Neuroscience BS - Curriculum

This course explores the varied approaches to visually acquiring information employed by animals occupying aquatic and land-based environments, including lens-based, mirror, and compound eyes. Students will prepare oral presentations and written assignments based on the course readings and independent research. Students will develop the professional skills required for formal scientific presentations and writing. (Prerequisite: CGNS-222 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring).

his course introduces students to the fundamental principles of neuroimaging methods that are used in basic and applied neuroscientific research. Topics include history of neuroimaging as well as an overview of major neuroimaging techniques, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, positron emission tomography, functional near-infrared spectroscopy, electroencephalography, and magnetoencephalography. The course will also address structural and functional neuroanatomy, basic physical principles, experimental design, statistical analysis and specific methodological principles and limitations associated with each imaging technique, as well as neuroimaging applications in studying the normal and diseased brain. (Prerequisites: CGNS-310 and (ISCH-370 or STAT-257) and (PHYS-111 and PHYS-112) or (PHYS-211 and PHYS-212) or equivalent courses.) Lec/Lab 4 (Fall or Spring).

Plants have played a significant role in the shaping of our world. This course will explore the utilization of plants for foods, fuels, materials, medicine, novel genetic information, and social aspects of different cultures. All cultures depend on about fifteen plant species, most of which have been changed by plant improvement methods to enhance human benefits. This course will explore these changes in important crops, plant constituents used in medicine, and the technology used to produce important plant-produced medicines. (Prerequisite: BIOL-201 or BIOL-202 or BIOL-206 or BIOG-240 or equivalent course.) Lecture 4 (Spring).

This course will address the fundamental skills and concepts required to culture and maintain mammalian cells in culture. Laboratory discussions, assignments and projects will allow students to develop basic eukaryotic tissue culture techniques and explore tissue culture techniques in modern research and medical applications. (Prerequisites: (BIOL-206 and BIOL-216) or BIOL-201 or BIOL-202 or BIOG-240 or equivalent courses. Co-requisite: BIOL-302 or equivalent course.) Lab 3 (Spring).

Neuroscience has played a key role in the history of artificial intelligence (AI). The development of artificial neural networks was inspired by the knowledge gained from the study of brain functioning, with neuroscientists and psychologists, such as Donald Hebb, William McCulloch, and Geoff Hinton, contributing significantly to the establishment of the field. AI researchers aim to emulate human intelligence by building models and developing biologically-inspired architectures that can make decisions and solve problems in the same way that humans do. At the same time, artificial intelligence is increasingly used as a research tool in neuroscience to advance our understanding of how the human brain works and to accelerate neuroscience development. For example, by analyzing the massive amounts of experimental data on brain activity acquired using neuroimaging techniques, machine learning is used to uncover the patterns in brain activity and link them to specific cognitive and motor actions. This course reviews the fundamental ideas in computational neuroscience and connects the study of the brain to the concepts and research in artificial intelligence. The list of example topics includes neural coding, the biophysics of single neurons and neuron models, neural networks, biological and computational vision, adaptation and learning, machine learning, deep convolutional networks, memory, speech and language processing, and applications of computational neuroscience and artificial intelligence. (Prerequisites: PHYS-111 or PHYS-211 and (PHYS-111 and 112 or PHYS-211 and 212) and ISCH-110 or IMGS 180 and MATH-211 and (BIOL-124 and 126) and CGNS-222 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Spring).

his course introduces students to the fundamental principles of neuroimaging methods that are used in basic and applied neuroscientific research. Topics include history of neuroimaging as well as an overview of major neuroimaging techniques, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, positron emission tomography, functional near-infrared spectroscopy, electroencephalography, and magnetoencephalography. The course will also address structural and functional neuroanatomy, basic physical principles, experimental design, statistical analysis and specific methodological principles and limitations associated with each imaging technique, as well as neuroimaging applications in studying the normal and diseased brain. (Prerequisites: CGNS-310 and (ISCH-370 or STAT-257) and (PHYS-111 and PHYS-112) or (PHYS-211 and PHYS-212) or equivalent courses.) Lec/Lab 4 (Fall or Spring).

This course provides theoretical foundation as well as hands-on (lab-style) practice in computational approaches for processing natural language text. The course will have relevance to various disciplines in the humanities, sciences, computational, and technical fields. We will discuss problems that involve different components of the language system (such as meaning in context and linguistic structures). Students will additionally collaborate in teams on modeling and implementing natural language processing and digital text solutions. Students will program in Python and use a variety of relevant tools. Expected: Programming skills, demonstrated via coursework or instruction approval. Lecture 3 (Spring).

