve and the ways in which the brains of these animals implement their solutions.Some example model systems include prey capture by bats, monogamy and aggression in voles,and eye gaze processing by primates.

PSY 337 Neuroscience of Social Cognition and Emotion (also NEU 337) — EC /

Distribution C

This course explores the neural foundations of social cognition and social emotions. The

objective is to provide a comprehensive overview of research topics relevant to the emergingfield of social neuroscience. We will also discuss questions that cut across the specific topics that

will be covered. Do neural systems exist that are specialized for social cognition or do thesystems that participate in social cognition have more general cognitive functions? Can

neuroscientific research shed new light on social cognition? How can different disciplines inneuroscience and the social sciences contribute to social neuroscience research?

PSY 338 Animal Learning and Decision Making: Psychological, Computational and Neural

Perspectives (also NEU 338) — EC / Distribution B

Course designed to expose students to a modern, integrative view of animal learning phenomena

from experimental psychology, through the lens of computational models and currentneuroscientific knowledge. At the psychological level, we will concentrate on classical and

instrumental conditioning. Computationally, we will view these as exemplars of predictionlearning and action selection, the pillars of reinforcement learning. Neurally, we will focus on

the roles of dopamine and the basal ganglia at the systems level. Students will see how the studyof animal decision making can inform us about the computations that take place in the brain.

PSY 401 History of Neuroscience (also NEU 401/HUM 401) — EC

Survey of the growth of ideas on the role of the brain in sensation, cognition, movement andmental disease, particularly in classical antiquity and 18th century to 20th century Europe,

including social and political context for scientific and medical advances. Course is composed oflectures, discussion and student presentations.

PSY 402 Introduction to Clinical Neuropsychology: Case Studies in Cognitive Neuroscience

(also NEU 402) — EC / Distribution C

Much of what we know about the brain systems underlying perception, attention, memory, and

language was first derived from patients with brain lesions or other brain pathology. This course provides an introduction to major syndromes in clinical neuropsychology such as object agnosia

(deficits in object recognition), amnesia, visuospatial hemineglect (attention deficits), aphasia(language deficits), and others through careful analysis of clinical cases and their underlying

pathology.

PSY 407 Sleep: From Molecules to Mattress (also NEU 407) — EC



The phenomenology and underlying neurobiology of the states of sleep and waking areexamined. A byproduct of doing so exposes students to a broad range of current research in the

field of neurobiology and behavior. Experimental results and theories, ranging from themolecular and genetic to human brain imaging, are critically examined and discussed. Topics

include brain mechanisms mediating sleep and waking, diseases of sleep, ontogeny and

phylogeny of sleep, theories of functions and uses of sleep, dreams, drugs affecting sleep andwaking, circadian rhythms, other states of consciousness, and the issue of consciousness itself.

PSY 410 Depression: From Neuron to Clinic (also NEU 410) — EC

This course focuses on clinical depression as a model topic for scientific discourse. Depression is

a subject of growing individual and societal importance, and it is an ideal topic because itintersects such a broad range of issues. Our work will emphasize a neurobiological approach,

with topics ranging from the molecular to the clinical. Prerequisites: 208 or 258, or EEB 211, orMOL 214, and instructor's permission. One three-hour seminar.

PSY 412 Motor Control and Learning (also NEU 412) — EC / Distribution B, C

In this course, we will examine how the nervous system controls movements, how the brainhandles enormous computational complexities of movement, how motor skills are learned and

consolidated, and how the motor system influences cognition.

PSY 416 Brain Imaging in Cognitive Neuroscience Research (also NEU 416) — EC /

Distribution C

Provides an introduction for advanced psychology students on the use of functional brainimaging in cognitive neuroscience research. The first third of the course will cover the

foundations of brain imaging in neurophysiology, imaging physics, experimental design, &image analysis. The remainder will be an examination of innovations in experimental design &

methods of analysis that have opened new areas of cognitive neuroscience to inquiry usingfunctional brain imaging. Students will gain first-hand exposure to the scanning environment,

data collection procedures, and basic, hands-on experience with data treatment & statisticalanalysis.

