Neuroscience Seminar

Biology/Psychology 447

 
 

Instructor: Chris Korey, PhD

Course Location: New Science Center, Room 100

Time: Monday, 2-4:30pm


Office: Rita Hollings Science Center, Room 217C

Office Hours:  By appointment only


Course Goals: This is the capstone course for the Interdisciplinary Minor in Neuroscience.  The focus of this course is the critical reading and presentation of research, including your own independent research.  Throughout the course we will be reading, writing, and talking about research.  The papers I have chosen cover a broad spectrum of Neuroscience from many different model systems and with an eye towards interesting and maybe less known topics.


Texts: There is no major textbook for this course.  All papers are available for download as a pdf.


Course Policies and Grading


Important Dates

  1. •January 24th RPG Travel Grants Due

  2. •February 7th SYNAPSE Abstract Submission

  3. •March 25-26th SYNAPSE Meeting at Wake Forest

  4. •April 25th/May 2nd Neuroscience Nanosymposium


Course Syllabus

January 10th Course Introduction

  1. •Syllabus (pdf)


January 17th MLK Holiday - No Class


January 24th Presentation Skills Discussion and Activity

  1. •Writing Assignment Due: Non-Technical Abstract and RPG Travel Award Application

  2. •RPG Application Form (doc)

  3. •RPG Checklist (pdf)


January 31st Magnetoreception

  1. •Primary Article: Falkenberg et al. (2010) Avian magnetoreception: elaborate iron mineral containing dendrites in the upper beak seem to be a common feature of birds. PLoS ONE (pdf)  (Dr. Korey)

  2. •Primary Article: Heyers et al. (2010) Magnetic field changes activate the trigeminal brainstem complex in a migratory bird. PNAS (pdf) (Andrea Smith)

  3. •Background: Johnsen and Lohmann (2005) The physics and neurobiology of magnetoreception. Nat Rev Neurosci (pdf)


February 7th Thermoreception

  1. •Primary Article: Jordt and Julius (2002) Molecular Basis for Species-Specific Sensitivity to “Hot” Chili Peppers. Cell (pdf) (Jack Wilson)

  2. •Primary Article: Gracheva et al. (2010) Molecular basis of infrared detection by snakes. Nature (pdf) (supplementary material.pdf) (Christine Holly)


February 14th Fetal Cell Microchimerism

  1. •Writing Assignment Due: Technical Abstract for SYNAPSE and Abstract Submission

  2. •Primary Article: Tan et al. (2005) Fetal Microchimerism in the Maternal Mouse Brain: A Novel Population of Fetal Progenitor or Stem Cells Able to Cross the Blood-Brain Barrier? Stem Cell (pdf) (Maggie Diamond)

  3. •Background: Dawe et al. (2007) Cell Migration from Baby to Mom. Cell Adhesion and Migration (pdf)


February 21st Socially Induced Sex Reversal in Fish

  1. •Primary Article: Larson et al. (2003) Monoaminergic changes associated with socially induced sex reversal in the saddleback wrasse. Neuroscience (pdf) (Corey Hopkins)

  2. •Primary Article: Marsh et al. (2006) Aromatase immunoreactivity in the bluehead wrasse brain, Thalassoma bifasciatum: immunolocalization and co-regionalization with arginine vasotocin and tyrosine hydroxlase. Brain Research (pdf) (Katelyn Ogburn)


February 28th Grasshopper/Locust Behavioral Transformation

Poster Presentations

  1. •Templates: Use the 36x48 Horizontal or Vertical style

  2. •Poster Design Advice (Swarthmore College)

  3. •Creating an Effective Poster Guidelines (pdf)

  4. •Quick Checklist of Poster Layout (NC State)

  5. •Wolcott,TG (1997) Mortal Sins in Poster Presentation or How to Give the Poster No One Remembers. (pdf)


Paper Discussion

  1. •Primary Article: Anstey et al. (2009) Serotonin mediates behavioral gregarization underlying swarm formation in desert locusts. Science (pdf) (Cody Weidenthaler)

  2. •Background: Ott and Rogers (2010) Gregarious desert locusts have substantially larger brains with altered proportions compared with the solitarious phase. Proc Biol Sci (pdf)


March 7th Spring Break - No Class


March 14th Parasites: Inducing Host Behavioral Changes

  1. •Poster Presentations: Poster Draft Due

  2. •Primary Article: Helluy and Thomas (2010) Parasitic manipulation and neuroinflammation: Evidence from the system Microphallus papillorobustus (Trematoda) - Gammarus (Crustacea). Parasites and Vectors (pdf) (Lauren Ramsey)

  3. •Primary Article: Biron et al. (2006) ‘Suicide’ of crickets harbouring hairworms: a proteomic investigation. Insect Molecular Biology (pdf) (Liz Obert)

  4. •Background Video: Zombie Snails, Cricket Suicide


March 21st Brain Transfers: Chick/Quail Chimeras

  1. •Poster Presentations: Final PPT File is Due

  2. •Primary Article: Balaban, E. (1997) Changes in multiple brain regions underlie species differences in a complex, congenital behavior. PNAS (pdf) (Mike Miner)

  3. •Primary Article: Long et al. (2001) Transferring an inborn auditory perceptual predisposition with interspecies brain transplants. PNAS (pdf) (Joseph Secor-Taddia)

  4. •Background: Le Douarin, NM (1993) Embryonic neural chimeras in the study of brain development. Trends Neurosci (pdf)


March 25th-26th Symposium for Young Neuroscientists and Professors of the Southeast (SYNAPSE)


March 28th Symposium Wrap Up/Presentation Discussion


April 4th Bird Song and Neural Plasticity

  1. •Primary Article: Prather et al. (2008) Precise auditory-vocal mirroring in neurons for learned vocal communication. Nature (pdf) (Elise Maggioncalda)

  2. •Supplementary Figures and audio files

  3. •Primary Article: Roberts et al. (2010) Rapid spine stabilization and synaptic enhancement at the onset of behavioural learning. Nature (pdf) (John Bunting)


April 11th Bird Song and Neural Plasticity

  1. •Research Presentation: Your Opening Slides

  2. •Biology Department Seminar, Noon, RHSC Room 239 : “Watching the Brain Learn From Social Experience”, Todd Roberts, Department of Neurobiology, Duke University

  3. •Class Discussion with Dr. Todd Roberts (2:30-3:00 pm)


April 18th Mouse Behavioral Genetics

  1. •Primary Article: Crabbe et al. (1999) Genetics of Mouse Behavior: Interactions with Laboratory Environment. Science (pdf) (Madison Hohman)

  2. •Primary Article: “The Truth Wears Off” by Jonah Lehrer, The New Yorker, December 13, 2010 (pdf)


April 25th Student Research Presentations Part I


May 2nd Student Research Presentations Part II

  1. •12-3pm-Final Exam period for MWF/MW 2:00pm courses