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Systems Neuroscience

Spring Semesters
Organizers: James Knierim, Ph.D.

Course Description

This course is a graduate level treatment of neural processing at a system level. The first section of the course will cover learning processes in invertebrates, including sensitization, habituation, classical conditioning, and associative learning, with an emphasize on cellular and molecular bases. This section will also include discussions on the genetic approaches to learning processes as well as computer simulations. The second section will emphasize learning and memory processes at sensory and motor levels, using different animal species. The final section of the course will deal with higher cognitive processes, including the neural bases of procedural versus declarative memory, spatial learning, working memory, and attention processes. The course comprises formal lectures and student presentation of original papers.

Course Requirements

1. Medical Neuroscience course is a pre-requisite for this course.
2. Grades will be based on three exams. Each will be problem-based, take-home, and open-note.

Required Textbooks

No textbooks are required. Students will be provided in advance with 2-3 original papers on a given topic.