This course delves deeper into key concepts in neuroscience that were introduced in NEUR 101, including neural circuits and brain disorders. The course will also introduce additional topics, such as computational approaches and sensory systems. In the associated laboratory students will learn neuroanatomy and histological techniques, as well as practice modeling neurons computationally and scientific communication.

This is a required co-requisite laboratory for NEUR 202.

Although we spend a major part of our lives sleeping, we understand surprisingly little about sleep and dreaming. In this course we will discuss recent advances made in the field of neuroscience of sleep. Course topics include basic neurobiology of sleep (what is sleep, how is it regulated) as well as specialized discussions of sleep-related learning and memory investigated in different model systems. You will get familiar with these topics through a combination of in-depth review sessions, in-class activities and student presentations of the primary literature. In the laboratory section of this course, we will design and execute a complete, novel, experiment with a small group. We will investigate sleep, learning and memory in different model organisms. The project groups will write up their results in a research article to be submitted to the undergraduate journal "Impulse". Assignments are given to hone presentation and writing skills and to give students the opportunity to explore their favorite topic in more detail. In this Maurer Public Speaking Intensive course, we will build towards presenting in front of a larger audience through multiple public speaking assignments.

This course has a required co-requisite Laboratory - NEUR 325L.

During Initial Registration, Seniors will be given priority and permission to register. Other interested students may be given permission to register after Initial Registration.

Neuropharmacology is the study of how drugs act on the nervous system. In this course, you will learn the molecular mechanisms of drug action, increase your depth of knowledge of the various neurotransmitter systems, and apply this knowledge to understand how drugs are used to treat disorders of the nervous system including pain, sleep disorders, affective disorders, addiction, schizophrenia, neurodegeneration, seizures, and stroke. You will have the opportunity to discuss primary literature, lead class discussions, and investigate the properties of drugs that appear in the popular press. Through these experiences you will improve your reading, critical thinking, writing, and oral presentation skills.