
Note: This is the 2010–2011 edition of the eCalendar. Update the year in your browser's URL bar for the most recent version of this page, or click here to jump to the newest eCalendar.
Note: This is the 2010–2011 edition of the eCalendar. Update the year in your browser's URL bar for the most recent version of this page, or click here to jump to the newest eCalendar.
This interdisciplinary Major program in Neuroscience is a focused program for students interested in how the nervous system functions. Research in neuroscience is highly interdisciplinary in nature, and borrows principles from a number of subjects including: biology, biochemistry, immunology, physiology, psychology, as well as mathematics, physics and computer science. To ensure that students have the appropriate foundation, they are required to take 32 credits in lower-level courses from physiology, biology, mathematics, computer science, psychology, and ethics. While flexible, the program offers students a concentrated selection of 15 credits to be taken from one of three areas of current scientific activities in the neurosciences: Cell/Molecular, Neurophysiology/ Computation, or Cognition/Behaviour. In addition, students select 21 credits from a wide array of upper-level complementary courses to obtain more specialized training in areas of neuroscience that best suit their interest.
All course selections for the Major Neuroscience MUST be approved by an adviser. Contact Ms. Wendy Brett at wendy.brett [at] mcgill.ca.
Students must take a minimum of 67 credits to complete this major.
Note: Enrolment in the Neuroscience Major program is limited to a total of 50 students per year. U0 students seeking admission to this program must have a minimum overall average of 3.2 and have completed the courses listed below or equivalent.
* Students complete either MATH 139 OR MATH 140, but not both.
Biology (Sci) : The cell: ultrastructure, division, chemical constituents and reactions. Bioenergetics: photosynthesis and respiration. Principles of genetics, the molecular basis of inheritance and biotechnology.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Dent, Joseph Alan; Vogel, Jacalyn (Winter)
Chemistry : A study of the fundamental principles of atomic structure, radiation and nuclear chemistry, valence theory, coordination chemistry, and the periodic table.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Butler, Ian Sydney; Fenster, Ariel; Kakkar, Ashok K; Gauthier, Jean-Marc (Fall)
Chemistry : A study of the fundamental principles of physical chemistry.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Gauthier, Jean-Marc; Fenster, Ariel; Mittermaier, Anthony; Siwick, Bradley (Winter)
Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Review of trigonometry and other Precalculus topics. Limits, continuity, derivative. Differentiation of elementary functions. Antidifferentiation. Applications.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Hundemer, Axel W; Drury, Stephen W (Fall)
Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Review of functions and graphs. Limits, continuity, derivative. Differentiation of elementary functions. Antidifferentiation. Applications.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Summer 2011
Instructors: Drury, Stephen W; Trudeau, Sidney; Shahabi, Shahab (Fall) Hundemer, Axel W (Winter)
Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : The definite integral. Techniques of integration. Applications. Introduction to sequences and series.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Summer 2011
Instructors: Trudeau, Sidney (Fall) Sancho, Neville G F; Drury, Stephen W; Trudeau, Sidney (Winter)
Physics : An introductory course in physics without calculus, covering mechanics (kinematics, dynamics, energy, and rotational motion), oscillations and waves, sound, light, and geometrical optics.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Ragan, Kenneth J (Fall)
Physics : Electric field and potential. D.C. circuits and measurements. Capacitance. Magnetic field and induction. A.C. circuits Semiconductor devices and their application. Electromagnetic waves.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Altounian, Zaven (Winter)
* Note: If CHEM 212 is taken prior to the start of the program, credits must be replaced with an alternative three- or four-credit course with approval from the program adviser.
Biology (Sci) : The physical and chemical properties of the cell and its components in relation to their structure and function. Topics include: protein structure, enzymes and enzyme kinetics; nucleic acid replication, transcription and translation; the genetic code, mutation, recombination, and regulation of gene expression.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Roy, Richard D W; Brown, Gregory G; Fagotto, Francesco; Zetka, Monique (Fall)
Chemistry : A survey of reactions of aliphatic and aromatic compounds including modern concepts of bonding, mechanisms, conformational analysis, and stereochemistry.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Summer 2011
Instructors: Daoust, Michel; Tsantrizos, Youla S; Moitessier, Nicolas (Fall) Daoust, Michel; Fenster, Ariel; Schirrmacher, Ralf (Winter) Daoust, Michel; Fenster, Ariel (Summer)
Neuroscience : An introduction to how nerve cells generate action potentials, communicate with one another at synapses, develop synaptic connections, early brain development, and the construction of specific neural circuits.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Ruthazer, Edward; Fournier, Alyson Elise; Stellwagen, David (Fall)
Neuroscience : An introduction to how the nervous system acquires and integrates information and uses it to produce behaviour.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Balaban, Evan (Winter)
Neuroscience : An introduction to ethical issues arising from basic and clinical neuroscience. Overview of therapeutic, diagnostic, and research interventions in mental and neurological disorders, and their implications on society.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Labrecque, Cory; Levitin, Daniel; Musallam, Wissam (Winter)
Neuroscience : Analysis of current research in neuroscience.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Martinez Trujillo, Julio (Fall)
Neuroscience : Analysis of current research in neuroscience.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011
Instructors: Martinez Trujillo, Julio (Winter)
Psychology : The course is an introduction to the field studying how human cognitive processes, such as perception, attention, language, learning and memory, planning and organization, are related to brain processes. The material covered is primarily based on studies of the effects of different brain lesions on cognition and studies of brain activity in relation to cognitive processes with modern functional neuroimaging methods.
