In addition to courses in the Neuroscience Program, concentrators take courses in Biology,
Chemistry, and Psychology, and they may elect to carry out thesis projects under the
supervision of professors in these departments. Students are also encouraged to take courses
in Philosophy and generally to take advantage of the first-rate liberal education Colgate
offers. Students also have a wide variety of study-abroad options. One of the most popular
among neuroscience students is a semester at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in
Bethesda, Maryland. At the NIH, students participate in biomedical research, including
neuroscience research, and take courses from scientists who are leaders in their field.
For more information on the
NIH
study group and the Natural Science study group in
Cardiff, Wales,
please see Colgate's study group pages.
On campus, there are opportunities to become involved in the research of faculty during the school year. Opportunities are also available during the summer to become part of a small but intellectually and socially active multidisciplinary community of students engaged full-time in research. Neuroscience students may compete for summer research stipends by submitting a research proposal to the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics after they have discussed it with the faculty member who will be supervising their project. Summer research opportunities are also available on campus on a competitive basis.
Beginning in Fall 1998, students may choose between two routes to a concentration in Neuroscience. The new path emphasizes Behavioral Neuroscience and is an alternative to the current emphasis on Cellular Neuroscience. Behavioral Neuroscience examines the relationship of the brain to complex behaviors of the organism, while Cellular Neuroscience focuses on the sturcture and function of neurons and simple neural systems. Although emphasizing different levels of the nervous system, the two areas of study will have a common core curriculum consisting of the following courses:
Concentration Program Students must achieve a C- or better the first time they attempt NEUR 170 in order to enter the concentration. Course requirements are as follows:
In addition to the preceding courses, students who wish to gocus on the behavioral level will take:
In addition to the coure courses, students wishing to gocus on the cellular level will take:
If you have any questions about Neuroscience concentration, adddress them by e-mail to
Dr. Myra Smith.
170: Introduction to Brain and Behavior
Research supervisors may be from the
Neuroscience Program or the Biology, Chemistry or Psychology Departments. A
two-term senior thesis (NEUR 498-499) is required of all concentrators who wish to
be considered for honors. Those electing to carry out a year-long project will
receive a grade of T for NEUR 498. Upon completion of NEUR 499, a standard letter
grade (A, B, etc.) will be given for both courses, replacing the T in NEUR 498.
Honors in neuroscience may be achieved through an oral defense of a written report
on the senior thesis research. To be eligible for honors, the student must have an
overall GPA of 3.2 and a GPA of 3.4 in courses taken for the neuroscience
concentration. The designation of high honors will be determined by the quality of
the thesis and the oral defense.
Course Offerings:
S. Kraly, M. Smith, A.J. Tierney, J. Yoshino
Relationships between brain and behavior are examined at a variety of levels,
including neurochemical, neurophysiological, physiological and cognitive functioning.
Successful completion of this course (grade of CÐ or better) is required for
admission into the concentration. It is a prerequisite for all other neuroscience
courses. In addition to lectures, there is a laboratory. Open to first-year students
and sophomores; open to juniors and seniors by permission. Also listed as PSYC 170.
373 Physiological Psychology
S. Kraly
A thorough survey (with laboratory) of research strategies used in the contemporary
study of brain and behavior. Prerequisite: NEUR 170 or PSYC 200, or permission of
instructor. Also listed as PSYC 373.
NEUR 375: Cognitive Neuropsychology
M. Smith
This course focuses on the relationship of brain to cognition. Case studies from the
clinical literature of patients with localized brain damage and reports from the
experimental literature of the effects of noninvasive manipulations in normal
subjects are discussed. Brain-behavior relationships are considered in the context of
cognitive theories, phylogenetic comparisons and ontogenetic development.
Prerequisite: NEUR 170 or PSYC 200, or permission of instructor. This course is also
listed as PSYC 375.
377 Psychopharmacology
Staff
In this seminar, students and the instructor discuss the effects of drugs upon
psychological processes and behavior in humans. Readings in the textbook treat the
mechanisms of action (physiological and neurochemical) of various classes of drugs
used in therapy or "on the street." Readings in professional journals illustrate the
experimental study of drug effects in humans and in animals. Prerequisites: NEUR 170
and PSYC 200, or permission of instructor. (Also listed as PSYC 377.)
378, 379 Topics in Neuroscience
Staff
Courses in specific neuroscience topics offered by various staff members. Inquiries
about the topics offered any given term should be directed to the coordinator of the
Neuroscience Program. These courses are also listed as PSYC 378 and 379.
383 Fundamentals of Neurochemistry/Neuropharmacology
J. Yoshino
The chemistry and pharmacology of the nervous system are examined in depth using
current journal articles. Biochemical approaches discussed in the examination of the
nervous system include: subcellular fractionation, biochemical markers, polypeptide
and lipid separation and identification, and uses of monoclonal antibodies. Topics
include: the 02A bipotential glial progenitor cell, mechanisms of myelination,
demyelinating diseases, calcium dependent and independent mechanisms in synaptic
transmission, second messenger systems, and biochemical bases of neural disease.
Three lectures and one three-hour laboratory. Prerequisites: NEUR 170, BIOL 302, and
CHEM 263, or permission of instructor. This course is also listed as CHEM 383 and
PSYC 383.
384 Fundamentals of Neurophysiology
A.J. Tierney
The physiology of the nervous system is examined in depth, using current journal
articles. Topics include: ion channel structure and function, synaptic transmission,
second messenger systems, neuromodulation, neurophysiological mechanisms of behavior
in "simple" animals, the cellular basis of learning and memory, and the
neurophysiological basis of human mental disorders. The course includes guest
speakers from other universities. Laboratory exercises teach dissection and
electrophysiological recording techniques. Prerequisites: NEUR 170 or permission of
instructor. This course is also listed as BIOL 384 and PSYC 384.
470 Research Seminar in Physiological Psychology and Neuroscience
S. Kraly, M. Smith, A.J. Tierney, J. Yoshino
This seminar focuses on a specific research topic in the areas related to the
neurological, neurochemical and/or physiological bases of behavior. The topic varies
from term to term. Students are expected to study a topic in depth and to participate
in original empirical work in this area. Three classes and one laboratory per week.
This course is open to junior and senior psychology and neuroscience concentrators
and to others by permission. Prerequisite: a course from NEUR 373 to 384. This course
is also listed at PSYC 470.
291, 391, 491 Independent Studies
Staff
Advanced independent studies may be arranged in consultation with individual
instructors.
498, 499 Senior Thesis
Staff
Neuroscience concentrators plan and carry out one-term experimental research
projects under the guidance of faculty members in the Neuroscience Program or in the
Biology, Chemistry, or Psychology Departments. For those who wish to be considered
for honors, two-term thesis projects are required.
Questions to:
msmith@center.colgate.edu
Copyright 1997 © Colgate University.