This course provides an introduction to what is known about how neuronal circuits solve problems for the organism and to current resarch approaches to this question. Topics include: vision, audition, olfaction, motor systems, plasticity, and oscillations. In addition, the course aims to provide an overview of the structure of the central nervous system. A number of fundamental concepts are also discussed across topics, such as: lateral inhibition, integration, filterting, frames of reference, error signals, adaptation. The course format consists of lectures, discussions, readings of primary literature, supplemented by textbook chapters and review articles.

This course will be an introduction to a variety of statistical perspectives pertinent to social and clinical sciences. The goal will be to introduce key concepts and provide R code for a variety of analytic frameworks such as moderation, mediation, measurement modeling (e.g., factor analysis, structural equation modeling, measurement invariance), hierarchical linear modeling/multilevel models (e.g., non-Gaussian adaptations using generalized linear models), network models, and idiographic modeling. At the end of this course, students will have sufficient experience in these techniques to run basic applications independently and have the knowledge necessary to determine relevant next steps in their statistical specializations.

Introduction to the structure and function of the vertebrate nervous system. We begin with the cellular basis of neuronal activities, then discuss the physiological bases of motor control, sensory systems, motivated behaviors, and higher mental processes. This course is intended for students interested in the neurobiology of behavior, ranging from animal behaviors to clinical disorders.

Neuroscience increasingly poses ethical issues relevant to everyday life, from students taking Adderall as a study aid to the use of brain scans to argue for clemency in criminal court proceedings. These and many other practices evoke moral judgments and may soon become subject to legislation, regulation and other forms of policy. Society needs to address these issues with an understanding of the science and its likely impact, as well as the ability to go beyond gut level reactions to analyze the ethical issues more thoughtfully. This seminar will build on students’ introductory level knowledge of neuroscience and help them develop the skills to analyze and discuss the ethical implications of the science. They will thus be positioned to guide legal and policy discussions about neuroscience in society.

Developmental psychopathology has been defined as “the study of the origins and course of individual patterns of behavioral maladaptation, whatever the age of onset, whatever the causes, whatever the transformations in behavioral manifestation, and however complex the course of the developmental pattern may be.” (Sroufe & Rutter, 1984, p. 18). We will read and discuss seminal papers in the field of developmental psychopathology, case studies, memoirs, and sociological writings with the goal that students will acquire a deep understanding of the historical and theoretical origins of the field, key concepts, popular methodological approaches, and well-replicated findings.