Course Schedule
| Date | Topic | Speaker | |
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| 9/6 | Course Introduction | Ivan & Angeliki | |
| 9/9, 9/13 | Inhibition and Excitation in Cortical Circuits | Jess Cardin | |
| 9/16, 9/20 | Optical Imaging of Neural Activity | Alex Kwan | |
| 9/23, 9/27 | Molecular Mechanisms of Synaptic Transmission | Susumu Tomita | |
| 9/30, 10/4 | Sensory Systems: Olfaction | Charlie Greer | |
| 10/7, 10/11 | Mechanosensation | Slav Bagriantsev | |
| 10/14, 10/25 | Neural Circuit Development | Mike Crair | |
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| 10/28, 11/1 | Neurodegeneration | Sreeganga Chandra | |
| 11/4, 11/8 | Neural Basis of Food Intake | Ralph DiLeone | |
| 11/11, 11/29 | Membrane Dynamics in Neuronal Function | Pietro De Camilli | |
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| 12/2, 12/6 | Decision Making | Ifat Levy | |
| 12/9, 12/13 | Computational Psychiatry | Phil Corlett |
Course Format
Each topic will be covered during two classes: the first will be a lecture from a Yale faculty member on the state of a field of neuroscience, and the second a student-led discussion of some pertinent literature. The first class will acquaint us with the fundamentals of a particular field and is an opportunity to ask questions about the research topic. The second class will consist of an in-depth discussion of at least two research papers of the lecturer's choice, and will be led by two students. Consideration will be paid to the following questions: What is the objective of this research? How was it—or has it been—accomplished? Is this good neuroscience, or are there weaknesses from which we can learn? Copies of these papers will be posted on the course website, and will also be available in Carol Russo's office (please thank Carol when you see her).
Participation is one of the requirements for the course. Active participation will enable us to learn from one another and to delve into the details of the two papers. In discussing and learning about the strengths and limitations of a particular approach to neuroscience, hopefully we can begin to understand the interesting questions that drive that particular field and how those questions relate to other fields.
