Course Synopses

REQUIRED COURSES

These courses are directed at Neuroscience graduate students for whom they are required. They are intended to cover the basics of all of modern neuroscience.

Core I: BIOM 600: Cell Biology
This course covers basic biochemistry and surveys topics of cell biology including: cell structure, compartmentalization and trafficking, signal transduction, cytoskeleton, membranes and membrane transport. Offered fall semester.

This course introduces students to the high-speed electro-chemical signaling mechanisms that occur in nerve and other excitable cells during normal activity. Topics considered in substantial detail include: a) a basic description of the passive and active membrane electrical properties; b) the molecular architecture and functional role of ion channels in cell signaling; c) the role of the calcium ion as an ubiquitous chemical messenger, with applications to neuro-secretion; d) excitatory and inhibitory transmission in the central nervous system; e) sensory transduction, as illustrated by the visual, olfactory and auditory pathways. The course assumes a standard background in cell biology, as well as basic concepts from college physics and college calculus.

Course Directors: Phil Haydon: pghaydon@mail.med, 746-6788, Doug Coulter: coulterd@email.chop.edu, 590-1937

This course provides an introduction to what is known about how neuronal circuits solve problems for the organism and to current research approaches to this question. Topics include: vision, audition, olfaction, motor systems, plasticity, and oscillations. In addition, the course aims to provide an overview of the structure of the central nervous system. A number of fundamental concepts are also discussed across topics, such as: lateral inhibition, integration, filtering, frames of reference, error signals, adaptation. The course format consists of lectures, discussions, readings of primary literature, supplemented by textbook chapters and review articles.

Course Directors: Larry Palmer, palmerl@mail.med.upenn.edu 898-0992 and Diego Contreras, diegoc@mail.med.upenn.edu 573-8781

Neuroscience students may place out of Core Courses I, II or III at the discretion of the Academic Review Committee. Students from other graduate groups may take any of the courses with permission of the section leaders.

Faculty:

Spring
Jonathan Raper, raperj@mail.med.upenn.edu, phone 898-1037
Josh Gold, jigold@mail.med.upenn.edu, phone 746-0388

Fall
Rita Balice-Gordon, rbaliceg@mail.med.upenn.edu, phone 898-1037
Marcos Frank, mgf@mail.med.upenn.edu, phone 746-0388

Time / Location:
Monday, 3:30 – 5:00 pm, Barchi Library (Journal Club)
Wednesday, 4 – 5 pm, Barchi Library (INS seminar)

Course Description and Details

The goals of this weekly course are to learn how to read and critique research papers; to learn how to present a polished, professional summary of a recent paper, and to acquire some background information and context to more fully appreciate research seminars in the Wednesday INS seminar series.
Each Monday session will consist of two 20 minute presentations of a research paper related to that week’s Wednesday seminar, followed by student-led discussion. Each Wednesday session consists of attending the one hour formal INS seminar by faculty invited from other institutions to speak about their work, published and unpublished. Attendance at both the Monday and Wednesday sessions is required.

The first Journal Club session will be Monday, Jan 10th. Papers related to Dr. Eric Nestler's seminar on Wed., Jan. 12th will be presented. Assignments for subsequent journal clubs will also be made at this session. Papers are posted on the web at: http://www.med.upenn.edu/ins/events/JCPapersSpring05.html. Last name beginning with A – L should read the second paper listed on the website; M – Z should read the first paper. If there is a third paper listed, it is optional.
A faculty mentor will help you read and understand the papers and prepare a power point presentation. See additional guidelines for non-presenters and presenters below.

Guidelines for Monday Journal Club meetings

Non-presenters:
We ask that you spend a minimum of approximately 1 hour reading one of the speaker’s papers before we meet. To ensure that all of the papers are read by somebody, A-M will read the second paper, N – Z will read the first paper. In the event a single paper is listed, everyone should read that paper.
We ask that you bring to each Journal Club meeting 4 very brief paragraphs (each with a maximum of 3 non-run-on sentences) answering the following questions about the paper you read:
(a) What was the main take-home message of the paper?
(b) What part did you like best?
(c) What part did you find the least convincing or the most confusing? and (d) After reading the paper, what question would you ask the author?
Please no handwritten documents! These will be handed in at the start of the
JC, and, when appropriate, will be used as a basis for discussion. The first written summary will be turned in at the first session.