This course is intended for students in the cognitive track. This course explores judgment, decision-making and problem-solving processes and focuses on the social and cognitive aspects of complex information processing. Major topics include normative, descriptive (heuristics and biases), and naturalistic approaches to decision-making, as well as selective perception, memory and hindsight biases, framing effects, social influences, group processes and human error. Models of decision-making considered include the prospect theory, expected utility theory, and Bayes’ Theorem. Problem solving will be examined from perspectives of formal, computational methods as well as intuition and creativity. Experimental methods and applications in design of systems and decision aids will receive special attention. (Prerequisites: PSYC-223 and (PSYC-251 or 0514-315, 0514-350 and 0514-400) or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Biannual).

his course introduces students to the fundamental principles of neuroimaging methods that are used in basic and applied neuroscientific research. Topics include history of neuroimaging as well as an overview of major neuroimaging techniques, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, positron emission tomography, functional near-infrared spectroscopy, electroencephalography, and magnetoencephalography. The course will also address structural and functional neuroanatomy, basic physical principles, experimental design, statistical analysis and specific methodological principles and limitations associated with each imaging technique, as well as neuroimaging applications in studying the normal and diseased brain. (Prerequisites: CGNS-310 and (ISCH-370 or STAT-257) and (PHYS-111 and PHYS-112) or (PHYS-211 and PHYS-212) or equivalent courses.) Lec/Lab 4 (Fall or Spring).

This course covers perception in all of the sensory modalities (vision, hearing, taste, smell, touch). We will trace what happens to the physical stimulus as our sensory systems analyze it to produce complicated perceptions of the world around us. We will explore the fact that many complex perceptual phenomena draw upon explanations at the physiological, psychological, and cognitive levels. Topics on sensory perception in non-human animals may also be covered. This is a required course for psychology majors in the visual perception track. (Prerequisites: PSYC-101 or PSYC-101H or completion of one (1) 200 level PSYC course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).

This course is intended for students in the biopsychology track. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to psycho-physiology. Students will learn about various psychophysiological measures and their use in the study of areas such as attention, emotion, and language. Topics may include mind-body interaction, somatic and autonomic nervous system function, central and peripheral physiological measures (e.g., EEG, EMG, cardiac reactivity, skin conductance responses), psychophysiological research methods, and applied psychophysiology. Students will be expected to be able to write at an upper level using APA format. Part of the biopsychology track for the psychology degree program. (Prerequisites: (PSYC-222 or 0514-548 or 0514-553) and (PSYC-251 or (0514-315, 0514-350 and 0514-400) or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Biannual).

This course is intended for students in the biopsychology track. A comprehensive introduction to psychoactive drugs. Topics include pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, synaptic transmission, drugs of abuse and drugs used in the treatment of mental disorders, and the behavioral and cognitive effects of these drugs. Students will be expected to be able to write at an upper level using APA format. (Prerequisites: PSYC-222 and PSYC-250 and STAT-145 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Biannual).

This course is a comparative study of animal behavior from an evolutionary perspective. Lectures will examine the organization of behaviors including survival behaviors, social dynamics, and human behavior. Labs will demonstrate methods of gathering and interpreting behavioral data in the laboratory and in the field. (Prerequisites: (BIOL-101 and BIOL-102 and BIOL-103 and BIOL-104) or (BIOL-121 and BIOL-122) or (BIOL-123 and BIOL-124 and BIOL-125 and BIOL-126) or equivalent courses.) Lab 3, Lecture 3 (Fall).

This course will address the fundamental concepts of Molecular Biology. Class discussions, assignments, and projects will explore the structure and function of biologically important molecules (DNA, RNA and proteins) in a variety of cellular and molecular processes. Students in this course will explore the molecular interactions that facilitate the storage, maintenance and repair of DNA and processes that drive the flow of genetic information and evolution. Students in this course will gain an understanding of various molecular mechanisms, structure/function relationships, and processes as they relate to molecular biology. The foundational molecular concepts in this course will be built upon in a variety of upper-level biology courses. (Prerequisite:(BIOL-101,BIOL-102,BIOL-103&BIOL-104) or (BIOL-121&BIOL-122) or (BIOL-123,BIOL-124,BIOL-125&BIOL-126)or equivalent courses with a grade of C- or higher. Co-requisite:(CHMG-141&CHMG-145)or(CHEM-151&CHEM-155) or CHMG-131 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).

