Neurobiology of Disease 434/634

Neurobiology of Disease 4340/6340

Spring 2016 MWF 11:00-11:50, Jones102

James Cronin, PhD, , 1003 Stern

Office Hours: Tues/Thurs, 11-1, or by appointment. It is best to let me know if you are coming so I’ll be at my desk.

This class surveys several of the significant diseases and/or conditions addressed by Neuroscience. For each disease, a general outline of the clinical presentation will be given, followed by a review of recent research papers in the field. Emphasis is placed on original publications elucidating either mechanisms of the disease or potential interventions.

Readings for the class will be taken from book chapters, review papers, and original research papers. I will either provide copies of articles/chapters in class, or will post the readings as PDF files on Black Board. Lectures will be in the form of PowerPoint presentations, which will also be posted on Black Board.

Graduate students will conduct assigned presentationsduring the course of the semester relating to and reinforcing the class material. The schedule and readings may be modified as the semester progresses depending on student interest,as I discover additional material, and as new material is published. Additional information on the diseases discussed in this class can be found at: as well as at the websites of the various support societies for each disease

Exams are multiple choice, “fill-in-the-blanks”, and short answer. Make-up exams are only given for valid significant reasons (e.g. Medical/Dental/Graduate School interview). Arrangements must be made prior to the exam. In the event of illness, documentation is required for a make-up exam. Missed exams are counted as 0 points. Over the course of the semester there will be short “class participation” quizzes covering the reading material for that class, or other recent classes. These will not be difficult but rather will assess if the material was read and the level of understandingobtained from the readings. For undergraduate grades, quizzes are 5%, exams count for 95% of the final grade. Graduate students’ grades are calculated as based on5% quiz scores, 15% presentations, and 80% exams. Material presented during graduate student presentations can be included on tests- so pay attention. There are no extra-credit projects; please do not ask.

Tests scores are posted on BlackBoard, and test are typically reviewed the next class.

Do not send emails asking if I will look up your grade on a test, it is posted on Black Board. This is a waste of my time. Do not ask what score you need to make on a test to get a desired final grade. This is a waste of your time. Do not ask if you can take a test at a different time because you have other tests scheduled around the same time. This is unprofessional. Look at your syllabi and plan accordingly.

For testing and presentation purposes, the class material is divided into “Blocks”

BlockLectures

I1-10

II11-19

III20-27

IV28-37

Learning Objectives:

-Understanding of fundamentals of neuronal and membrane physiology, and how these relate to pathology.

-Familiarization with contemporary thought in the Neuroscience community regarding the underlying basis for the diseases and conditions discussed in the class.

-Familiarization with contemporary therapeutic treatments and interventions for the diseases discussed in the class, as well as the limitations and expected outcomes of those treatments.

-Familiarization with common research techniques and technologies used in Neuroscience.

Service Learning Component

An optional service-learning component is available with this course. Students wishing to participate in the Service Learning component must register for service learning separately from the lecture course. Participating students will choose one of the participating community partners to complete their service requirements. The specific regular duties will vary depending on the community partner, with whom the students will spend either 20 hour or 40 hours over the course of the semester. The 20 hour option is for 0 credit hours, the 40 hour option is for one credit hour. All students will

-Keep a daily journal of their experiences with the community partner in which they will record their activities while on-site. Copies of journals are provided to the instructor on Friday of every week as ‘progress reports’. Students are therefore required to keep their journals up-to-date. Entries should be written on the day of the service

-Each participating student will give two 10 minute presentationson their Service Learning experiences. Emphasis is placed on any correlates that can be drawn to the material discussed in class. These presentations are made to the other students participating in Service Learning and are to be scheduled outside of class-time. The first presentations will occur around mid-semester, while the second presentations are at the end of the semester. Students are also asked to reflect on ‘non-class room lessons learned’.

Final Wednesday May 4

1