Neuroscience
Website: sewanee.edu/academics/neuroscience/
Multiple models of Neuroscience programs exist. While some focus on animal behavior, others operate in conjunction with the cognitive sciences or prioritize clinical behaviors. The Neuroscience program at Sewanee provides students with the depth of core Neuroscience knowledge, but also breadth of training outside of Neuroscience in the natural sciences, psychology, mathematics, and philosophy resulting in multidisciplinary discourse.
Professors: Bachman, Berner, Miles, Peterman, Yu, Zigler
Associate Professors: Bateman, Kikis, Pongdee, Seballos, Shibata, A. Summers
Assistant Professors: Cammack, Shelley, Tiernan (Chair)
The curriculum for the Neuroscience major includes courses at the introductory level, intermediate level, and the advanced level (advanced laboratory courses and seminars) and elective courses. Introductory courses provide students with basic terminology and knowledge and familiarize them with various modes of inquiry in neuroscience and related fields. Intermediate courses offer a deeper involvement in the content of neuroscience, while advanced courses provide laboratory experience, familiarization with primary literature, and courses more focused on narrow topics within the field of neuroscience.
Requirements for the Major in Neuroscience
The major requires successful completion of the following:
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Three introductory courses: 1 | ||
| NEUR 101 | Introduction to Neuroscience | 4 |
| BIOL 133 | Introductory Molecular Biology and Genetics | 4 |
| CHEM 120 | General Chemistry (Lab) | 4 |
| or CHEM 150 | Advanced General Chemistry (Lab) | |
| Three intermediate courses: | ||
| NEUR 208 | Neurobiology | 4 |
| NEUR 225 | Cognitive Neuroscience | 4 |
| NEUR 254 | Behavioral Neuroscience | 4 |
| Select one statistics/methods course from the following: | 4 | |
| Molecular Methods (Lab) | ||
| Research Methods and Data Analysis | ||
| Select one lab course from the following: | 4 | |
| Experimental Neurobiology (Lab) | ||
| Affective Neuroscience (Lab) | ||
| Advanced Behavioral Neuroscience (Lab) | ||
| Drugs and Behavior (Lab) | ||
| Select one seminar course from the following: | 4 | |
| The Social Brain | ||
| Ion Channels and Disease | ||
| History of Neuroscience: Brain and Society | ||
| Addiction | ||
| Sex, Brain, and Behavior | ||
| Select three elective courses from at least two of the lists that follow: | 12 | |
List A | ||
| Molecular Cell Biology | ||
| Human Anatomy (Lab) | ||
| Histology and Microanatomy | ||
| Biology of Aging (Lab) | ||
or BIOL 325 | Biology of Aging | |
| Mechanistic Biochemistry (Lab) | ||
| General and Human Physiology | ||
or BIOL 314 | General and Human Physiology (Lab) | |
| Biochemistry of Metabolism and Molecular Biology (Lab) | ||
or BIOL 317 | Biochemistry of Metabolism and Molecular Biology | |
| Molecular Revolutions in Medicine | ||
or BIOL 328 | Molecular Revolutions in Medicine (Lab) | |
| Immunology (Lab) | ||
or BIOL 331 | Immunology | |
| Developmental Biology (Lab) | ||
or BIOL 334 | Developmental Biology | |
| Epigenetics | ||
or BIOL 389 | Epigenetics (Lab) | |
| Organic Chemistry I (Lab) | ||
| Organic Chemistry II (Lab) | ||
| Advanced Biochemistry | ||
List B | ||
| Introduction to Computer Science | ||
| Introduction to Modeling and Programming | ||
| Data Structures | ||
| Data Mining | ||
| Bioethics | ||
| Epistemology | ||
| Metaphysics | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
| Statistical Modeling | ||
List C | ||
| Behavioral Economics | ||
| Cognitive Psychology | ||
or PSYC 358 | Cognitive Psychology (Lab) | |
| Adolescence | ||
| Motivation and Cognitive Control | ||
| Drugs and Behavior | ||
| Child Development (Lab) | ||
List D | ||
| General Physics I (Lab) | ||
| General Physics II (Lab) | ||
| Modern Mechanics (Lab) | ||
| Electric and Magnetic Interactions (Lab) | ||
| Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism I | ||
| Advanced Laboratory | ||
List E | ||
| Experimental Neurobiology (Lab) | ||
| Affective Neuroscience (Lab) | ||
| Advanced Behavioral Neuroscience (Lab) | ||
| Affective Neuroscience | ||
| The Social Brain | ||
| Ion Channels and Disease | ||
| History of Neuroscience: Brain and Society | ||
| Drugs and Behavior (Lab) | ||
| Addiction | ||
| Sex, Brain, and Behavior | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 48 | |
| 1 | Students participating in the Sewanee-at-Yale semester program should contact the neuroscience chair to discuss relevant course offerings. |
In developing the major, the Neuroscience Steering Committee has created cross-disciplinary and field-expanding opportunities and has included courses expected to offer a fruitful integration with Neuroscience. The elective lists include courses with subject matter that is implicitly related to the study of behavior or cognition, or tangential to Neuroscience as a discipline but with theoretical relevance. Such courses must be completed by students wishing to pursue graduate work in neuroscience (or biology or psychology) or students interested in the health professions, as they are typically required before admission to those programs.