This course is a study of functional eukaryotic cellular physiology with an emphasis on the role of global gene expression in cellular function and disease. Nuclear and cytoplasmic regulation of macromolecular synthesis, regulation of cellular metabolism, control of cell growth, and the changes in cell physiology in disease are covered. This course also covers the technology used for studying changes in gene expression associated with cell differentiation and disease. The associated laboratory covers microarray techniques. This includes design and implementation of an experiment to acquire gene expression data, analyzing the acquired data using simple computer programs, such as MAGIC, and writing a research paper explaining findings. (Prerequisites: BIOL-201 or BIOL-302 or BIOG-240 or equivalent course.) Lab 3, Lecture 2 (Fall).

This course is a comparative study of the evolution of organ systems among vertebrate animals with an emphasis on structural changes in homologous characters among representative vertebrate lineages. The course will explore the concepts of allometry, biomechanics, biophysics, ontogeny, phylogeny using examples from vertebrate integument, skeletal, muscular, respiratory, circulatory, digestive, urogenital, endocrine, nervous, and sensory systems. (Prerequisites: BIOL-265 or equivalent course.) Lab 3, Lecture 1 (Spring).

This course is a comparative study of fundamental physiological mechanisms. It covers a broad range of organisms studied from the standpoint of evolution of functional systems, the mechanisms and morphological variations that exist to deal with functional problems posed by the environment, and the special mechanisms used to cope with extreme environments. (Prerequisites: BIOL-240 or BIOL-265 or BIOL-202 or BIOL-206 or BIOG-240 or equivalent course.) Lab 3, Lecture 3 (Spring).

This course will present the techniques and applications of culturing eukaryotic cells, tissues, and organs in vitro. Emphasis will be placed on mammalian systems. Lectures will cover the historical background of tissue culture, how to authenticate cell lines, basic cell culture techniques; as well as stem cells, tissue engineering, and the role of cell culture in regenerative medicine. In the laboratory, students will be introduced to growth curves, cloning techniques, primary cell culture, and making a cell line; as well as detecting mycoplasma and other cell culture contaminants. (Prerequisites: BIOL-201 or equivalent course.) Lab 3, Lecture 3 (Fall).

This course will address the fundamental skills and concepts required to culture and maintain mammalian cells in culture. Laboratory discussions, assignments and projects will allow students to develop basic eukaryotic tissue culture techniques and explore tissue culture techniques in modern research and medical applications. (Prerequisites: (BIOL-206 and BIOL-216) or BIOL-201 or BIOL-202 or BIOG-240 or equivalent courses. Co-requisite: BIOL-302 or equivalent course.) Lab 3 (Spring).

Bioinformatics introduces students to the analysis of biological sequences: DNA, mRNA, and protein. Emphasis is placed on classical bioinformatics analyses such as gene prediction, sequence alignment, and phylogenetics. The methods are applicable to both human and model organism studies in medical, biotechnological, and classical biology research. (Prerequisites: BIOL-201 or equivalent course.) Lab 3, Lecture 2 (Fall).

This course presents an overview of gene expression in eukaryotic systems, with an emphasis on how disease can result when gene regulation is disrupted. Points of control that are examined include: chromatin structure, transcription initiation, transcript processing, stability and modification, RNA transport, translation initiation, post-translational events, and protein stability. The mechanisms involved in regulating these control points are discussed by exploring specific well studied cases. The significance of these processes is highlighted by a discussion of several diseases that have been shown to be due to defects in gene regulation. (Prerequisites: BIOL-201 or BIOL-302 or BIOG-240 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring).

This course is an introduction to the probabilistic models and statistical techniques used in computational molecular biology. Examples include Markov models, such as the Jukes-Cantor and Kimura evolutionary models and hidden Markov models, and multivariate models use for discrimination and classification. (Prerequisites: (MATH-161 or MATH-173 or MATH-182) and (STAT-145 or MATH-251) or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Spring).

This course introduces the structure and function of biological macromolecules and their metabolic pathways. The relationship between the three-dimensional structure of proteins and their function in enzymatic catalysis will be examined. Membrane structure and the physical laws that apply to metabolic processes will also be discussed. (Prerequisite: CHMO-231 or CHMO-331 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).

