Animals are frequently used to tell children's stories, especially in animated cinema. For the most part depictions of animals in classic films such as Lion King, Finding Nemo, or The Land Before Time are clearly not intended to depict an accurate natural history of their subjects. However, the ways in which movies get things wrong by having animals portray human roles opens an opportunity to explore the diversity of animal behavior. This course focuses on understanding the evolution, ecology, and natural history of diverse animals portrayed in films. It will cover a range of topics that apply generally to animated animal movies (e.g., Do animals use language?) as well as issues raised by specific movies (Does it make any sense for Scar to kill Mufasa in Lion King?). During this course students will engage with data and analyses used in the field of animal behavior, appreciate the diversity of experiences among animals, and consider our own biology and behavior in the light of the natural world.

Full details for BIONB 1100 - Natural History of the Magic Kingdom: Understanding Animal Behavior through Animated Films

From understanding how we remember the past to explaining how we acquire new skills and interpret the world around us, neuroscience has revealed the biological mechanisms that underpin the incredible abilities of the brain. Despite this, many of the most remarkable discoveries in neuroscience remain accessible only to experts or appear in public media in a distorted form. In this course—intended for students interested in neuroscience, but not necessarily majoring in biology—challenging ideas in neuroscience are illuminated through animations, simplified models and historical accounts of our evolving understanding of the brain. Topics in the course will include dopamine, the neural circuits that support movement and navigation, and mechanisms of memory formation and recall. No background in neuroscience or biology is required.

Full details for BIONB 1120 - The Hidden World of the Brain

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

An introduction to neuroscience: the structure and function of the nervous system of humans and other animals. Topics include the cellular and molecular basis for cell signaling, the functions of neurons in communication and in decision making; neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, sensory systems, motor systems, neural development, learning and memory, and other complex brain functions. The course will emphasize how the nervous system is built during development, how it changes with experiences during life, how it functions in normal behavior, and how it is disrupted by injury and disease. Discussion sections will include a dissection of a preserved sheep brain.

Full details for BIONB 2220 - Neurobiology and Behavior II: Introduction to Neuroscience

Why are boys more likely than girls to be diagnosed with autism, and why are women more likely than men to be diagnosed with depression? Are there different gay and straight brains? And how does brain science interact with gender and sexuality in popular debate? Reading and discussing the original scientific papers and related critical texts, we will delve into the neuroscience of gender. In this course, we will delve into the neuroscience of gender difference. Reading the original scientific papers and related critical texts, we will ask whether we can find measurable physical differences in male and female brains, and what these differences might be. Do men and women solve spatial puzzles differently, as measured physiologically? Do nonhuman animals display sex-specific behaviors mediated by brain structure, and can we extrapolate these findings to human behavior? Why are boys three times more likely than girls to be diagnosed as autistic, and is there any connection between the predominantly male phenomenon of autism and other stereotypically male mental traits? Are there physical representations of sexual orientation in the brain, and how are these related to gender identity? And how are scientific studies represented and misrepresented in popular debate?

Full details for BIONB 3215 - Gender and the Brain

Why are chilies so spicy? This course examines the chemical basis of interactions between species and is intended for students with a basic knowledge of chemistry and biology. Focuses on the ecology and chemistry of plants, animals, and microbes. Stresses chemical signals used in diverse ecosystems, using Darwinian natural selection as a framework. Topics include: plant defenses, microbial warfare, communication in marine organisms, and human pheromones.

Full details for BIONB 3690 - Chemical Ecology

Undergraduate course surveying system- and organ-related aspects of pharmacology. Topics include mechanisms of drug action; drug disposition; pharmacokinetics; autonomic pharmacology; pharmacology of inflammation, allergy and platelet function; and endocrine, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and renal pharmacology. The course is designed for undergraduate life science majors, particularly those interested in medical or veterinary school.

Full details for BIONB 4140 - Principles of Pharmacology

Courses on selected topics in neurobiology and behavior; can include lecture and seminar courses.

Full details for BIONB 4200 - Topics in Neurobiology and Behavior

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

A seminar series examining current and classical ideas in human sciences and the humanities. Themes vary from semester to semester.Topic: Changes by semester. For the recent and upcoming topics, see the instructor's web page: https://shimon-edelman.github.io

Full details for BIONB 4330 - Topics in Cognitive Science

Food intake is a complex behavior that is strictly regulated by sensory, homeostatic, and hedonic neural circuits, which balance energy intake with energy expenditure. An integrated system of external sensory information works together with peripheral body organs and the central nervous system to produce the sensation of food and the drive to consume. The balanced functioning of this interconnected physiological system is critical for humans and other organisms to control the nutrient intake and maintain stable body weight. In eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, or in metabolic syndromes, such as obesity, the perception of food and the homeostatic balance between hunger and satiety is dysregulated leading to weight loss or gain and associated health problems. In this course, students will learn about the current and past research on neural control of food intake and energy metabolism. I will introduce the topic and cover the main discoveries in a discussion-based lecture. After the lecture, each week, students will collaboratively present a topic. The first student will present an overview of the research topic. The second student will present the research article for the week. Each student will present twice (once in each slot). Everyone must do the readings each week and come prepared to discuss the science. There will be ample time for discussion and questions, which are strongly encouraged.

Full details for BIONB 4560 - Neural Control of Food Intake and Energy Metabolism

This course examines the neural circuit dynamics that support learning, memory and flexible decision making. We will critically read and discuss classic and current papers in these subjects. Topics may include neural mechanisms of different types of learning, memory-guided behavior, spatial navigation, memory replay, neural oscillations, brain computation, etc. We will critically read and discuss classic and current papers in these subjects. Topics may include neural mechanisms of different types of learning, memory-guided behavior, spatial navigation, memory replay, neural oscillations, brain computation, etc. Topics will cover both fundamental and translational research in different animal models and humans.

Full details for BIONB 4740 - Neural Dynamics of Learning, Memory and Decision Making

Laboratory-oriented course designed to teach the concepts and tools of cellular neurophysiology through hands-on experience with extracellular and intracellular electrophysiological techniques, and computer acquisition and analysis of laboratory results. Students explore signal transmission in the nervous system by examining the cellular basis of resting and action potentials, and synaptic transmission and optogenetic control of behavior and physiology. Lecture time is used to review nervous system physiology, introduce laboratory exercises, discuss lab results and primary research papers, and for presentation of additional experimental preparations and methods. Invertebrate preparations are used as model systems.

Full details for BIONB 4910 - Principles of Neurophysiology

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

Laboratory-oriented course designed to teach the concepts and tools of cellular neurophysiology through hands-on experience with extracellular and intracellular electrophysiological techniques, and computer acquisition and analysis of laboratory results. Students explore signal transmission in the nervous system by examining the cellular basis of resting and action potentials, and synaptic transmission. Lecture time is used to review nervous system physiology, introduce laboratory exercises, discuss lab results and primary research papers, and for presentation of additional experimental preparations and methods. Invertebrate preparations are used as model systems. Students must complete and additional semester-long project. The project includes exploration of experimental neuroscience questions not covered in the undergraduate laboratory class, novel, low cost instrumentation design, computational approaches to nervous system function and development of active learning activities. It will require a project proposal early in the semester, and a final project presentation and research journal style paper at the end of the semester.

Full details for BIONB 5910 - Principles of Neurophysiology

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

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

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