PSY 417 The Neural Basis of Goal-Directed Behavior (also NEU 417) — EC / Distribution

C

A fundamental property of human action is its orientation toward specific desired goals.

Understanding the computations and neural mechanisms underlying this goal-directedness standsas a central challenge for both psychology and neuroscience. We will review major theories

characterizing the role of goals in behavior, from cognitive, social and developmental psychology, animal behavior research, and artificial intelligence. We'll then review a range of

neuroscientific data in an effort to sketch out the neural substrates of goal-directed behavior,considering the neural basis of goal evaluation, selection, representation, and pursuit.

PSY 421 The Cognitive Neuroscience of Selective Attention (also NEU 421) — EC /

Distribution C

Attention is a fundamental cognitive process that enables us to select info that is relevant for

ongoing behavior. Course reviews the cognitive neuroscience of selective attention starting fromtheoretical foundations provided by cognitive psychology to the neural underpinnings identified



by systems neuroscience, and also includes an intro to the pathology of attention disorders. It presents a hands-on science experience by drawing on current lab research, focusing on the

design and analyses of 'real' experiments, with opportunities to attend ongoing behavioral, physiology, and functional imaging studies.

PSY 422 Dynamics in Cognition (also NEU 422) — Distribution B, C The brain is made up of billions of neurons, each sending and receiving signals from thousandsof 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 presentexperimental results from systems-level neuroscience and then discuss the theoretical

implications of these findings, particularly as they relate to higher-order, cognitive behaviors.

PSY 516 Brain Imaging in Cognitive Neuroscience Research (Also NEU 516) —

Distribution C

Course provides an introduction for advanced students on the use of functional brain imaging incognitive neuroscience research, covering the foundations of brain imaging in neurophysiology,

imaging physics, experimental design, and image analysis. Also examines innovations inexperimental design and methods of analysis that have opened new areas of cognitive

neuroscience to inquiry using functional brain imaging. Students gain first-hand exposure to thescanning environment, data collection procedures, and basic, hands-on experience with data

treatment and statistical analysis.

ELE 480 fMRI Decoding: Reading Minds Using Brain Scans (also NEU 480/PSY 480) —

STL / Distribution C

How can we decode what people are thinking by looking at their brain scans? Over the pastseveral years, researchers have started to address this question by applying sophisticated pattern-

classification algorithms to patterns of functional MRI data, with the goal of decoding theinformation that is represented in the subject's brain at a particular point in time. In lectures,

students will learn about cutting-edge techniques for finding meaningful patterns in large, noisydatasets; in weekly computer labs, students will use these techniques to gain insight into fMRI

datasets.

MOL 447 Neuroimmunology: Immune Molecules in Normal Brain Function and

Neuropathology (also NEU 447) — SLN / Distribution A

In this course, we will explore the diverse and complex interactions between the brain and theimmune system from the perspective of current, cutting-edge research papers. In particular, we

will focus on the molecular mechanisms of these interactions and their role in brain developmentand function as well as their potential contributions to specific neurological disorders, including

autism. In the process, students will learn to read, critically evaluate, and explain in presentationsthe content of articles from the primary literature.

MOL 451 Genes, Brain, and the Human Mind (also NEU 451) — SA / Distribution A, B

How did the human brain become the most complex organ in the animal kingdom? How dogenetic and environmental forces produce its capabilities and maladies? These questions have

fascinated philosophers, humanists, physicians, and scientists for millennia and will be the focusof this course. The course will use human genetics and systems neuroscience to analyze topics



including autism, Alzheimer disease, bipolar disorder and drug addiction. Class time willemphasize lectures, discussion, and student-generated presentations. The goal is to reach a

modern understanding of how the human brain works and sometimes fails.



Documents

Proposal for a Concentration in Neuroscience