Presenters:
Please meet with your faculty mentor no later than one week prior to your Journal Club presentation to discuss which papers to present and determine who will present which papers. If you change the papers that will be presented and read by the class, you should notify all students and faculty no later than the preceding Monday, and send Josh and Jonathan a PDF of the paper.
Feel free to consult your mentor as necessary about the papers and your presentation. Coordinate your presentations with each other to make sure the appropriate background is presented without redundancy.
Your mentor should listen to a formal run-through of your presentation when both presenters are ready. Remember – schedule sessions with your faculty mentor in advance!!
Each presenter should plan a 20 minute presentation. The first presenter should add 5 minutes of general background information. Presentations should also include a discussion of potential future directions in which the work could be directed.
Each presenter will receive comments within a day or two of their presentations from the faculty mentor and either Josh or Jonathan.

Wednesday sessions
Everyone is encouraged to ask questions of the seminar speaker. These can be issues that were raised at the Journal Club, at lunch with the speaker, or in the seminar itself. After the seminar, you should discuss the content and format with each other, and we will generally discuss the seminar in the first few minutes of the following Journal Club.
In addition, there is the opportunity to have lunch with seminar speakers, from 12 -1 on Wednesday. These meetings are a chance to get to know the speaker, learn about their background, and get some insight into the way they approach their science. Each student should sign up for at least one lunch session this semester.

Evaluations
Students will receive written, e-mail feedback on their journal club presentation from the faculty mentor and Rita or Marcos. This feedback, as well as an evaluation of student write ups and participation in discussions will be incorporated into a final evaluation letter which will become part of your academic file. A satisfactory evaluation for a total of four semesters is needed to complete this NGG requirement.

ELECTIVES

Kwabena Boahen
We introduce neurobiologists to the physical constraints on neural computation---like noise, wiring, and energy. We introduce engineers to the unrivaled performance of biological systems---achieved despite physical constraints. And, we study very large-scale models of entire neural systems; consisting of thousands of silicon neurons that respond in real-time. These goals are achieved through analytical (deriving mathematical solutions), computational (simulating device and circuit behavior), and experimental (testing prefabricated chips) exercises. Students work in multidisciplinary teams, combining their expertise in neuroscience and neuroengineering; rudimentary knowledge of one or the other is fine.

Prerequisites: Students with advanced knowledge in neurobiology but rudimentary knowledge in electrical engineering or vice versa are welcome. Biology students should have a course in Cellular Neurobiology (e.g., BIOL251 or INSC572). A course in Systems Neuroscience (e.g., BIOL451 or INSC573) is recommended but not required. Engineering students should have a course in Solid-State Circuits (e.g., EE319). A course in Integrated Circuits (e.g., EE419, 560, or 562) is recommended but not required.

Goals: To model the structure and function of entire neural systems in real-time using very large scale integration (VLSI) complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology. To build these neuromorphic models, we proceed from the device level, through the circuit level, to the system level. At the device level, we show how electrodiffusion of electrons through transistor channels parallels electrodiffusion of ions through membrane channels. At the circuit level, we show how to implement synaptic interaction, dendritic integration and active membrane behavior using transistors. At the system level, we synthesize the spatiotemporal dynamics of the cochlea, the retina, and networks of spiking neurons in cortex.

Instructor: Kwabena Boahen, Bioengineering Dept (boahen@seas.upenn.edu).
Textbooks: None required. But, the monograph, Analog VLSI and Neural Systems, by Carver Mead, is a good introduction to VLSI. And the book, From Neuron to Brain, by Kuffler, Nicholls and Martin, is a good introduction to the brain.
Grading: Based on individual homeworks and team lab reports (groups of two).
Target Audience: This course is intended to draw advanced students from multiple disciplines with an interest in multidisciplinary approaches. Students are encouraged to pool their expertise in different areas in teams of two.

