neuroscience template

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS	Graduate Program in Neuroscience Required Coursework
YEAR ONE	FALL SEMESTER
SGSS8021	Biochemistry & Gene Regulation (5 credit hrs) One semester course includes metabolism; enzyme structure, kinetics and mechanisms; RNA, DNA, and protein biogenesis; DNA repair and recombination; cell cycle control, cancer genetics. Classroom time includes lectures, discussions, and demonstrations using traditional and alternative teaching methods.
SGSS8022	Molecular Cell Biology (5 credit hrs) This course focuses on the study of the cell as the fundamental structural and functional unit of which all living organisms are constructed. Cell biology serves as a bridge between molecular biology, basic biochemistry, physiology, and morphology at the gross anatomical level and is increasingly a principle area of focus for biomedical research. In this course, the properties of cells are analyzed initially by viewing the structural organization, functional interactions, and biogenesis of cellular components with particular emphasis on understanding of processes involved in regulating the specific composition and interactions of cellular organelles. This forms a basis for the subsequent consideration of cell-cell interactions at the cellular and the tissue level. One semester course includes classroom time lectures, discussion, and demonstrations using traditional and alternative teaching methods.
SGSS8040	Introduction to Faculty Research (2 credit hrs) An introduction to all of the research topics currently being conducted by Biomedical Sciences graduate faculty. This course helps students choose a laboratory for their research rotations.
SGSS8050	Introduction to Research I (2 credit hrs) Three mini rotations in research laboratories. Students should become familiar with the various activities of the laboratories.
SGSS8011	Responsible Conduct of Research (1 credit hr) This course will provide an overview, via lecture and discussion, of critical issues related to the responsible conduct of research. In addition, it will fulfill the requirements established by the Office of Research Integrity and the Public Health Service for ensuring that PHS-supported researchers are provided adequate instruction in conducting responsible research and ensuring integrity of the research record.
SGSS8012	Scientific Communication (1 credit hr) This course focuses on writing and presentation skills needed for a career in biomedical sciences. It provides basic instruction in writing abstracts, curriculum vitae, and grant applications as well as how to organize and give oral scientific presentations. Also covered are basic aspects related to teaching skills needed in the biomedical classroom and laboratory.
YEAR ONE	SPRING SEMESTER
SGSS8011	Responsible Conduct of Research (1 credit hr) This course will provide an overview, via lecture and discussion, of critical issues related to the responsible conduct of research. In addition, it will fulfill the requirements established by the Office of Research Integrity and the Public Health Service for ensuring that PHS-supported researchers are provided adequate instruction in conducting responsible research and ensuring integrity of the research record.
SGSS8012	Scientific Communication (1 credit hr) This course focuses on writing and presentation skills needed for a career in biomedical sciences. It provides basic instruction in writing abstracts, curriculum vitae, and grant applications as well as how to organize and give oral scientific presentations. Also covered are basic aspects related to teaching skills needed in the biomedical classroom and laboratory
SGSS8033	Integrated Systems Biology (6 credit hrs) One semester course includes basic anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology of all the organ systems. Special topics also covered include integrated biosystems and feedback, physiological genomics, modern drug discovery, and hot research topics. Classroom time includes lectures, discussion, and demonstrations using traditional and alternative teaching methods.
SGSS8080	Neuroscience I (new course, 4 credit hrs) This course, with its companion course Neuroscience II, has the goal of providing our students with a solid foundation in neuroscience. Neuroscience I will cover a variety of topics including the history of neuroscience, basic neuroanatomy, cell and molecular biology of neurons and synapses, neurotransmitters and neurosecretion, brain energy metabolism, development of the nervous system - including neurogenesis and migration, cellular determination, growth cones and axon pathfinding, programmed cell death, and synapse formation and elimination, as well as the somatosensory sysytem, vision, audition, chemical senses, taste and olfaction. Each section also has lab presentations by faculty experts that illustrate techniques and key concepts discussed in the lectures. There is also a online WebCT course site and Tegrity is used for recording of lectures for placement on the WebCT site. A more detailed description of this course is provided in Appendix B.