This asynchronous online course provides a technical introduction to color science and the CIE system of colorimetry. Topics covered include color perception, color measurement, color spaces, and applications. The course is intended for students with a technical background who are interested in adding an elective course in color science to their graduate program and for practitioners in the color field interested in a more thorough understanding of the science behind colorimetry. Cannot be taken for program credit by Color Science MS and PhD students. (This class is restricted to degree-seeking graduate students or those with permission from instructor.) Lecture 3 (Summer).

An introduction to the theories and algorithms used to create artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Topics include search algorithms, logic, planning, machine learning, and applications from areas such as computer vision, robotics, and natural language processing. Programming assignments are an integral part of the course. (Prerequisites: (CSCI-243 or SWEN-262) and (MATH-251 or STAT-205) or equivalent courses. Students cannot take and receive credit for this course if they have taken CSCI-630.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).

The course will start with the history of artificial intelligence and its development over the years. There have been many attempts to define and generate artificial intelligence. As a result of these attempts, many artificial intelligence techniques have been developed and applied to solve real life problems. This course will explore variety of artificial intelligence techniques, and their applications and limitations. Some of the AI techniques to be covered in this course are intelligent agents, problem-solving, knowledge and reasoning, uncertainty, decision making, learning (Neural networks and Bayesian networks), reinforcement learning, swarm intelligence, Genetic algorithms, particle swarm optimization, applications in robotics, controls, and communications. Students are expected to have any of the following programming skills listed above. Students will write an IEEE conference paper. (Students in EEEE-BS/MS must take 600 or 700 level course not 500 level course.) Lecture 3 (Fall).

This course introduces students to the fields of experimental phonetics, the scientific study of the sounds used in human speech, and speech processing, the study of the speech signal used in automatic speech recognition, spoken emotion detection, and other technologies. Students will learn about the physiology of speech production and perception, and they will acquire the skills necessary to accurately describe speech concepts and to analyze speech using relevant methods and tools. Turning to speech processing technology, students will explore automatic speech recognition, speech synthesis, speaker identification, and emotion recognition, and learn how our understanding of human speech production and perception informs these technologies. The course will have relevance to other disciplines in the humanities, sciences, and technical fields. This course provides theoretical foundation as well as hands-on laboratory practice. Lecture 3 (Fall).

This course presents an overview of the organization and function of the human visual system and some of the psychophysical techniques used to study visual perception. (This course is restricted to IMGS-BS, DIGCIME-BS, IMGS-MN and SCIMGS-IM students.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).

This course will introduce students to the field of Color Science. Students will learn about the physical sources of color, the visual mechanisms that provide our experience of color, and the descriptive systems that have been developed for relating the physical and visual properties. Through hands-on projects, students will learn practical methods for measuring, modeling, and controlling color in digital imaging systems. (Prerequisites: SOFA-103 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall).

This course is an introduction to the basic concepts of digital image processing. The student will be exposed to image capture and image formation methodologies, sampling and quantization concepts, statistical descriptors and enhancement techniques based upon the image histogram, point processing, neighborhood processing, and global processing techniques based upon kernel operations and discrete convolution as well as the frequency domain equivalents, treatment of noise, geometrical operations for scale and rotation, and grey-level resampling techniques. Emphasis is placed on applications and efficient algorithmic implementation using the student's programming language of choice. (Prerequisites: IMGS-180 and IMGS-261 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Fall).

This course is an integrated approach to the structure and function of the nervous, endocrine, integumentary, muscular and skeletal systems. Laboratory exercises include histological examination, actual and simulated anatomical dissections, and physiology experiments with human subjects. (Pre-requisite: (BIOL-123 and BIOL-124 and BIOL-125 and BIOL-126) or (BIOL-123 and BIOL-124) or (BIOL-101 and BIOL-102) or (BIOL-121 and BIOL-122) or MEDG-102 or equivalent course or NUTR-BS or NUTRSC-BS students.) Lab 3, Lecture 3 (Fall).

This course will focus on the human nervous system, and its regulation of behavior and complex function. Background information on neuroanatomy, cellular physiology, neurotransmission, and signaling mechanisms will pave the way for an in-depth analysis of specialization at the systems level. Our goal will be to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying normal human behaviors and pathogenic states. (Prerequisites: MEDS-250 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Spring).

This is an integrated course encompassing lectures, laboratory exercises and clinical case discussions. Laboratory exercises will focus on detailed examination of the human brain as well as the internal circuitry of myelin-stained sections through the spinal cord, brainstem, and forebrain. The exercises will reinforce concepts stressed in lectures and clinical case discussions. (Prerequisites: MEDS-425 or equivalent courses.) Lec/Lab 4 (Fall).