Topics:
Overview:
VLSI CMOS Technology: From Transistors to Chips
Systems Neuroscience: From Ion-Channels to Microcircuits
Electrodiffusion:
Ion-Channels: Electrodiffusion in Liquids
Transistors: Electrodiffusion in Solids Parallels between Ion-Channels and Transistors
Synaptic Interaction:
Single-Transistor Gap Junctions Single-Transistor Chemical Synapses
Temporal and Spatial Integration:
Dendrites and Somas: Diode-Capacitor Dynamics Cell-Syncytium: Resistive Networks
Active Membrane Properties:
Spike-Generation: Fast Na- and K-Channels Frequency-Adaptation: Ca-dependent K-Channels
Spatiotemporal Dynamics:
Finite-Element Analog of Basilar Membrane and Cochlear Fluid Reciprocally-Connected Two-Layer Model of Outer Retina
Sensory Neural Systems:
A Cochlea on a Chip; A Retina on a Chip

This course focuses on the current state of our knowledge about the neurobiological basis of learning and memory. A combination of lectures and discussions will explore the molecular and cellular basis of learning in invertebrates and vertebrates from a behavioral and neural perspective.

Course Director: Ted Abel: abele@sas, 898-5614

Neuropsychopharmacology provides an oveview of the neurobiology of the major neuropsychiatric illnesses. The course is divided into four modules related to behavioral disorders or disciplines. The specific modules covered are: affective and anxiety disorders, substance abuse, schizophrenia, and fundamentals of stress neurobiology. Each module covers a specific area using the following format: 1) clinical features and overview, 2) basic and clinical neuroscience studies relevant to understanding the pathobiology of these disorders, 3) current treatment practices for each set of disorders; and 4) mechanisms of current treatment and future treatment needs. Each of the modules present material that integrates clinical and basic neurobiology approaches to research on these neuropsychiatric disorders to emphasize translational links between patient treatment and laboratory studies.

Course Director: Irwin Lucki (lucki@pharm.med, 573-3305)

This course focuses on the use of genetic techniques to study the molecular and cellular bases of behavior. Particular emphasis will be given to the role of genetic approaches in understanding the biological processes underlying learning, memory storage, circadian rhythms and drug abuse. Reverse genetic approaches utilizing gene knockout and transgenic technology, and forward genetic approaches using mutagenesis and quantitative genetic techniques will be discussed, as well as application of these studies to different model organisms (fly, zebrafish, dog, mouse). Genetic approaches to behavior and complex disease in humans will be illustrated with the series of lectures on tauopathies, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Course Format: This course meets once a week for three hours. Half of this time will be devoted to a lecture that will provide a general overview of the topic to be discussed and the approaches used in these studies. A discussion will follow the lecture. Discussions after the second and third lecture will involve solving genetic problems. In subsequent lectures, the discussion will be based on primary readings from the literature and will be led by students who have been given primary responsibility for presenting these papers. All students are required to turn in one discussion question for each paper at the beginning of each class to either Ted or Maja. These questions will then be used to guide the discussion. It is critically important that everyone participates in the discussion. We will be discussing cutting edge research that is often complex and controversial!

Course Directors: Amita Sehgal, amita@mail.med.upenn.edu , 573-2985; 898-8780 (FAX) Maja Bucan: bucan@pobox, 898-0020; 573-2041 (FAX);

This seminar course will involve critical reading and discussion of classic and modern papers in synaptic physiology. Approximately half the time will be spent on the neuromuscular junction, with the balance covering central synapses. Prerequisites: Core II and III or permission of the instructors.

Course Directors: Tom Parsons: thd@vet, 221-2554

The goal of the course is to introduce graduate and advanced undergraduate students to the rapidly-growing field of computational neuroscience and, in particular, the cellular-level modeling of neurons. Lectures focus on the theory and techniques used for simulating the neurophysiology of single neurons by modeling their biophysical components in a realistic fashion. Primary motivations for creating such models are to understand cellular-level and neurophysiological data, generate new hypotheses for experimental inquiry and highlight prominent gaps in the biological knowledge base. Laboratory time focuses upon developing an intuition for how such models and their components behave as well as developing skill at constructing models from scratch. After a series of progressively more complicated tutorials and exercises, the course culminates in a final project where students apply the theory and techniques to either reproduce pivotal results in the computational neuroscience literature or to generate novel models of published experimental data.

