Sarah Petersen

This is the first laboratory course a student takes and is a prerequisite for all upper-division laboratory courses- required for the major. Students are introduced to the processes of investigative biology and scientific writing. Laboratories cover topics presented in the core lecture courses, BIOL 115 and 116, and introduce a variety of techniques and topics, including field sampling, microscopy, PCR, gel electrophoresis, enzyme biochemistry, physiology, evolution and population biology. The course emphasizes the development of inquiry skills through active involvement in experimental design, data collection and management, statistical analysis, integration of results with information reported in the literature, and writing in a format appropriate for publication. The year culminates in six-week student-designed investigations that reinforce the research skills developed during the year. Evaluation is based on laboratory notebooks, lab performance and scientific papers, as well as oral and written presentations summarizing the independent project. Prerequisite: completion or concurrent enrollment in BIOL 115 or equivalent.

This laboratory course is the same as NEUR 350D. It is designed to complement NEUR 351D Molecular Neuroscience. We will apply concepts of gene expression and neural patterning to design and conduct a series of authentic experiments to answer a novel research question. Students use foundational techniques in the field, including recombinant gene technology, visualization of gene expression, and microscopy in intact vertebrate animals. This course counts toward the upper-level laboratory requirement for the Biology and Neuroscience majors. Prerequisite: BIOL 109-110Y; prerequisite or corequisite: NEUR/BIOL 351D Molecular Neuroscience. Offered every two years.

This course is the same as NEUR 351D. This must be taken as BIOL 351D to count for the natural science diversification requirement. This course builds upon foundational concepts in neuroscience and biology to study key genes and signaling pathways that drive development, maintenance, communication and plasticity of neurons and glia. Basic principles covered include differential gene expression in the nervous system, biochemical properties of ion channels and receptors, and the role of regulatory/transport proteins in neurons and glia. We apply these and other concepts to sensory, motor and behavioral aspects of the nervous system, studying both normal and abnormal development and function in model organisms. The course emphasizes understanding historical and modern experimental design and molecular techniques. Critical reading and discussion of primary literature is an integral part of this class. This counts as an elective for the neuroscience, biology, and molecular biology majors. Prerequisite: 200- or 300-level NEUR course or 200-level BIOL course in the cell/molecular or organismal/physiology field.\n

This course continues the honors research project and gives attention to scientific writing and the mechanics of producing a thesis. A thesis is required and is defended orally to an outside examiner. The letter grade is determined by the instructor and project advisor in consultation with the department. Permission of instructor and department chair required. Prerequisite: BIOL 385 and 497.

In recent years, there has been a renaissance of science writing for the common reader that combines literary and scientific merit, from Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time" to Oliver Sacks' "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for A Hat," and from Dava Sobel's "Longitude" to Rebecca Skloot's "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks." Such book explore scientific questions in a style that transcends the conventions of academic science writing or popular history, bringing important questions from physics, biology, chemistry, neuroscience, and mathematics to wider public attention. Short-form science journalism has become one of the most important areas of literary nonfiction, recognized both by annual awards from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and two different series of Best of American Science Writing anthologies. This interdisciplinary science writing course combines literary analysis of exemplary essays on scientific topics with a writing workshop that requires students to closely observe scientific processes, conduct independent research and interviews, interpret data, and present scientific information in highly readable form. Weekly readings are selected from prize-winning science essays and the Best of American Science and Nature Writing series. We may also read one book-length work of science writing. Weekly writing assignments include journals, observational accounts of science experiments, exercises in interpreting scientific data, interviews, narratives and a substantial research essay. This counts toward the creative practice and post-1900 requirement for the major. No prerequisite.

This course begins with a definition of neuroscience as an interdisciplinary field, in the context of the philosophy of science. After covering the basics of cellular neurophysiology, the course examines the development and organization of the human nervous system in terms of sensory, motor, motivational, emotional and cognitive processes. The neurological and biochemical bases of various brain and behavioral disorders also are examined. This course paired with any neuroscience course counts toward the natural science diversification requirement. This course is required for the major. Prerequisite or corequisite: BIOL 115, BIOL 116 or equivalent. Offered every year.

