Rodrigo Pedroza Llinas

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 course introduces students to the basic experimental design and data analysis approaches used when conducting research in neuroscience. It will provide you with an understanding of the ways in which neuroscientists design studies, analyze data and communicate the results of their investigations of the brain and its relationship to behavior. You will be exposed to the style and language of scientific writing through reading and critiquing primary sources of scientific information. We will also discuss ethical considerations in using human and non-human research subjects, the appropriate use of common parametric and non-parametric statistical tests, effective graphical representation of data, and factors that affect the analysis and interpretation of data such as small sample size, reliability, statistical rigor and chance. This course paired with any neuroscience course counts toward the natural science diversification requirement. This course is required for the major. Prerequisite: NEUR 212.

Human beings, like virtually all other animals, sense our environment and act on it depending on the information we gather and our own internal needs. We are able to monitor internal and external cues, and select appropriate responses, thanks to our highly organized and complex nervous system. In this course, we analyze the structure and the organization of the nervous system. Our ultimate goal is understanding how the nervous system’s complexity relates to many of its functions. We explore the organization of the nerves that allow us to sense the external world and our own internal environment, as well as the nerves that allow us to move. We learn how the spinal cord’s components receive, regulate, and pass along information. We examine the brain and all its different levels of organization, from the brainstem to the cortex, and the functional implication of said organization. Finally, we inspect the several protection mechanisms that keeps the brain from being damaged, from mechanical injury to intoxication. Prerequisite: PSYC100, PSYC 110, or NEUR 212.

This course is designed to provide the student with an understanding of the physiological phenomena responsible for psychological experiences. The main focus of the course is a detailed study of the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system. This is followed by a study of the sensory and self-regulatory systems, a study of higher cognitive processing. With each new topic, the relevant anatomical and physiological systems will be discussed as they relate to the behavior under scrutiny. Thus the biological underpinnings of sleep, mood, learning and memory, motivation and other topics will be studied. This course paired with any neuroscience course counts toward the natural science diversification requirement. This counts toward the elective requirement for the major. Prerequisite: PSYC 100, 110 or NEUR 212. Generally offered every year.