Course Director: Leif Finkel: 898-0822

The purpose of this course is to convey to upper level undergraduates and graduate students the fundamental processes and mechanisms of the auditory system. The course will develop ideas describing the structure and function of the peripheral and central auditory pathway. The flow of acoustic energy will be analytically and quantitatively traced through the peripheral ear. The details of auditory transduction will be explored as a mechanical and electro-chemical process. Information transfer of simple and complex acoustic signals in the central auditory pathway will be explored from the auditory nerve to the cortex. In addition the pathophysiology of hearing due to excessive sound exposure or ototoxic drug treatment will be considered. The data base utilized in the course will come from primary literature describing the physiological mechanisms of hearing in animal preparations. However, where appropriate the processes of human hearing will be introduced.

Course Directors: Ginny Richards, richards@cattell.psych.upenn.edu, 8-0223 & Jim Saunders,saunderj@mail.med, 898-7504

This course examines how behavioral studies influence current concepts of the physiological roles of particular neurotransmitters in the brain.
-- animal models of neurological diseases
-- animal models of psychiatric illness
-- neurochemical mechanisms of psychotropic drugs

This course examines how behavioral studies influence current concepts of the physiological roles of particular neurotransmitters in the brain.
-- animal models of neurological diseases
-- animal models of psychiatric illness
-- neurochemical mechanisms of psychotropic drugs

Course Director: Irwin Lucki: lucki@pharm.med, 573-3305

The objectives of this course are to discuss and evaluate mechanisms controlling sleep and circadian rhythm, to survey novel approaches to investigation in these areas, and to indicate the clinical relevance of these ideas where possible. About half the course consists of core lectures on basic rhythms, sleep, and their neural substrates. The rest of the lectures are devoted to special topics which change from year to year.

Course Director: Allan Pack: pack@mail.med, 662-3302

Textbook: There is no one text suitable for the course. Readings will be assigned for each class and more in depth bibliographies will be developed for each topic. Many of the chapters in "The Molecular and Genetic Basis of Neurological Disease" edited by Roger Rosenberg, Stanley Pruisiner, Salvatore DiMauro, and Robert Barchi, Edition 2, are a good initial source. Copies are available on reserve in the medical library and in the Neuroscience library.

Dysfunction of the human brain can produce a wide variety of neurological and psychiatric illnesses. Over the past decades, neuroscientists have begun to unravel the basic underlying mechanisms of a number of important diseases of the nervous system, at the cellular, molecular and genetic levels. None of these disorders are completely understood, and, perhaps more importantly, none are yet susceptible to either total prevention or cure, so these conditions remain among the most important health problems of our society. This course is designed to familiarize neuroscientists with basic information about a number of important neurological and psychiatric diseases, focusing on a relatively brief clinical description of the condition and a more in depth discussion of what is currently understood about the basic pathobiology of the disorder.

The course is divided into two parts: On Tuesday afternoons there will be a formal didactic teaching session. The first part of each lecture (one-half hour to one hour) will be devoted to a discussion of the disease in question and the second part will consist of one or two student presentations (in lieu of a paper or exam) reviewing in depth one critical neuroscience component of the disease. Each student will work with the course director or an assigned faculty member to develop her/his lecture. On Thursday afternoons, a faculty member will present a research seminar or chalk talk describing the research she or he is conducting in that particular disease. Papers will be provided before the seminar so the students will be familiar with the research. It is expected that having a research seminar given after the introductory lecture will allow the students to become familiar in depth with at least one approach to each disease.