The Philosophy of Mind includes issues of metaphysics, epistemology, logic, psychology, aesthetics, linguistics, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and biology, to name a few. Issues to be investigated include: Is there an ontological difference between minds and bodies? Could there be minds without bodies? Can I know that I have a mind? Are there other minds in the universe? Can I be conscious of my own consciousness? Can other things have the kinds of experiences which I have? (Prerequisites: Completion of one course in philosophy is required.) Lecture 3 (Fall).

This course is intended for students in the biopsychology track. This course covers the biological underpinnings of psychiatric mental disorders such as anxiety disorders, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, and developmental disorders. Topics will include neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, genetics and biologically based treatments of mental disorders. Students will learn about biologically based research methods used to study mental disorders and to think critically about research findings in the field. Students will be expected to be able to write at an upper level using APA format. (Prerequisites: PSYC-222 and PSYC-250 and STAT-145 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Biannual).

This course is intended for students in the cognitive track. This course reviews current research in the areas of memory and attention. This course will consider such memory topics as: classic theories of memory, Baddeley’s model of working memory, in-formation processing, implicit and explicit memory, principles of forgetting, developmental changes in memory, skill memory, autobiographical memory, eyewitness memory, and the neural bases of memory. Attention topics covered in this course will include: Selective and divided attention, search and vigilance, signal detection theory, and neural correlates of attention. (Prerequisites: PSYC-223 and (PSYC-251 or 0514-315, 0514-350 and 0514-400) or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Biannual).

This course is intended for students in the cognitive track. This course examines the structure of human language and its relationship to thought, and surveys contemporary theory and research on the comprehension and production of spoken and written language. In addition, we will discuss categorization, representation of knowledge, expertise, consciousness, intelligence, and artificial intelligence. Topics on language and thought in non-human animals may also be covered. Part of the cognitive track for the psychology degree program. (Prerequisites: PSYC-223 and (PSYC-251 or 0514-315, 0514-350 and 0514-400) or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Biannual).

This course is intended for students in the visual perception track. The course focuses on visual perception and the methods used for studying sensation and perception. Structures in the human and other visual systems will be examined along with neurophysiology relevant to vision in particular and perception in general. Classical psychophysics, forced choice methods, staircases and other specialized techniques will be examined. Students will collect and analyze psychophysical data to demonstrate their understanding of the methods and their application in vision science. Part of the visual perception track for the psychology degree program. (Prerequisites: PSYC-224 and (PSYC-250 or 0514-315, 0514-350 and 0514-400) and STAT-145 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Biannual).

This course is intended for students in the visual perception track. The course focuses on the perception of the surface properties of objects, including color, form and other attributes. The course will examine how information is encoded by the visual system, with an emphasis on recognizing objects in scenes and surfaces. Receptive field properties, parallel processing in vision, the binding problem and other issues in vision science will be presented and discussed. The course requires students to read primary sources and to gain some experience with the design of experiments. Empirical research in vision will be conducted including data collection and analysis. Students are recommended to take PSYC-350 Visual System and Psychophysics before this course, but it is not required. (Prerequisites: PSYC-224 and (PSYC-250 or 0514-315, 0514-350 and 0514-400) and STAT-145 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Biannual).

This course is intended for students in the visual perception track. The course focuses on the perception of the three-dimensional space, including the perception of depth and motion. This course will examine how sensory data are used to produce an accurate representation of the world. This course will include some discussion of multimodal perception given the interactions that occur between audition, touch, and vision to produce a 3D representation. Topics will include receptive field properties in relevant areas of cortex, parallel processing in vision, the uncertainty of extracting accurate 3D properties from 2D input and related material. The course requires students to read primary sources and to gain some experience with the design of experiments. Empirical research in vision will be conducted including data collection and analysis. Students are recommended to take PSYC-350-Visual System and Psychophysics before this course, but it is not required. (Prerequisites: PSYC-224 and (PSYC-250 or 0514-315, 0514-350 and 0514-400) and STAT-145 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Biannual).

This course takes an in-depth look at the processes of perception and cognition as they develop over the lifespan. Drawing on basic research and theory, we will use a developmental perspective to study changes in perception and cognition. The specific course content will vary depending on the expertise of the instructor, but might include topics like sensory awareness, perceptual learning, object representation, causality, language, theory of mind, memory, or problem solving. This course is part of the Developmental Track for psychology majors. (Prerequisites: PSYC-232/226 and PSYC-251 and STAT-145 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall).