Neuroscience

BIO-311

Media

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 4 - Hearing - Part 1 | 2024

03.10.2024, 12:31

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 12 - Techniques - Part 2 | 2024

05.12.2024, 13:54

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 5 - Somatosensation (touch) | 2024

04.10.2024, 14:46

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 11 - Learning and Memory - Part 2 | 2024

28.11.2024, 12:49

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 3 - Synaptic Transmission - Part 2 | 2024

26.09.2024, 14:53

Unit 6: Lecture , Somatosensory system

26.10.2023, 12:16

Recording of live lecture on Unit 6

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 4 - Hearing - Part 1 | 2024

03.10.2024, 12:31

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 6 - Nociception (pain) - Part 2 | 2024

17.10.2024, 12:16

Unit 4: Lecture Part 1, Overview & Spinal Cord

07.10.2023, 19:58

Lecture part 1 of Unit 4!

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 10 - Motor Systems - Cortex and Basal ganglia - Part 1 | 2024

21.11.2024, 16:22

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya (Guest - Dr. Simona Garrobio) | Unit 7 - Vision - The Retina | 2024

03.11.2024, 19:40

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 9 - Motor Systems - Spinal cord and Cerebellum - Part 1 | 2024

14.11.2024, 14:51

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 10 - Motor Systems - Cortex and Basal ganglia - Part 2 | 2024

21.11.2024, 16:21

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya (Guest - Melissa Faggella) | Unit 8 - Vision - Systems and Circuits - Part 2 | 2024

08.11.2024, 09:07

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 12 - Techniques - Part 2 | 2024

05.12.2024, 13:54

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 2 - Action Potentials - Part 1 | 2024

19.09.2024, 14:32

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 12 - Techniques - Part 1 | 2024

05.12.2024, 13:54

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 3 - Synaptic Transmission - Part 2 | 2024

26.09.2024, 14:53

Unit 5: Lecture on Motor Cortex and Basal Ganglia

18.10.2023, 13:40

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 3 - Synaptic Transmission - Part 1 | 2024

26.09.2024, 14:50

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 9 - Motor Systems - Spinal cord and Cerebellum - Part 2 | 2024

14.11.2024, 14:51

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 4 - Hearing - Part 2 | 2024

03.10.2024, 12:30

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 9 - Motor Systems - Spinal cord and Cerebellum - Part 1 | 2024

14.11.2024, 14:51

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 2 - Action Potentials - Part 1 | 2024

19.09.2024, 14:32

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 10 - Motor Systems - Cortex and Basal ganglia - Part 2 | 2024

21.11.2024, 16:21

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 13 - Neuroscience Goals Ethics & Sustainability | 2024

12.12.2024, 15:38

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 6 - Nociception (pain) - Part 1 | 2024

17.10.2024, 12:16

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 11 - Learning and Memory - Part 2 | 2024

28.11.2024, 12:49

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 6 - Nociception (pain) - Part 1 | 2024

17.10.2024, 12:16

Unit 4: Lecture Part 2, Cerebellum

07.10.2023, 20:44

Unit 8: Lecture part 2, Vision: systems & circuits

10.11.2023, 19:33

Note this is a recording of a live lecture!

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya (Guest - Dr. Simona Garrobio) | Unit 7 - Vision - The Retina | 2024

03.11.2024, 19:40

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 5 - Somatosensation (touch) | 2024

04.10.2024, 14:46

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 9 - Motor Systems - Spinal cord and Cerebellum - Part 2 | 2024

14.11.2024, 14:51

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 2 - Action Potentials - Part 2 | 2024

19.09.2024, 14:43

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 4 - Hearing - Part 2 | 2024

03.10.2024, 12:30

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 13 - Neuroscience Goals Ethics & Sustainability | 2024

12.12.2024, 15:38

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya (Guest - Melissa Faggella) | Unit 8 - Vision - Systems and Circuits - Part 1 | 2024

08.11.2024, 09:06

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 3 - Synaptic Transmission - Part 1 | 2024

26.09.2024, 14:50

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 11 - Learning and Memory - Part 1 | 2024

28.11.2024, 12:49

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 12 - Techniques - Part 1 | 2024

05.12.2024, 13:54

Unit 8: Lecture Part 1, Vision: systems & circuits

10.11.2023, 19:28

Note this is a recording of a live lecture!

