Neuroscience

Welcome to BIO-311! 🧠 Intro to Neuroscience | Fall 2024

Your head instructor is Prof. Pavan Ramdya.
You will be supported by several excellent teaching assistants (TAs): Melissa Faggella, Amin Khan, Claire Friedrich, Oriane Petit-Phar

NOTE: If you have a scheduling conflict or no biology background consider the new course:
"BIOENG-310: Neuroscience foundations for engineers" offered in the Spring

What is the goal?

The course starts with high-level overview of neuroscience, and takes you through fundamentals of electrical and chemical signaling in neurons to decision-making. Students learn how neurons in the brain receive and process sensory information, and how other neurons control the behavior of an animal. Furthermore, learning, memory, and brain disorders will be introduced.

The course is organized around Units. These units are designed for you to learn about neuroscience from a "bottom-up" perspective - how the core units of the brain--the neuron--work and are utilized across systems and behaviors.

The UNITS: 
Unit 1: Introduction to Neuroscience / Neuron basics
Unit 2: The action potential
Unit 3: Synaptic transmission
Unit 4: The sense of hearing (audition)
Unit 5: The sense of touch (somatosensation)
Unit 6: The sense of pain (nociception)
Unit 7: Vision - The Retina
Unit 8: Vision - System & Circuits
Unit 9 : Motor systems - Spinal cord and Cerebellum
Unit 10: Motor systems - Motor cortex and Basal Ganglia
Unit 11: Learning and Memory
Unit 12: Techniques in Neuroscience
Unit 13: Overview of neuroscience goals, ethics, sustainability; Careers in neuroscience discussion
DEC 19 - FINAL EXAM - (covering Units 1-13)

What do I need? 

A desire to learn about the fundamental principles of Neuroscience! 
Plus, you will need a digital or hardcopy of Dale Purves, George Augustine et al.: Neuroscience 6th ed. 2019.

For this first class, please read Purves et al. Neuroscience: Chapter 1 pages 1-9.

- Dale Purves, George J. Augustine, David Fitzpatrick et al.: Neuroscience, International 6th edition, 2019. Language: English. Sinauer Associates

You may want to buy the book and/or obtain access to the book (library), or a *free digital copy* (here)!

Monday, Sept 9 (CM 1 120):

• Lecture - Introduction to the Course
  
• Break
• Lecture - The neuron and its passive electrical properties

Thursday, Sept 12 (SG 0211) :

• TA-led 15 min recap talk
• Exercises
• Exceptional: NO quiz on 12/09/2024!
  

Monday, Sept 16 (Holiday - Lundi du jeûne fédéral)

Reading: Chapter 3 (all pages); Chapter 4 pp. 65-72

In this unit I will discuss how the electrical properties of the neuron permit signal transduction as an 'action potential'.

Thursday, Sept 19 (SG 0211):

• Lecture Part 1
  
• Break
• Lecture Part 2

Monday, Sept 23 (DIA003, DIA004):

• TA-led 15 min recap talk
• Exercises
• Quiz

Reading:
Chapter 5 (pages 85 - 93, 95-98, 102 - 103, 106 - 109, 111)

Readings: Chapter 13 (pp 281-298)

Thursday, Oct 3 (SG 0211):

• Lecture Part 1
• Break
• Lecture Part 2
  

Monday, Oct 7 (DIA003/004):

• TA lead 15 min recap talk
• Exercises
• Quiz

Reading: Chapter 9

In this unit I will discuss the somatosensory system, specifically covering proprioception and touch.

Thursday, Oct 10 (no in person class!):

• Lecture
  

Monday, Oct 14 (DIA003/004):

• TA lead 15 min recap talk
• Exercises
• Quiz

Thursday, Oct 17 (SG 0211):

• Lecture Part 1
• Break
• Lecture Part 2
  

Monday, Oct 28 (DIA003/004):

• TA lead 15 min recap talk
• Exercises
• Quiz

Reading:
Chapter 11 (Boxes are not as critical)

Thursday, Oct 31 (SG 0211):

• Lecture by  Simona Garobbio

Monday, Nov 4 (DIA003/004):

• TA lead 15 min recap talk
• Exercises
• Quiz

Reading: 
Chapter 12 (Boxes are not as critical)

Thursday, Nov 7:

• Lecture Part 1 by Melissa Faggella
• Break
  
• Lecture Part 2 by Melissa Faggella
  

Monday, Nov 11 (DIA003/004):

• TA lead 15 min recap talk
• Exercises
• Quiz

Reading:
Chapter 16 (in particular, pages 357-361; 366-376)
Chapter 19 (pages 427-441)

In this unit I will introduce the motor system focusing on the spinal cord and cerebellum.

Thursday, Nov 14 (SG 0211):

• Lecture Part 1
  
• Break
• Lecture Part 2

Monday, Nov 18 (DIA003/004):

• TA-led 15 min recap talk
• Exercises
  
• Quiz

Reading:
Chapter 17: pages 381-397 (Motor cortex)
Chapter 18: pages 407-417 (Basal ganglia)

In this unit we will cover how motor cortex and basal ganglia contribute to motor control.

Thursday, Nov 21 (SG 0211):

• Lecture - Part 1
  
• Break
• Lecture - Part 2

Monday, Nov 25 (DIA003/004):

• TA lead 15 min recap talk
• Exercises
• Quiz
  

Reading:
Chapter 27  (pages 627 - 631 and 635 - 640);

Chapter 30 (pages 681 - 698);

Chapter 8 (pages 176 - 183, Boxes are not critical)

This week we will cover a fundamental aspect of neural systems. Namely, how they learn from past experience and store memories. 


Thursday, Nov 28 (SG 0211):

• Lecture - Part 1
• Break
• Lecture - Part 2

Monday, Dec 2 (DIA003/004):

• TA lead 15 min recap talk
• Exercises
• Quiz

Reading:
Chapter 1 pages 10-28.

This week I will discuss modern tools & techniques for studying and perturbing the brain.

Monday, Dec 5 (SG 0211)

• Lecture Part 1
• Break
• Lecture Part 2

Reading: none

This week covers a general overview of model neuroscience and its approaches, ethics, and sustainability.
Afterwards, we will have an open (not filmed) discussion about how to further pursue careers in neuroscience.

Thursday, Dec 12 (SG 0211):

• Lecture - Neuroscience goals, ethics, and sustainability
  
• Break
• Lecture - Careers discussion/Q&A (not filmed, not on the Final Exam)
  

Monday, Dec 16 (DIA 003/004):

• Final Exam Review (NO quiz this week)

Please prepare all your remaining questions about the course for Monday. We will answer them in person during the review session and on Ed. Please not that we will not answer questions sent after Monday Dec 16 at midnight.

Here is a practice exam to help you prepare. The final exam covers Units 1-13. 

It will take place in Room CE 1 4. Please bring your CamiPro and writing utensils.

We also provide you with some questions that can help you evaluate your overall knowledge of the course (those questions are not necessarily exam questions but are more intended to help you revise ;))