curriculum

admissions

courses

testimonial

graduate survey

contact info

MS home page

The following list of approved physiology-oriented elective courses is valid for the 2009-10 academic year. Neuroscience concentration MS students are welcome to enroll in these courses as well.

Please note that some courses may be offered alternating years. Courses with an IGP prefix are offered on the Chicago campus. A free shuttle runs between the Evanston and Chicago campuses.

NUIN-418 Assembly of Neural Circuits

The diverse functions of the nervous system depend on precise wiring of connections between neurons. This course covers cellular and molecular processes of how neural circuits are assembled in the developing brain, including the role of activity- dependent plasticity. Diseases resulting from failures of these processes will be discussed. This course will also introduce research methods and technology.

NUIN 478 Neuropharmacology of Brain Disorders

The course is centered on reading and critically discussing original scientific papers concerning the neuropharmacology of brain disorders and mechanisms of drug action. Topics include: Neurotransmitters and receptors, neurogenetics, synaptic transmission, neuropharmacology, mood disorders, neuroimaging, psychosis, neurodegeneration, dementia, anxiety disorders, and substance abuse.

BIOL SCI-326 Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
This course will cover basic physiological principles of brain function, and their application. It examines what neurobiologists know about how brain cells, synapses, and circuits process experience to produce lasting changes in behavior. Lectures will involve in depth discussion of original research findings, from classic studies in invertebrates to the latest molecular, electrophysiological, and behavioral studies in mammalian systems. Along the way, students will learn to think logically about the design and interpretation of neurobiological experiments.

BIOL SCI-377 Sensory Neurobiology
This course is a study of physiological processes in sensory receptor cells; chemical senses, vision, and hearing. It is a study of the exquisitely sensitive organs by which we know the world. An examination of how the properties of physical phenomena are translated into neural impulses. Emphasis is on the neurobiology and biophysics of the transduction process in sensory receptors. Mechano- and chemoreceptors are considered in detail as prototype systems.

IBIS-406 Cell Biology

IBIS-455 Special Topics
Topics change quarterly.

IGP-435 Receptors and Effectors
Integrated discussion of different superfamilies of signaling receptors and their effectors. Pathways discussed include G-protein linked, growth factors and cytokines, nuclear receptors, and transcription factors.

CSD-514 Seminar: Topics in Auditory Physiology
Problems in the biophysics and physiology of hearing.

(top)