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 6 - Nociception (pain) - Part 2 | 2024

17.10.2024, 12:16

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 2 - Action Potentials - Part 2 | 2024

19.09.2024, 14:43

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya (Guest - Melissa Faggella) | Unit 8 - Vision - Systems and Circuits - Part 2 | 2024

08.11.2024, 09:07

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 10 - Motor Systems - Cortex and Basal ganglia - Part 1 | 2024

21.11.2024, 16:22

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 3 - Synaptic Transmission - Part 2 | 2024

26.09.2024, 14:53

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 11 - Learning and Memory - Part 1 | 2024

28.11.2024, 12:49

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya (Guest - Melissa Faggella) | Unit 8 - Vision - Systems and Circuits - Part 1 | 2024

08.11.2024, 09:06

BIO311: Neuroscience | Professor Pavan Ramdya | Unit 3 - Synaptic Transmission - Part 1 | 2024

26.09.2024, 14:50


This file is part of the content downloaded from Neuroscience.
Course summary

Course Syllabus

Welcome to BIO-311! 🧠 Neuroscience | Fall 2025

Your head instructor is Prof. Mackenzie Mathis
You will be supported by several excellent teaching assistants (TAs): Yasmine, Maelys, Louis, Laurine, Celia

NOTE: If you have a scheduling conflict or no biology background consider the 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: Intro to Neuroscience: the neuron & neuronal basics

  • Unit 2: Brain Anatomy & the Action Potential

  • Unit 3: Synaptic Transmission & Neurotransmitters 

  • Unit 4: Vision: the retina

  • Unit 5: Vision: systems

  • Unit 6: Somatosensation

  • Unit 7: Neural Control of Movement – spinal cord & cerebellum

  • Unit 8: Neural Control of Movement – motor cortex & basal ganglia

  • Unit 9: Memory and cognitive maps of space

  • Unit 10: Modern Techniques in Neuroscience

  • Unit 11: Disorders of the Nervous System

  • Unit 12: Decision Making


DEC 15th - FINAL EXAM - (covering Units 1-12)

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.

Class format:

Mondays 16h15 -18h: Lecture per week (Professor led) in room CM 2

Mondays 10h15 - 12h: Exercise per week (TA led) in rooms INF 2 (Please note, exercises start Sept 15th!)


Expected student activities:

Students are expected to attend lectures, actively engage in exercises, and read the corresponding chapters in the accompanying textbook *after class and before section*. During exercises, chapter material will be discussed in depth, quizzes will be given, and simple computational examples will be introduced for analysis of the nervous system.

How are you assessed?

- 80% final exam
- 20% of your grade comes from in-class quizzes during days termed "Exercises". They are designed to be easy-to-solve if you come to the exercises (so, please come!)
- Exercise worksheets are optional and not graded. They are completed in teams during the Monday exercises.

FAQ

- Is reading the chapters before exercises mandatory? Yes, I believe to truly learn neuroscience listening, taking notes, and reading is critical. Exercises give you the time to refine your knowledge, but cannot replace reading.
- Do I need to be in the classroom to take the quiz? The quizzes during section can be taken from any location, but we strongly encourage you to come to section!
- Will you post lecture slides? Yes, BUT after the lectures (and with some extra notes)! Learning to take notes "live" is a key skill to now develop! In your future workplace, or in graduate school, etc you will not be given someone's slides. 
- Can I meet you for office hours? Yes, but please just email me to set up a time
- Is the exam closed book? You can have 1 hand-written a4 sheet of paper (one side) of notes

Unit 1: Introduction to Neuroscience: from cells to organisms - how do we study the brain?

