BIOL 5147 3.0 CR= 3.0
FUNDAMENTALS OF NEUROSCIENCE II: CIRCUITS, SYSTEMS, AND BEHAVIOUR
Integrated with PSY 6253 3.0 and KAHS 6156 3.0
PSYCHOLOGY IS HOST Graduate Program
Description:
This course will focus on a systems approach to specialized circuits within the central nervous system that determine sensory, motor and cognitive systems. Permission of the Course Directors is required to enroll in the course.
The course will provide graduate students with an in depth analysis of the circuits within the nervous system that underlying the structure and function of the developing and mature nervous system. This is an advanced course that will focus on current research topics in selected areas of Neuroscience, which is the study of the biology of the nervous system and its relationship to behavior and disease. The course includes two modules that cover a range of topics within systems neuroscience. It is designed to compliment Elements of Neuroscience I and in total will introduce students to the breadth of research within the field of Neuroscience.
Module 1 –– Director: Drs. DeSouza and Hoffman
- Neurotechniques
- Principles of neural computation
Module 2 –– Director: Dr. DeSouza
- Visual, auditory & somatosensory systems
- Vestibular system, eye movements and other senses
- Basal Ganglia, Cerebellum and subcortical systems
- Higher cortical systems
Module 3 –– Director: Dr. Kari Hoffman
- Plasticity and Learning
- Sleep and Spontaneous activity
- Emotion/Motivation
- Autonomic system/ hormones and stress
Course Directors:
Dr. Joseph DeSouza
Office: Computer Science & Engineering 1012G
Tel.: 416-736-2100 ext. 31092
e-mail: desouza@yorku.ca
Dr. Kari Hoffman
Office: Computer Science & Engineering 1012F
Tel.: 416-736-2100 ext. 20997
e-mail: khoffman@yorku.ca
Evaluation:
Students will be evaluated based on two exams, class participations and term paper on a topic of the student’s choice (to be approved by the course instructor). Term paper will related to a specific topic covered in class.
Final mark will be based on:
- Class Exam (Module 1) 25%
- Class Exam (Module 2) 25%
- Paper presentations 20%
- Class discussions and attendance 5%
- Course essay (a review of an area covered in the course) 25%
Bibliography:
Eric R. Kandel, James Schwartz, and Thomas Jessell. “Principles of Neural Science”4th Edition(Elsevier)
Selected readings from peer-reviewed journal articles will be assigned for each class.
Assigned readings will be available from the York University library system from journals, such as Nature, Science, Journal of Neuroscience, Nature Genetics, Nature Neuroscience, Brain, Brain Research, Journal of Neurobiology, Neuron, Cell, NeuroReport and Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
