Credits/Class Meetings:
5 semester hours/three 1.5 hour meetings per week for
a total of approximately 37 classes.
Prerequisite Background:
Undergraduate courses in Developmental Biology, Molecular
Genetics and Neuroscience are recommended but not required.
Suggested Background Reading:
Fundamental
Neuroscience, Zigmond et al.,; Principles of Neuroscience, Kandel and Schwartz.
Suitability for 1st
Year Students: Recommended
for 1st year students.
Course Description: This
course will cover the cellular and molecular principles underlying
the construction of a functioning nervous system. The
course will begin with overviews of neurogenesis, neural patterning
and axon guidance, and an introduction to neuroembryology.
Subsequent classes will focus on neural induction, patterning
of the neuraxis, stem cell biology, growth factors/cytokines
and relevant signaling mechanisms, neurogenesis and gliogenesis,
forebrain development, neuronal cell death, axon guidance
mechanisms, synapse assembly and neural circuit formation.
Throughout the course, insights gained from both vertebrate
and invertebrate model systems will be discussed.
Grading will be based on
participation in course director-facilitated Student Synopsis
and Discussion classes
and Student Study Sections,
as well as on a written Grant Proposal.
There are eight Student Synopsis and Discussion classes
interspersed with faculty lectures. During these classes,
students are expected to summarize the main points of the
preceding two or three lectures, as well as present and discuss
key papers in these areas. Each student in the class
will be required to write an original grant proposal on a
topic in Developmental Neuroscience. There will be two
Student Study Sections during the semester. At
these study sections, students will critique their classmates’
grant proposals. After each study section, students
will have the opportunity to revise their grant proposal based
on the recommendations of their peers. The final revision
of the grant proposal will be turned in on the last day of
class in lieu of a final exam and will be graded by the course
directors.
Systems Neuroscience
Course Leader:
Dr. Pablo Castillo
Dr. Elyse Sussman
Dr. Jose Luis Pena
Credits/Class Meetings:
5 credits/three 1.5 hour meetings per week for a total
of approximately 30 class sessions
Prerequisite Background:
No prerequisites required. Some background in Neuroscience
is strongly recommended.
Suggested Background Reading:
Kandel, Schwartz and Jessell, Principles of Neural Science
Select readings from Gazzaniga, The New Cognitive Neurosciences
Suitability for 1st Year
Students: Suitable
for 1st year students. Background in Neuroscience strongly
recommended.
Course Description:
Scope:
The course will explore how complex neural systems
work together to integrate afferent information and direct
efferent outflow. The overall goal will be to explore higher
order mammalian functions, such as the structure and function
of neural systems underlying sensation and movement, learning
and memory at the sensory and motor levels, as well as higher-level
cognitive processes including object perception and attention.
At every stage we will build on a firm understanding of the
underlying molecular physiology, genetics and anatomical structure.
Principal areas of interest will be on the hierarchical control
of neural systems, the formation and strengthening of neural
networks, serial vs. parallel processing models, plasticity
at the systems level, and select aspects of cognition. Each
topic will be framed against the emerging technology with
which it can be studied, including functional imaging, ERPs,
physiologic mapping and computational models.
Format:
The course will be divided into three modules: 1) principles
of "neural system" structure and formation, 2) hierarchy
of sensory processing, and 3) higher order functions and cognition.
Each module will contain an initial series of didactic lectures
introducing key facts and concepts, as well as class participation
sessions focused on pre-assigned questions. In addition, for
each module, a team of students will lead a discussion on
the strengths and limitations of relevant historical and current
research papers. When practical, appropriate techniques will
be illustrated by demonstration.
Grading: The grade will be based 1/3 on class participation
and 2/3 on "in class" essays following each module.
Neuroanatomy: Basic and Applied
Course Leader:
Dr. Lucy Brown
Credits/Class Meetings:
A short course offered at the beginning of each Spring semester,
2 semester hours, 18 sessions including 4 laboratory sessions
and a practical exam.
Prerequisite Background:
An undergraduate course in Neuroscience is recommended but
not required.
Suggested Background Reading:
Martin, J.H., Neuroanatomy Text and Atlas, Appleton and Lange,
1996
Suitability for 1st Year
Students: Recommended
for 1st Year Students
Course Description:
Basic and applied neuroanatomy is a hands-on interactive course
designed to acquaint the student with central nervous system
neuroanatomy and current methods in research. "Applied"
in this course means research applications rather than clinical,
although clinical questions are used for learning purposes.
Each student picks a topic according to their interest, or
is assigned a topic, e.g. the neuroanatomy of fear, of addiction, of sexual behavior,
of cognition, of spinal mechanisms, of memory and learning,
of middle cerebral artery infarction, of vision and motion
detection. Assignments to identify cortical regions, subcortical
nuclei and circuits will be based on these topics. Human,
sheep and rodent anatomy will be studied. Students will draw
their own rat brain atlas during the course. The use of microscopes,
anatomic tracers, immunocytochemistry, autoradiography and
atlases will be included.
