NEUR 10 - Explorations in Neuroscience

Neural Connections in the Human Brain by Radu Jianu of Brown University, Posted by Image Editor, Licensed under CC by 2.0.

Course Purpose

The overall goal of this course is to examine the fundamentals of neuroscience research techniques and design. By the end of the quarter, you should be able to confidently critique neuroscience research and techniques as well as establish appropriate design for your future neuroscience research.

Learning Objectives

This course will introduce you to research methodologies to be able to understand and design neuroscience research by examining research related to topics that are foundational to neuroscientific research (e.g., neurons, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, behavior, neuroethics, etc.).

In addition, you will engage with important ethical issues in neuroscience related to these topics.  

Specifically, by the end of the course you should be able to:

• Describe major areas of neuroscience with a clear understanding of the main research approaches, techniques, and topics.
• Competently judge the scientific merit of original research and its representation by popular media.
• Apply critical thinking skills to formulate novel scientific questions and incorporate the appropriate analytical research methodologies to address them.
• Communicate effectively about neuroscience in written and oral form to both specialized and broad audiences.  
• Develop an understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience and evaluate issues in neuroscience critically within a larger cultural, socio-historical, and ethical framework.