Terms: Fall 2010, Summer 2011
Instructors: Petrides, Michalakis (Fall) Petrides, Michalakis (Summer)
12 core credits selected as follows:
3 credits from:
Psychology : An introduction to contemporary research on the relationship between brain and behaviour. Topics include learning, memory and cognition, brain damage and neuroplasticity, emotion and motivation, and drug addiction and brain reward circuits. Much of the evidence will be drawn from the experimental literature on research with animals.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Chudasama, Yogita (Winter)
Psychology : Perception is the organization of sensory input into a representation of the environment. Topics include: survey of sensory coding mechanisms (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory), object recognition, spatial localization, perceptual constancies and higher level influences.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Summer 2011
Instructors: Zangenehpour, Shahin (Fall) Zangenehpour, Shahin (Winter) Zangenehpour, Shahin (Summer)
Psychology : Where do thoughts come from? What is the nature of thought, and how does it arise in the mind and the brain? Cognition is the study of human information processing, and we will explore topics such as memory, attention, categorization, decision making, intelligence, philosophy of mind, and the mind-as computer metaphor.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Ristic, Jelena (Winter)
3 credits from:
Biology (Sci) : Elementary statistical methods in biology. Introduction to the analysis of biological data with emphasis on the assumptions behind statistical tests and models. Use of statistical techniques typically available on computer packages.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Seizilles de Mazancourt, Claire; Potvin, Catherine (Fall)
Psychology : An introduction to the design and analysis of experiments, including analysis of variance, planned and post hoc tests and a comparison of anova to correlational analysis.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Summer 2011
Instructors: Amsel, Rhonda N (Fall) Hwang, Heungsun (Winter) Amsel, Rhonda N (Summer)
3 credits completed by taking the course below or an equivalent in Computer Science.
Computer Science (Sci) : Overview of components of microcomputers, the internet design and implementation of programs using a modern high-level language, an introduction to modular software design and debugging. Programming concepts are illustrated using a variety of application areas.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Summer 2011
Instructors: Petitpas, Mathieu; Frydrychowicz, Maja (Fall) Frydrychowicz, Maja; Pomerantz, Daniel (Winter) Pomerantz, Daniel (Summer)
3 credits from:
Biology (Sci) : Application of finite difference and differential equations to problems in cell and developmental biology, ecology and physiology. Qualitative, quantitative and graphical techniques are used to analyze mathematical models and to compare theoretical predictions with experimental data.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Glass, Leon (Fall)
Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Taylor series, Taylor's theorem in one and several variables. Review of vector geometry. Partial differentiation, directional derivative. Extreme of functions of 2 or 3 variables. Parametric curves and arc length. Polar and spherical coordinates. Multiple integrals.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Summer 2011
Instructors: Jonsson, Wilbur; Sancho, Neville G F (Fall) Jonsson, Wilbur (Winter)
** Note: Students who have successfully completed an equivalent to MATH 222 at CEGEP or elsewhere, may substitute another 3-credit course for MATH 222.
15 credits selected from one of the following streams:
15 credits selected as follows:
* Students take either BIOL 201 OR BIOC 212, but not both.