This laboratory course is the same as BIOL 350D. It is designed to complement NEUR 351D Molecular Neuroscience. We will apply concepts of gene expression and neural patterning to design and conduct a series of authentic experiments to answer a novel research question. Students use foundational techniques in the field, including recombinant gene technology, visualization of gene expression, and microscopy in intact vertebrate animals. This course counts toward the upper-level laboratory requirement for the Biology and Neuroscience majors. Prerequisite: BIOL 109-110Y; prerequisite or corequisite: NEUR/BIOL 351 Molecular Neuroscience. Offered every two years.

This course is the same as BIOL 351D. This course builds upon foundational concepts in neuroscience and biology to study key genes and signaling pathways that drive development, maintenance, communication, and plasticity of neurons and glia. Basic principles covered include differential gene expression in the nervous system, biochemical properties of ion channels and receptors, and the role of regulatory/transport proteins in neurons and glia. We will apply these and other concepts to sensory, motor, and behavioral aspects of the nervous system, studying both normal and abnormal development and function in model organisms. The course emphasizes understanding historical and modern experimental design and molecular techniques. Critical reading and discussion of primary literature is an integral part of this class. This counts as an elective for the major. Prerequisite: 200- or 300-level NEUR course or 200-level BIOL course in the cell/molecular or organismal/physiology field.\n

This combined discussion and laboratory course aims to develop abilities for asking sound research questions, designing reasonable scientific approaches to answer such questions, and performing experiments to test both the design and the question. We consider how to assess difficulties and limitations in experimental strategies due to design, equipment, system selected, and so on. The course provides a detailed understanding of selected modern research equipment. Students select their own research problems in consultation with one or more neuroscience faculty members. This course is designed both for those who plan to undertake honors research in their senior year and for those who are not doing honors but who want some practical research experience. A student can begin the research in either semester. When a year of credit is earned, it may counts toward the research methods course requirement for the major. This course is repeatable for up to 1.50 units of credit. Prerequisite: BIOL 109Y-110Y and NEUR 212. Permission of instructor required.

This required capstone seminar is required of all students who plan to graduate with a neuroscience concentration or major. The seminar is intended to bring together the knowledge acquired from courses required for, or relevant to, the concentration and major. During the course of the semester, each student will write an integrative paper with input from the instructor. Oral presentations are given in conjunction with each of these exercises. Neuroscience majors are expected to have completed NEUR 250 before enrolling in NEUR 471. Prerequisite: NEUR 212, at least one 300-level neuroscience course. Neuroscience major or concentrator with senior standing. Permission of instructor required.\n

This program for senior honors students culminates in the completion of a senior honors research project. The research is expected to be on a topic of particular relevance to the student's postgraduate plans. Students must select a research advisor from the faculty members in the Neuroscience Program. They are expected to have completed a thorough bibliographic search of the literature, written a short review paper and formulated some tentative hypotheses during the spring semester of their junior year. Permission of neuroscience director required. Prerequisite: 3.33 overall GPA and a 3.5 GPA in the neuroscience core courses and must have completed at least 5 units toward the major. Students enrolled in this course will be automatically added to NEUR 498Y for the spring semester.

This program for senior honors students culminates in the completion of a senior honors research project. The research is expected to be on a topic of particular relevance to the student's postgraduate plans. Students must select a research advisor from the faculty members in the Neuroscience Program. They are expected to have completed a thorough bibliographic search of the literature, written a short review paper and formulated some tentative hypotheses during the spring semester of their junior year. Permission of neuroscience director required. Prerequisite: 3.33 overall GPA and a 3.5 GPA in the neuroscience core courses and must have completed at least 5 units toward the major.