Course Director: Marc Dichter: dichter@mail.med, 898-3130

This course provides a multidisciplinary overview of neuroendocrine function. There are no prerequisites for graduate students. The course has been specifically designed for graduate students in Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Psychology, Psychiatry, Immunology, and Pathology. It may also be of interest to other Ph.D. students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty interested in the interrelationships between the brain, neuroendocrine systems, and behavior. For each topic there will be a lecture discussing the relevant physiology, behavior and neuroendocrine mechanisms (cellular and molecular) followed by a journal article discussion. Students will be evaluated by their discussion of current papers in the literature. In addition, students will be expected to write and present a small grant proposal in the field of neuroendocrinology.

TOPICS: 1) Overview of neuroendocrinology 2) Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis 3) Thyroid function 4) Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis 5) Sexual differentiation 6) Growth 7) Prolactin 8) Fluid Balance 9) Metabolism and Ingestion

Course Director: Lori Flanagan-Cato (flanagan@cattell.psych, 898-4085)

INSC592 401 .50 c.u. Meets 1/9/06 through 2/24/06
INSC592 402 .50 c.u. Meets 2/27/06 through 4/21/06

Course Director for 401: Russell Epstein
Tel: 215-573-3532
Email: rae@cattell.psych.upenn.edu
Course Director for 402: Amishi Jha
Tel: 215-746-0425
Email: apjha@psych.upenn.edu

Overview:

Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience. This course will review what has been learned about the neural mechanisms underlying intelligent behavior in humans and animals. The course will be organized by the traditional topic areas of cognitive science, specifically: Vision (early vision through object recognition), attention, learning and memory, motor control, planning and problem-solving, and language. Within each topic we will attempt to integrate the results of the different neuroscience approaches to each topic, including the study of human neurological patients, lesion studies in animals, single unit recordings, neural network modelling, and functional imaging techniques.

Course Director: Peter Crino, crinop@mail.med.upenn.edu 898-0178

Below I list the course goals. They sound straightforward, but they are not. Realize that a map of the world down to the detail of your home street spans a scale of about 10^6. But a map of the brain down to the level of synaptic structure spans a scale of about 10^8! Thus the amount of detail to consider is virtually unimaginable and we need strategies to organize our structural studies. You might start by considering which scale interests you most and what tools you might gain from this course to tackle problems on that scale.

COURSE GOALS

(1) Learn the basic structural features of the vertebrate brain at several levels of scale: macroscopic (gross = major subdivisions, major connecting tracts), microscopic (histological organization of some regions of major current interest, e.g., hippocampus, and ultrastructural (structure of synapses, circuits).

(2) Learn to find your way around the brain using the various available maps (atlases) at the corresponding levels of scale: (MRI, LM, EM). This gets easy as you accomplish goal #1.

(3) Become proficient with light microscopy. LM is now a major tool, not only for structure, but also for studies of function. In fact, such distinctions are rapidly disappearing. Proficiency here involves: a) understanding enough of the technical issues that you can obtain optimal contrast and resolution; b) learning to "look" actively. This involves asking a few basic questions as you examine a tissue. It is another kind of learning how to find your way. We spend considerable time with modern versions of LM, including fluorescence, confocal, DIC, 2-Photon).

In short, you should leave this course with a certain competence in neuroanatomy (at all 3 scales), and with some competence as an investigator of "functional architecture". To these ends, it will help to consider one of the very biggest questions: Why aren't we smarter? There must be physical limits to our intelligence, and to identify these structural constraints would be to achieve some deep insight. Enough is known now about brain structure at the scales mentioned to at least raise working hypotheses.

Prerequisites: at least one course on the nervous system (or permission of the course director).

This course surveys recent theoretical models of neural function. Students will be introduced to the basic techniques of modelling and computer simulation. Topics will include models of synaptic plasticity, neuronal processing and oscillations, and models of various brain regions including cortex, thalamus, cerebellum, and hippocampus. Particular emphasis will be placed on models of the visual system from development to perceptual phenomena such as structure-from-motion, shape-from-shading, and stereopsis. Higher level processes including cortical integration will be considered. Applied neural network models of Hopfield, Sejnowski, and parallel distributed processing will also be presented.

Course Director: Leif Finkel, leif@sas.upenn.edu 898-1483

Course Director: Harvey Grill: grill@cattell.psych, 898-7213

COURSE DIRECTOR: Julie Blendy, blendy@pharm.med.upenn.edu 898-0730

SCHEDULE: M/W/F 1:00-2:00 P.M.