The course meets 2-3 times per week. Part of each class meeting
is a didactic lecture and part is a lab or microscope activity.
Each Friday, laboratory meetings will include brain dissection,
or microscope drawing, or computer imaging work. Students
are expected to spend 5 hours a week outside the class preparing
lab assignments. The grade will be based on an exam, lab notebooks
and the brain atlas made by the student.
Student Advisory Committees
Student advisory committees
consist of faculty members that play a central role in graduate
student training.
Initially, the committees aid students in their selection
of courses and laboratory rotations.
Later, as Thesis Advisory Committees, they evaluate
the laboratory work that constitutes the research component
of the PhD degree.
The regular meetings of these committees and the
filing of written reports of their content with the Departmental
Chairman and the Neuroscience Graduate Education Committee
are departmental requirements for the PhD degree.
Temporary
Advisory Committee.
A Temporary Student Advisory Committee will be formed for
students upon admission to the Sue Golding Graduate Division.
The Temporary Student Advisory Committee will meet with
the student at the beginning and end of the first semester
to discuss course selections, provide advice on laboratory
research rotations and review both academic and research
progress.
Thesis
Advisory Committee. By the end of the first year, students
who declare the Neuroscience Department must select a PhD
thesis advisor. The
chairman of the Department of Neuroscience must approve
this choice. At that time, a Thesis Advisory Committee
must be constructed by the student in consultation with
his/her thesis advisor.
The Thesis Student Advisory Committee will consist
of four members, including the thesis advisor.
The thesis advisor cannot function as the Chairperson
of this Committee. The role of the Thesis Advisory Committee
is to monitor completion of Departmental course requirements,
approve the student's readiness for the Qualifying Examination
and advise the student during execution of the PhD research
and the writing of the PhD thesis.
Scheduling
and Documentation of Thesis Advisory Committee Meetings.
It is the responsibility of each student to schedule
one meeting of his or her Thesis Advisory Committee every
six months. A synopsis of the meeting and any recommendations by the committee
will be written by the chairperson of the Committee and
distributed to the student and members of the Committee. The Committee reports will be included
in the student's academic file and copies will also be distributed
to the Chairman of the Department of Neuroscience and the
Chairperson of the Neuroscience Graduate Committee.
At least once a year, the Graduate Education Committee
will convene to review these reports and the actions of
the Thesis Advisory Committees. The regular meeting of Advisory Committees
and the filing of the corresponding written reports are
Departmental requirements for the PhD degree.
Ex-Officio
Members. The chairman of the Department of Neuroscience and the Chairman
of the Neuroscience Graduate Education Committee are ex-officio
members of all Thesis Advisory Committees and may elect
to attend any Thesis Advisory Committee meeting.
Qualifying
Exam
All graduate students are expected to take and pass the qualifying exam by the end of their 2nd year (3rd year for MD/PhD students). Passing the exam involves successfully defending a written Thesis Research Proposal. Graduate students who have not passed the qualifying exam by the end of their 2nd year (or 3rd year for MD/PhD students) must communicate to the Department of Neuroscience Graduate Education Committee (see Neuroscience web site for current membership) the reasons for the delay in fulfilling this requirement. In consultation with the student and his/her mentor, the Education Committee will then set a final date for completion of this requirement. Students are responsible for obtaining the appropriate Qualifying Exam forms from the Sue Golding Graduate Office, bringing these forms to the exam, and returning the signed forms to the Graduate Office.
The examining committee consists of five faculty members. A minimum of three of the examiners must have an appointment in the Neuroscience Department. Students are strongly encouraged to include faculty members from departments other than Neuroscience and at least one member of the committee must be from another department. A member of the Department of Neuroscience Graduate Education Committee will chair the exam and act in place of the Sue Golding Representative. The Graduate Education Committee must approve the proposed examining committee.
Selection of Qualifying Exam Committee: In consultation with their mentor, each student must first prepare a proposal indicating the suggested makeup of the exam committee, which should include five AECOM faculty members. Before submitting the proposed committee membership, the student should contact those faculty to determine whether they are willing to serve on the committee. If one of the chosen faculty members is also a member of the Department of Neuroscience Graduate Education, then that faculty member will chair the exam. Otherwise, the student must choose a member of the Education Committee to serve as chair, and include that faculty in all communications with the examiners. Whether or not the chair of the committee is an examiner, this faculty member should also receive a copy of the Thesis Proposal. Prior to beginning work on the Thesis Proposal, the student must send the following tentative information to the Chair of the Department of Neuroscience Graduate Education Committee, Zaven Kaprielian (), via email:
Title of Thesis Proposal
Proposal Readers (5):
Names and Departmental affiliation
Proposed Chair of the Qualifying Exam Committee
Please note that a minimum of three of the examiners must have an appointment in the Department of Neuroscience, and at least one member of the committee must be from another Department.