Additional Requirements
A comprehensive examination that will allow the Neuroscience Steering Committee to assess students' ability to:
- Identify important questions related to their field of interest
- Exhibit knowledge of experimental design
- Think critically about experimental methodology and analysis
- Integrate and synthesize information from other courses and sub-disciplines
A minor in neuroscience allows students to consider how brain-function relates to behavior, and to explore one of the most compelling scientific frontiers in understanding ourselves and our actions. The minor examines the nervous system and its contribution to our experiences through a truly interdisciplinary approach. Students are required to take courses in both psychology and biology, and are highly encouraged to explore related courses within chemistry, computer science, and philosophy.
The goal of the neuroscience minor is to encourage students to critically evaluate how the brain functions from the molecular and cellular level, and how these processes affect behavior. The neuroscience minor is ideal for students with an interest in any neuroscience-related field. The minor prepares students for graduate study in neuroscience or related fields, and is also a good preparation for those planning to pursue a career in medicine and related disciplines.
Requirements for the Minor in Neuroscience
The minor requires successful completion of the following:
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Requirements | ||
| NEUR 101 | Introduction to Neuroscience | 4 |
| Select five of the following: | 20 | |
| Neurobiology | ||
| Cognitive Neuroscience | ||
| Behavioral Neuroscience | ||
| Experimental Neurobiology (Lab) | ||
| Affective Neuroscience (Lab) | ||
or NEUR 360 | Affective Neuroscience | |
| Advanced Behavioral Neuroscience (Lab) | ||
| The Social Brain | ||
| Ion Channels and Disease | ||
| History of Neuroscience: Brain and Society | ||
| Motivation and Cognitive Control | ||
| Drugs and Behavior | ||
or PSYC 350 | Drugs and Behavior (Lab) | |
| Addiction | ||
| Sex, Brain, and Behavior | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 24 | |
NEUR 101 Introduction to Neuroscience (4)
This course provides an introduction to the mammalian nervous system. Content focuses on the structure and function of the brain, and explores methods used by neuroscientists. Sensory systems, control of movement, learning and memory, and diseases of the brain may be discussed.
NEUR 208 Neurobiology (4)
A comprehensive study of the vertebrate nervous system covering its overall organization and development, function, control of homeostatic systems, and mechanisms of sensory perception. Non-laboratory course. Prerequisite: (CHEM 120 or CHEM 150) and (NEUR 101 or BIOL 133).
NEUR 225 Cognitive Neuroscience (4)
An introductory course on the neural bases of higher cognitive processes including perception, action, attention, memory, language, socio-emotional functions, executive functions and consciousness. Also discussed are the mind-body problem and other current theories and conceptual approaches. Prerequisite: NEUR 101.
NEUR 254 Behavioral Neuroscience (4)
An introduction to the field of behavioral neuroscience. The course begins with an overview of the basics of brain anatomy, brain organization, and neuronal signaling. The remainder of the course focuses on specific topics that are commonly studied by neuroscientists. Such topics include the brain basis of memory, emotion, aging, and sleep. Prerequisite: NEUR 101.