LOCATION: M100 John Morgan Building (Pharm. Library)

The goals of this course are:

A)To provide students with a general overview of the biochemical properties of the nervous system

B) To provide students with in-depth information on particular neurotransmitter and effector systems. Emphasis will be placed on the wealth of new molecular information that is being gathered to examine how cells of the nervous system function and communicate.

To achieve these goals the course is divided into 4 sections:

1) Overview of neuroanatomy and general neurochemistry

2) Specific neurotransmitters and neuromodulators

3) Molecular approaches to the study of signaling in the CNS.

4) Current topics in neuropharmacology.

There will be 3 exams that roughly correlate with the first 3 sections. The fourth section will entail student presentations toward the end of the semester.

The goal of this course is to examine the principles underlying nervous system development. This is not a survey course in Developmental Neurobiology. Rather, the course will focus on selected topics, for which we will discuss the molecular and cellular strategies employed in different model organisms.
Topics: Formation of Neural Tissue; Specification of Neural Cell Types; Cell Migration; Synapse Formation.

Each week includes two 1.5 hrs classes, of which the first 30 minutes will consist of a faculty presented introduction/background to this class's topic. The background will vary with each topic, and rather than providing a comprehensive overview of the current field, will focus mostly on the biological principles . The introduction/background will be followed by a discussion of one paper. Each student must write two short grant-style proposals (approximately 2 pages each).
Each week includes two classes lectures and a small group discussion in which one or two important papers are analyzed in detail. Each student must write three short grant style reports (approximately 2 pages each). No exams are given.

Course Director: Michael Granato: granatom@mail.med.upenn.edu 898-2745

Time: Monday and Friday from 10:30 – 12:30

Description:
            This course takes an integrative approach to the study of nervous system function. We will explore neural strategies used by different modalities to encode sensory information. Information coding in these systems will be analyzed at different levels, ranging from synaptic input analysis at single sensory neurons and their effect on local network processing to larger scale population analyses. In a few of the systems, we will also explore how sensory information is transformed into motor commands that specify specific behaviors.
            The course will consist of an introductory section to provide a conceptual framework for studying neural circuits at the systems level. This will be followed by four additional sections that each explores specific neural systems within the context of this conceptual framework. In the first section, Josh Gold and Vijay Balasubramanian will review general methodological and analytical approaches that are used to probe behavior and neural function at the systems level. These methodological and conceptual approaches will be described within the context of retinal processing as well as studies addressing the neural mechanisms responsible for forming decisions about sensory stimuli. In the second section, Diego Contreras will discuss sensory processing at the synaptic and local network level in two well described sensory systems (visual and somatosensory “barrel” cortex). In the third section, Marcos Frank will review the behavioral and electrophysiological features of REM and nonREM sleep, as well as several theories of sleep function, including the possible role of sleep in neuronal metabolism, brain development and learning and memory. In the fourth section, Minghong Ma will focus on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying olfactory information coding and processing. This section will address how these circuits are organized to enable us to detect and discriminate thousands of odors. In the fifth and final section, Marc Schmidt will use the well known neuroethological model of birdsong to explore the strengths of using natural behaviors to study fundamental properties of sensory processing, sensorimotor integration and motor control.

Format:
            Each faculty will have approximately a 2 - 3 week block in which to cover their system. In each block, faculty will lecture on Mondays and Fridays. At the end of each block, students will present assigned papers. Lectures will be didactic, but interaction and questions from students are expected and encouraged. Grades will be determined from class participation and student presentations. Readings will consist mostly of scientific papers which will be available on blackboard in advance of each block by the corresponding faculty.

Prerequisite: Core III (INSC 573- Systems Neuroscience) or Permission of Course Director

Course Directors: Marc Schmidt at marcschm@sas.upenn.edu or Diego Contreras at diegoc@mail.med.upenn.edu

INSC599 Advanced Visual Neuroscience (Fall - even years)

This course is designed as a practical introduction to small computers with laboratory applications in mind. Although software is emphasized, pertinent hardware is covered in some detail. The class will meet for a two hour lecture once a week. Topics and assigned problems will include machine language, assembly language, programming in C, the interface between C and assembly language, operating systems interrupts, data acquisition and graphics. The goal of the course is to bring basically naive students to a point of self- sufficiency with laboratory computers. Course grade is based on weekly homeworks. Enrollment is limited to 16.