SGSS8060	Introduction to Research II (4 credit hrs) Individualized instruction in two research laboratories. For each laboratory, students should master at least one laboratory technique and become familiar with the various activities of the laboratory. Students will spend half of the semester in each laboratory.
YEAR ONE	SUMMER SEMESTER
STAT7040	Biomedical Statistics (3 credit hrs) This course offers an introduction to the majority of statistical techniques used to analyze and interpret data in the biomedical sciences and related fields. Emphasis is on applications of these methods, with the following topics covered: graphical methods, probability, discrete and continuous distributions, inferential statistics (estimation and hypothesis testing for the one and two-sample case) for numeric and categorical data, non-parametric methods, one-way ANOVA, simple linear regression, correlation, factorial ANOVA (fixed and random effects), multiple linear regression and correlation, ANCOVA, logistic regression, longitudinal data analysis, and survival analysis.
YEAR TWO	FALL SEMESTER
NURO8082	Neuroscience II (new course, 4 credit hrs) is the companion course for Neuroscience I and continues establishing a broad foundation in neuroscience for our students. Neuroscience II heavily emphasizes translational neuroscience and thus clinical case presentations are dispersed throughout the course and many of the lectures and case presentations are given by clinical faculty. Neuroscience II covers fundamentals of motor systems (the regions of the brain involved, control mechanisms, and case presentations are presented on motor system disorders), regulatory systems (hypothalamus, central control of autonomic functions, neural control of the cardiovascular system, breathing, water intake, food intake and metabolism, neuroendocrine feedback, sleep, motivation, drug reward and addiction, and associated case presentations), behavior and cognitive neuroscience (cognitive development and aging, human brain evolution, visual perception, spatial cognition, attention, learning and memory, executive functions, language and communication, and case presentation on stroke), neural diseases and emerging models and techniques (epilepsy, disorders of cognition, brain imaging, prion diseases, psychobiology of schizophrenia, neurogenomics and proteomics, cognitive testing in animals and humans). A more detailed description of this course is provided in Appendix B.
NURO9010	Neuroscience Seminar (1 credit hr) This course will give students exposure to neuroscience research from visiting neuroscientists. Students will attend seminars and have an opportunity to talk with the seminar speaker during lunch. A more detailed description of this course is provided in Appendix B.
YEAR TWO	OTHER COURSEWORK
Neuroscience Electives	Students will choose a minimum of two (2) semester hours of graduate level elective courses. Students will select specific courses in consultation with their research advisor, thesis advisory committee and the Director of the Graduate Program in Neuroscience to best compliment their research interests and career goals. Electives: a minimum of 2 credits of electives (choose from the following or other courses offered by the graduate school and approved by the student’s thesis committee):
NURO8090	Clinical Neuroscience (4 credits): This elective course will give students intensive clinical exposure to neurological, psychiatric and ophthalmic disorders. Students will attend daily lectures that cover neurological disorders for one month and then choose a clinical rotation experiences from a list of opportunities that combine clinical experience, diagnosis, treatment and basic research. For example, during the epilepsy rotation students will shadow physicians in the epilepsy clinic, be involved with EEG conferences, neuroimaging, and epilepsy surgery. Students will observe experiments utilizing human brain tissue from epilepsy surgery in basic neuroscience research in the Human Brain Lab.
PHAR8030	Neuropharmacology (2 credits): This elective course has been designed to provide the student with an in depth overview of the basic science as well as clinical issues associated with the pathogenesis and pharmacological management of major neurologic and psychiatric diseases suffered by humans.
PHYS8320	Advanced Neural and Endocrine Systems (2 credits): Understanding the integration of neural and endocrine systems is one of the cornerstones of modern physiology. This course will examine in detail the regulation and functional interaction of the neural, immune, and reproductive systems. Specific emphasis will be placed on understanding the complex networks of feedback control leading to whole organism homeostasis.

Neuroscience/Medical College of Georgia
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