Courses

Courses by semester

Courses for

Complete Cornell University course descriptions are in the Courses of Study .

Course ID Title Offered
BIONB1220 FWS: Special Topics in Neurobiology and Behavior
The First-Year Writing Seminar is about introducing concepts in neuroscience and behavior and writing extensively about them. Topics vary by section.

Full details for BIONB 1220 - FWS: Special Topics in Neurobiology and Behavior

Fall, Spring.
BIONB2210 Neurobiology and Behavior I: Introduction to Behavior
General introduction to the field of animal behavior. Topics include evolution and behavior, behavioral ecology, sociobiology, chemical ecology, communication, orientation and navigation. BIONB2210 website

Full details for BIONB 2210 - Neurobiology and Behavior I: Introduction to Behavior

Fall, Summer.
BIONB3220 Hormones and Behavior
Covers comparative and evolutionary approaches to the study of the relationship between reproductive hormones and sexual behavior in vertebrates, including humans. Also hormonal contributions to other social behavior (parental behavior, aggression, mating systems), stress, learning and memory, and biological rhythms.

Full details for BIONB 3220 - Hormones and Behavior

Fall.
BIONB3240 Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory
This course is designed to provide an introduction to experimental research on the neural basis of behavior and cognition in animals. Topics will include basic neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, neural and hormonal control of behavior, and learning and memory. Students will gain extensive hands on experience with a variety of laboratory techniques, and animal species, and behaviors.

Full details for BIONB 3240 - Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory

BIONB3300 Introduction to Computational Neuroscience
Covers the basic ideas and techniques involved in computational neuroscience. Surveys diverse topics, including neural dynamics of small networks of cells, neural coding, learning in neural networks and in brain structures, memory models of the hippocampus, sensory coding, and others.

Full details for BIONB 3300 - Introduction to Computational Neuroscience

Fall (offered alternate years).
BIONB3950 Molecular and Genetic Approaches to Neuroscience
Focuses on how different molecular and genetic approaches have led to major advances in neuroscience. Lectures, student presentations, and discussions examine original research articles. Topics include ligand-gated channels, potassium channels, seven membrane spanning receptors, olfaction, pain and cold receptors, neurotransmitter release, neural networks, epilepsy, optogenetics, and circadian rhythms.

Full details for BIONB 3950 - Molecular and Genetic Approaches to Neuroscience

Fall (offered alternate years).
BIONB4200 Topics in Neurobiology and Behavior
Courses on selected topics in neurobiology and behavior; can include lecture and seminar courses. Topics vary by section; see Class Roster.

Full details for BIONB 4200 - Topics in Neurobiology and Behavior

Fall, Spring.
BIONB4220 Modeling Behavioral Evolution
Intensive lecture and computer lab course on modeling strategies and techniques in the study of behavioral evolution. Population-genetic (including quantitative-genetic), static optimization, dynamic programming, and game-theoretic methods are emphasized. These approaches are illustrated by application to problems in optimal foraging, sexual selection, sex ratio evolution, animal communication, and the evolution of cooperation and conflict within animal social groups. Students learn to critically assess recent evolutionary theories of animal behavior, as well as to develop their own testable models for biological systems of interest or to extend preexisting models in novel directions. The Mathematica software program is used as a modeling tool in the accompanying computer lab.

Full details for BIONB 4220 - Modeling Behavioral Evolution

Fall (offered alternate years).
BIONB4320 Neural Circuits for Motor Control in Health and Disease
Almost all behaviors-from speech to a cross court forehand-are mediated by the contraction of muscles. This course examines the neural origins of motor behavior, from simple reflexes to complex learned motor sequences. Ascending the motor hierarchy, we will study the neuromuscular junction, spinal cord, brainstem, cerebellum, basal ganglia and cerebral cortex. At each level, we will examine the structure and function of the local microcircuit, as well as diseases-such as myasthenia gravis, stroke, ALS, ataxia and Parkinson's-that result from that circuit's dysfunction.

Full details for BIONB 4320 - Neural Circuits for Motor Control in Health and Disease

Fall (offered alternate years).
BIONB4330 Topics in Cognitive Science
A course examining the core disciplines of cognitive science using varied themes from semester to semester.

Full details for BIONB 4330 - Topics in Cognitive Science

Fall, Spring.
BIONB4700 Biophysical Methods
Overview of the diversity of modern biophysical experimental techniques used in the study of biophysical systems at the cellular and molecular level.

Full details for BIONB 4700 - Biophysical Methods

Fall.
BIONB4980 Teaching Experience
Designed to give qualified undergraduate students teaching experience through actual involvement in planning and assisting in biology courses.  This experience may include supervised participation in a discussion group, assisting in a biology laboratory, assisting in field biology, or tutoring.

Full details for BIONB 4980 - Teaching Experience

Fall, Spring.
BIONB7200 Advanced Topics in Neurobiology and Behavior
Designed to provide several study groups each semester on specialized topics. A group may meet for whatever period is judged adequate to enable coverage of the selected topics. Discussion of current literature is encouraged. See course roster for offerings.

Full details for BIONB 7200 - Advanced Topics in Neurobiology and Behavior

Fall, Spring.
BIONB7201 Research Design in the Study of Animal Social Behavior
A weekly journal club-style discussion. Graduate students may be expected to present a summary of their research or a summary of research in the literature related to their thesis once per year.

Full details for BIONB 7201 - Research Design in the Study of Animal Social Behavior

Fall, Spring.
BIONB7202 Topics in Neural Basis of Behavior
A weekly journal club-style discussion. Graduate students may be expected to present a summary of their research or a summary of research in the literature related to their thesis once per year.

Full details for BIONB 7202 - Topics in Neural Basis of Behavior

Fall, Spring.
BIONB7210 Introductory Graduate Survey in Neurobiology and Behavior
Designed to assist students in mapping their graduate careers and in choosing and pursuing transformative and tractable thesis topics. The core of the course will be open-ended discussions directed by paired neurobiology and behavioral ecology faculty on novel research frontiers in the study of mechanisms and the evolution of behavior (including in the zone of their conceptual intersection). Occasional laboratory experiences may also be included. Professional development topics will include how to: navigate graduate school, allocate time between reading, thinking creatively, and investing in research, design experiments, write grant proposals, give talks, and publish peer-reviewed papers.

Full details for BIONB 7210 - Introductory Graduate Survey in Neurobiology and Behavior

Fall, Spring.
BIONB7640 Plant-Insect Interactions Seminar
Group intensive study of current research in plant-insect interactions. Topics vary from semester to semester but include chemical defense, coevolution, insect community structure, population regulation, biocontrol, tritrophic interactions, and mutualism.

Full details for BIONB 7640 - Plant-Insect Interactions Seminar

Fall, Spring.
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