Monday, Sept 8 (CM 2):

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

Monday, Sept 15 (INF 2) :

  • TA-led 15 min recap talk
  • Exercises

  • Please read Purves et al. Neuroscience: Chapter 1 (pages 1-16), Chapter 2 (pages 34-43)

    - 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)!


Unit 2: Brain Anatomy & the Action Potential

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

In this unit I will cover the gross anatomy of the brain and structure of cortex, then discuss how the electrical properties of the neuron permit signal transduction as an 'action potential'.

Sept 15th LECTURE 

Sept 29TH Exercises (due to holiday week)!

Week of Sept 8th (no class - holiday)

Unit 3: Synaptic Transmission & Neurotransmitters

Reading:

  • Chapter 5 pgs. 85 - 93, 95-98, 102-103, 106-109, 111
  • Chapter 6 pgs 113-115, 120-135

VIDEO LECTURE ONLY: (please watch on Monday, Sept 29th)


Exercises: Oct 6th

  • TA-led 15 min recap talk for Unit 3
  • Exercises
  • Quiz

Unit 4: Vision - the eye and retina

Reading:
Chapter 11 (Boxes are not as critical)

Oct 6th: Lecture

Oct 13th: Section

  • TA-led 15 min recap talk for Unit 4
  • Exercises
  • Quiz


Unit 5: Vision – Systems & Circuits

Reading: 
Chapter 12 (Boxes are not as critical)

In this unit we will explore how visual stimuli is used within and across brain regions to drive behavior.

Lecture:
- Oct 13th VIDEO available (part 1) & VIDEO (part 2)

Section; Oct 27th! (note the week break!)

Oct 20th -- FALL BREAK @ EPFL

Unit 6: Somatosensation

Reading: Chapter 9

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

Oct 27th Lecture
- note, lecture will be 1 hour until 5 PM due to the EPFL PhD awarding ceremony. Additional material will be covered in section next week. VIDEO available

Nov 3rd 
- exercises & quiz

Unit 7: Neural Control of Movement – spinal cord & cerebellum

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.

Nov 3rd
- Lecture: VIDEO available (part 1) & VIDEO (part 2)

Nov 10th 
- exercises & quiz

Unit 8: Motor systems: Cortex and Basal ganglia

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

Nov 10th 
- VIDEO Lecture by Mackenzie

Nov 17th 
- exercises & quiz

Unit 9: Techniques in Neuroscience

Reading:
Chapter 1 pages 10-28.

This week we will cover modern techniques in neuroscience, including:

- optogenetics
- optogenetic tagging
- Neuropixels
- calcium imaging
- behavior data analysis 

Nov 17th
- Guest Lecture by Dr. Artur Schneider, Dr. Spencer Bowles, Celia Benquet

Nov 24th 
- Section

Unit 10: Memory and cognitive maps of space

This week we will cover memory and cognitive maps of space. 

Reading: Chapter 30 pages 681 - 687

Nov 24th
- Lecture (guest lecture by Prof. A. Mathis)

Dec 1st
- exercises & quiz

Unit 11: Disorders of the Nervous System

This lecture recaps some key concepts and links them to disorders of the nervous system. There is no one chapter for reading, so I suggest carefully reviewing the lecture slides and handout notes.

Dec 1st
- Lecture

Dec 8th
- exercises, final exam review & quiz

Unit 12: Decision Making

There is no assigned reading for this Unit. Please attend lecture and review the slides! 

Dec 8th
- Lecture

Note, there is no section due to Dec 15th being the final exam day


Dec 15, Final Exam (Room CM2)

Here is a practice exam to help you prepare. The final exam covers Units 1-12. 

It will take place in Room CM-2 from 4:15-6:15 PM. 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 ;))