Course Director: Larry Palmer palmerl@mail.med, 898-0992

The human nervous system is subject to several types of injury, (traumatic, ischemic, epileptic, demyelinating, and/or inflammatory, etc.) that cause serious functional deficits. The mechanisms used by the central and peripheral nervous systems for functional recovery from these injuries will be described in this course. The molecular and cellular pathobiology of CNS injury will be reviewed and methods to enhance functional recovery will be discussed in detail. These include the limitation of secondary neuronal damage by pharmacological manipulation (neuroprotection), the promotion of regeneration and plasticity, the application of bioengineering strategies, and the use of behavioral rehabilitative approaches.
Course Format: A combination of lecture, journal club style student presentations and classroom discussion.
Course Directosr: Robert Neumar 898-4960 and Frank Welsh 662-7925

INSC 630 Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory (on demand)

This course will review the neural mechanisms of learning and memory. Readings will include both seminal and cutting-edge papers on topics ranging from perceptual momory to higher order functions, including working memory, declarative memory, implicit memory, skill learning, and semantic memory. Within each topic we will attempt to integrate the results of different neuroscience approaches, including the study of human neurological patients, lesion studies and single unit recordings in animals, neural netowrk modeling, event-related potentials, and functional imaging techniques. Each topic will begin with an introductory overview lecture with an associated background reading. The subsequent classes for each topic will consist of student-led discussions as well as performance on other written assignments.he human nervous system is subject to several types of injury, e.g. traumatic ischemic demyelination, and inflamation, that cause serious functional deficits. these injuries will be described in this course.

Course Directors: Sharon Thompson-Schill: 573-3533, thompson@psych.upenn.edu and Amishi Jha: 573-0210, apjha@psych.upenn.edu

INSC 631 (PSYC 631) Cognitive Neuroscience of Affect (on demand)

We will survey, and as far as possible synthesize, three bodies of literature on emotion and the brain, specifically: (1) neuroimaging and pharmacologic studies of emotion and the normal human
brain; (2) the neuroscience of affective disorders in humans; and (3) relevant studies of reinforcement and learning in animals. (Fulfills the "Brain" requirement.)

Course Director: Martha Farah 573-3531, mfarah@cattell.psych.upenn.edu

INSC 632 (PSYC 632) Cognitive Neuroscience of Vision (on demand)

This course will review the neural basis of visual cognition. Emphasis will be placed on linking cognitive theory to neuroscientific methods. Topics will include object and face recognition, scene perception, visual attention, mental imagery, and visual awareness.

Course Director: Russell Epstein 898-2958, rae@cattell.psych.upenn.edu

INSC 727 (PSYC 727) Electronics for Scientists (Spring - every year)

An introductory theory and practicum course covering the essential principles and applications of electronics. Emphasis is on understanding basic electricity, measurements, instrumentation, circuit simulation, data acquisition, and computer control systems used in research environments.



Course Director: John Andrews-Labenski: 898-8092, jala@cattell.psych.upenn.edu http://www.psych.upenn.edu/shop/psyc727

INSC 670: Current Topics in Neuropharmacology (PHRM 670)

Students critically review current topics in neuropharmacology literature, develop skills in oral presentation of scientific data and analysis of experimental results, and interact with faculty members working in fields associated with the topics discussed. The faculty members serve as experts in the areas discussed to provide perspectives or guide the discussions, but the emphasis is on efforts by the students. Typically, each session will employ a seminar format. The students are expected to critically read the designated papers and sufficient other references to place the paper in context, then clearly and critically present its results and conclusions and lead a round-table discussion with the other studetns. The course is designed to help students develop skills to independently and critically analyze scientific papers. Grading will depend on both the presentation of papers and the participation in class discussions.