The Department of Neuroscience Graduate Education Committee will then review the proposed composition of the Qualifying Exam Committee and forward their recommendation to both the student and mentor. That recommendation may include suggested changes to the committee membership. Once the composition of the Qualifying Exam Committee is approved, the student is free to begin work on the Thesis Proposal.
At this time, the student is responsible for distributing one copy of the Examiners Report (see below) to each faculty member on her/his Qualifying Exam committee
The Examination. The format of the Qualifying Exam is oral. All five members of the exam committee will have read and will examine the student on her/his proposal.
Thesis Research Proposal. This should be a concise statement of the thesis research the student proposes to undertake in the mentor's laboratory. The proposal should represent the original work of the student, although the student may discuss the proposal with faculty and seek critical input from their mentors and other scientists prior to, but not after submission of the final proposal. The student should spend no longer than one month writing of the proposal. The completed proposal must be submitted to each examiner and the chair of the Qualifying exam committee at least two weeks prior to the exam.
The Thesis Research Proposal should be typed, double-spaced, with a suggested upper limit of 10 pages and an absolute upper limit of 15 pages (excluding references). It should be emphasized that a successful defense of the thesis proposal does not commit students to conducting the proposed experiments nor does it prohibit students from changing mentors if the need arises. The proposal should include the following five sections:
1. Abstract: This should be a succinct summary (250-word limit) of the Thesis Proposal.
2. Specific Aims: This should be a brief description of the specific research to be accomplished, including a clear statement of the hypotheses to be tested.
3. Background and Significance: This should be a scholarly, but brief, review of the primary literature relevant to the proposed research. It should discuss the significance of the research question/area and indicate how completion of the Specific Aims will resolve unanswered questions in the field. While Preliminary Data is not required, many students find it useful to include at least a subset of their initial findings.
4. Experimental Design: This should be a clear description of the procedures and techniques that will be used to accomplish the Specific Aims. A justification of the chosen methods and a discussion of alternative approaches, as well as a description of how the data will be analyzed and interpreted, must be included.
5. References: Every attempt should be made to compile a relevant and current list. Each entry must include: author's names, title, name of the book or journal, volume number, page numbers, and year of publication.
Mechanics of the Qualifying Exam
1. At the beginning of the exam, the student will be asked to leave the room and the student's mentor will make a very brief presentation describing the student's academic/research history, as well as her/his strengths and weaknesses. The mentor will then join the student outside of the room so that the committee members may privately discuss any aspect of the student's background (i.e., performance in course work, and/or presentation of the thesis proposal), which they feel should be addressed. In some cases, the committee may not feel that it is necessary or appropriate for the mentor to leave the room.
2. At the beginning of the exam, the student will be required to give a 10-minute summary
covering the key points of the proposal.
3. At the end of the exam, both the student and mentor will be asked to leave the room. The committee will then deliberate and once a decision is made, simultaneously communicate their recommendation to the student and mentor.
4. Each student will be given two opportunities to PASS the Qualifying Exam. The first
time a student attempts to "qualify", the committee will issue a grade of PASS or RE-EXAMINE. This means that at least three members of the committee must vote to PASS or RE-EXAMINE the student. If a grade of RE-EXAMINE is received, the entire committee will be re-convened and the student will be re-examined on the Thesis Proposal. In cases where a grade of RE-EXAMINE is issued, the student will be considered to be "not in good standing", and will have a maximum of one year to pass the Qualifying Exam. If the student does not pass the exam after being re-examined, the student will be dismissed from the Department.
5. Mentors should not have the "wine and cheese" ready on the day of the exam.
Department of Neuroscience Qualifying Exam: Examiner's Report
Name:
Date:
Written Thesis Proposal
Quality of abstract (organization, logic and readability)
Quality of proposition (organization, logic and readability)
Originality of hypothesis, problem and/or experimental approach
Significance and relevance of hypothesis, problem and/or experimental approach
Adequacy of experiments to test hypothesis and reveal alternate possibilities
Accuracy and adequacy of references
GRADE DURING/FOLLOWING ORAL EXAM
Thesis Proposal
Introductory Oral Presentation
Oral defense
-
Precision
-
Ability to think logically
-
Fundamental background
-
Comprehensive background
-
Relevant literature background
-
Defense of proposition
-
Ability to integrate ideas
Examination Difficulty
Degree of difficulty of questions asked
Degree of difficulty of topics in terms of the breadth and depth of knowledge required
OVERALL COMMENTS:
Please use an NIH grading scale in increments of 0.5:
-
1.0 Outstanding
-
2.0 Acceptable
-
3.1 Unacceptable
-
5.0 Very Poor
The
faculty and students of the Department of Neuroscience are
investigating a wide range of nervous system operations in
the developing and mature organism. Organizational levels
range from molecules and neurons to neural systems and cognitive
functions.