NEUR 351 Experimental Neurobiology (Lab) (4)
This lecture and laboratory course utilizes electrical recordings from a variety of invertebrates and vertebrates to build upon topics discussed in NEUR 208, illustrating the principles of nervous system communication in sensory and motor systems. The course will also include the roles of hypothesis testing, models, data analysis, and the scientific method in understanding how experimental data can lead to knowledge of nervous system function. Prerequisite: NEUR 208.
NEUR 355 Affective Neuroscience (Lab) (4)
This course covers the systems-level neural and behavioral bases of human and animal emotion. Students discuss readings paramount to understanding how we perceive motivationally significant information and stimuli and experience, express, and regulate our emotions. The course explores basic theories of emotion, automatic processes, emotion regulation, rewards, social relationships, decision-making, learning and memory, stress, and psychopathology (e.g., depression, anxiety, and personality disorders). Students design and conduct experiments using cognitive neuroscience methodology related to affective processing or emotion regulation, analyze the data, and write detailed laboratory reports. Prerequisite: PSYC 251 and (NEUR 225 or NEUR 254 or NEUR 208 or PSYC 225 or PSYC 254).
NEUR 359 Advanced Behavioral Neuroscience (Lab) (4)
An examination of how brain function affects behavior. The course is an extension of NEUR 254 and includes an advanced examination of brain organization, neuronal signaling, and specific topics that are studied by neuroscientists. Such topics include the brain bases of fear, pain, eating, sexuality, and stress. This class also examines methods used to study behavioral neuroscience in humans and animals. The course includes a laboratory with a brain dissection and focus on designing and conducting studies to answer empirical questions about behavioral neuroscience. Prerequisite: PSYC 251 and (NEUR 254 or PSYC 254 or PSYC 225 or NEUR 208 or NEUR 225).
NEUR 360 Affective Neuroscience (4)
This course covers the systems-level neural and behavioral bases of human and animal emotion. Students discuss readings paramount to understanding how we perceive motivationally significant information and stimuli and experience, express, and regulate our emotions. The course explores basic theories of emotion, automatic processes, emotion regulation, rewards, social relationships, decision-making, learning and memory, stress, and psychopathology (e.g., depression, anxiety, and personality disorders). This course cannot be taken for credit if the student has already received credit for NEUR 355. Prerequisite: PSYC 251 and (NEUR 225 or NEUR 254 or PSYC 225 or PSYC 254 or NEUR 208).
NEUR 414 The Social Brain (4)
A seminar focusing on the interdisciplinary field of social neuroscience. Course content examines social and emotional behavior through a variety of levels and contexts, and identifies the neural systems that support these behaviors. The course explores a number of core social psychological domains (e.g., culture, motivation, emotion, person perception, empathy, decision making, interpersonal relationships, morality, and self-identity). Prerequisite: (PSYC 251 or BIOL 243) and (NEUR 225 or NEUR 254 or PSYC 225 or NEUR 208 or PSYC 254).
NEUR 415 Ion Channels and Disease (4)
This upper level course examines the structure and function of ion channels at the molecular level, including the biophysics of ion permeability, voltage-sensing, and activation by neurotransmitters. Approximately half of the course is student-led discussions on research papers that detail ion channel dysfunction that lead to disease. Prerequisite: (NEUR 208 or NEUR 225 or NEUR 254 or PSYC 225 or PSYC 254) and (BIOL 243 or BIOL 233 or PSYC 251).
NEUR 417 History of Neuroscience: Brain and Society (4)
A historical survey of neuroscience, from the end of the 18th century to the present. Students discuss the theoretical and technological advances related to our current understanding of the brain. Prerequisite: (PSYC 251 or BIOL 243) and (NEUR 208 or NEUR 225 or NEUR 254 or PSYC 225 or PSYC 254).
NEUR 444 Independent Study (2 or 4)
Students in this course will design and execute an experimental research project terminating in a written report or will complete readings in an area of neuroscience. Must be approved by the program chair. This course may be repeated for credit when the topic differs. Prerequisite: Instructor prerequisite override required.