Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology - Other Courses of Interest
GBCH554 Computer Application in Biological Sciences This course will focus on application of computers to research in biological chemistry. Course material will include lectures and hands-on lab time. Students will be exposed to Macintosh, PC, and Unix computing environments. Topics covered include: Internet and other networks; numerical analysis of experimental data; nucleic acid, protein carbohydrate, and other databases; nucleic acid and protein sequence analysis; and protein and nucleic acid modeling. Enrollment may be limited to facilitate hand-on portions of the course. Winter Quarter, two hours per week (2 units). Prerequisite: familiarity with PC or Macintosh or Unix computers. Dr. E. Walters. GGCS 724 Ethics in Biomedical Research This course covers a variety of topics that are related to the responsible conduct of research in the biomedical sciences. The topics include scientific integrity in the gathering and reporting of data, proper allocation of credit in collaborative studies, and the various types of misconduct that are seen in research. The ethical use of animals and human subjects is also discussed. Current issues concerning the societal role of the academic scientist in dealing with the media, commercialized research, etc. are presented. The course is structured along federal guidelines on scientific integrity as part of research training, and is aimed to prepare students for the various ethical situations that may arise during the course of a research career. This course is mandatory for all graduate students. Spring Quarter, one hour per week (1 unit). Faculty. GBCH 539 The Art of Scientific Presentation The successful scientific career requires clear communication of scientific results. Participants in this course will practice giving and evaluating oral presentations of technical material. Topics to be covered will include organization of a talk, targeting the material to the appropriate level for the audience, overcoming 'stage fright', effective visual aids, developing eye contact, effective use of voice, overcoming language barriers, and handling question and answer sessions. Dr. Walters. GMIC 565 Scientific Writing for Graduate Students Students are led through the process of writing a scientific manuscript of their own data. Class size is limited to eight students. Prerequisite: Students should be advance standing students. Spring Quarter, one two hour session per week (2 units). Dr. Baum.
GNSC-505 Brain Dissection An intensive short course, where students will carry out a detailed dissection of a human cadaver brain. This dissection will expose them to all the major areas of the human forebrain, brainstem, and cerebellum, including major fiber tracts subcortical nuclei, and their connections to brainstem and cortical structures. Special emphasis will be placed on human limbic structures and the circuitry underlying emotion, addiction, and other psychiatric disorders. Dr. Hazelrigg, Fall quarter, 1 credit. Lab Only. GNSC 555 Plasticity in Brain Development Most nervous systems pass through two, overlapping phases in their development. The first phase, largely controlled by genes, sets up the basic architecture of the brain through the birth, migration, and initial synapse formation of new neurons. The second phase, on which we will focus in this course, is critically shaped by an animal's experience and involves the selective strengthening or pruning of individual connections as a function of their electrical activity. We will begin this seminar with a review of Hubel and Wiesel's classic work on experience-dependent brain plasticity and follow the topic to the latest studies of developmental plasticity in transgenic animals. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor. Offered on a rotating basis during either Fall or Winter Quarter (3 units). Dr. Eliot. GNSC 560 Cellular Neurobiology This advanced course covers the unique cell biology of neurons and glia. Topics to be covered are receptor-effector mechanisms, neural/glial metabolism and signalling, electrophysiological responsiveness, cellular responses to injury and disease. Students receive didactic training, read current topics from the literature and lead pertinent discussion sessions. A written synopsis of a relevant cellular neurobiology issue is prepared as a final examination. Prerequisites: Neuroscience (NS 5400), Molecular Cell Biology (BC 5201) and consent of instructor. Fall Quarter every third year, three hours per week (3 units). Dr. Ariano GNSC 563 Neurogenesis and Differentiation This course covers the generation of the central nervous system and the differentiation of the multiple cell types that underlie the regional organization of the brain. The first portion of the course will survey basic concepts and recent advances in developmental neurobiology. The second portion will address the emerging field of neural stem cells in the adult brain and recent advances in our understanding of the factors regulating neural stem cells from the adult brain for structural brain repair. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor. Offered on a rotating basis during either Fall or Winter Quarter (3 units). Dr. Peterson. GNSC 564 Synaptic Transmission This advanced course covers many aspects of synaptic function in the central nervous system, including the life cycle of neurotransmitters (synthesis, storage, release, reuptake and metabolism), receptors responsible for receptor signalling, and mechanisms enabling plasticity in the responsiveness of neurotransmitter systems. Students are responsible for presenting material and leading discussions based on current topics in the literature. Evaluation is based on class presentations, participation in group discussions and a final paper. Prerequisites: Neuroscience (NS 5400) and consent of the instructors. Fall Quarter every third year, three hours per week (3 units). Dr. Wolf.
GNSC-600 Neurophysiology A thorough review of neurophysiological function, including the ionic basis of the neuronal membrane potential and action potentials, pre- and post-synaptic signaling, cable properties, integrative properties, and the physiological basis of EEG and functional neuroimaging. Fall Quarter, two hours per week. Drs. Stutzmann, West, Eliot and other interdepartmental faculty. Seminar/Discussion.
GNSC-605 Confocal Microscopy and Design A comprehensive and practical, 147hands-on148 instruction to state-of-the-art microscopy and design-based stereology. Lectures cover the fundamentals of tissue preparation and staining, microscopy, digital imaging and confocal stereology. Approximately half of the course time is spent using the equipment. Summer or Fall Quarter, 1 credit, Dr. Peterson. Lecture-Lab.
GNSC-606 Neurodegeneration Mechanisms of brain death and neuronal degeneration resulting from chronic or acute diseases and their prospects for recovery. Topics include the clinical features and animal models of traumatic brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, Parkinson146s,Alzheimer146s and Huntington146s diseases. Spring Quarter, two hours per week. Drs. Ariano, West and Marr. Seminar/Discussion.
GNSC-607 Neuronal Signaling This course covers intracellular signaling mechanisms including G proteins, phosphoinositides, cyclic nucleotides, calcium, serine and threonine phosphorylation, and tyrosine phosphorylation. Faculty will present basic information on each topic. Students are responsible for leading discussions based on the text and journal articles. Winter Quarter, two hours per week. Drs. Wolf, West and Stutzmann. Seminar/Discussion.
CMP Course Offerings || Multidisciplinary Courses of Interest