Biochemistry : An introductory course describing the biochemistry and molecular biology of selected key functions of animal cells, including: gene expression; mitochondrial production of metabolic energy; cellular communication with the extra-cellular environment; and regulation of cell division.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Duchaine, Thomas; Pause, Arnim; Reinhardt, Dieter (Winter)
Biochemistry : The generation of metabolic energy in higher organisms with an emphasis on its regulation at the molecular, cellular and organ level. Chemical concepts and mechanisms of enzymatic catalysis are also emphasized. Included: selected topics in carbohydrate, lipid and nitrogen metabolism; complex lipids and biological membranes; hormonal signal transduction.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: St-Pierre, Julie; Dostie, Josee; Kiss, Robert (Fall)
Biology (Sci) : This course introduces the student to our modern understanding of cells and how they work. Major topics to be covered include: photosynthesis, energy metabolism and metabolic integration; plasma membrane including secretion, endocytosis and contact mediated interactions between cells; cytoskeleton including cell and organelle movement; the nervous system; hormone signaling; the cell cycle.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Levine, Robert; Hewitt, Kathryn; Brouhard, Gary (Winter)
Biology (Sci) : Introduction to basic principles, and to modern advances, problems and applications in the genetics of higher and lower organisms with examples representative of the biological sciences.
Terms: Winter 2011, Summer 2011
Instructors: Schoen, Daniel J; Chevrette, Mario; Western, Tamara (Winter) Dankort, David; Western, Tamara (Summer)
Microbiology and Immun (Sci) : An introduction to the immune system, antigens, antibodies and lymphocytes. The course will cover the cellular and molecular basis of lymphocyte development and mechanisms of lymphocyte activation in immune responses.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Palfree, Roger; Alizadehfar, Reza; Piccirillo, Ciriaco (Winter)
Physiology : In-depth presentation of experimental results and hypotheses on cellular communication in the nervous system and the endocrine system.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Cooper, Ellis; Haghighi, Ali (Fall)
15 credits selected as follows:
9 credits from:
* Students take either BIOL 201 OR BIOC 212, but not both.
Anatomy & Cell Biology : This course explores the functional organization of the human brain and spinal cord. The course focuses on how neuronal systems are designed to subserve specific motor, sensory, and cognitive operations.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Brawer, James; David, Samuel (Fall)
Biochemistry : An introductory course describing the biochemistry and molecular biology of selected key functions of animal cells, including: gene expression; mitochondrial production of metabolic energy; cellular communication with the extra-cellular environment; and regulation of cell division.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Duchaine, Thomas; Pause, Arnim; Reinhardt, Dieter (Winter)
Biology (Sci) : This course introduces the student to our modern understanding of cells and how they work. Major topics to be covered include: photosynthesis, energy metabolism and metabolic integration; plasma membrane including secretion, endocytosis and contact mediated interactions between cells; cytoskeleton including cell and organelle movement; the nervous system; hormone signaling; the cell cycle.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Levine, Robert; Hewitt, Kathryn; Brouhard, Gary (Winter)
Physiology : In-depth presentation of experimental results and hypotheses on cellular communication in the nervous system and the endocrine system.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Cooper, Ellis; Haghighi, Ali (Fall)
3 credits from:
Biology (Sci) : Neural mechanisms of animal behaviour; neuroethology; cellular neurophysiology, integrative networks within nervous systems; neural control of movement; processing of sensory information.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Pollack, Gerald; Dent, Joseph Alan (Fall)
Physiology : In depth presentation of experimental results and hypotheses underlying our current understanding of how single neurons and ensembles of neurons encode sensory information, generate movement, and control cognitive functions such as emotion, learning, and memory, during voluntary behaviours.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Watt, Douglas; Martinez Trujillo, Julio; Vollrath, Melissa (Fall)
3 credits from:
Biology (Sci) : Application of finite difference and differential equations to problems in cell and developmental biology, ecology and physiology. Qualitative, quantitative and graphical techniques are used to analyze mathematical models and to compare theoretical predictions with experimental data.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Glass, Leon (Fall)
Computer Science (Sci) : Comprehensive overview of programming in C, use of system calls and libraries, debugging and testing of code; use of developmental tools like make, version control systems.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011
Instructors: Vybihal, Joseph P (Fall) Vybihal, Joseph P; Dudek, Gregory L (Winter)
Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Taylor series, Taylor's theorem in one and several variables. Review of vector geometry. Partial differentiation, directional derivative. Extreme of functions of 2 or 3 variables. Parametric curves and arc length. Polar and spherical coordinates. Multiple integrals.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Summer 2011
Instructors: Jonsson, Wilbur; Sancho, Neville G F (Fall) Jonsson, Wilbur (Winter)
** Note: Students who have successfully completed an equivalent to MATH 222 at CEGEP or elsewhere, may substitute another 3-credit course for MATH 222.
15 credits selected as follows:
3 credits:
Psychology : The physiological bases of motivational states, with respect to feeding, drinking, sexual behavior, drug use, and aggression. Physiological bases of learning and memory.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
12 credits from:
* Students take either BIOL 306 OR PHGY 314, but not both.
Biology (Sci) : Neural mechanisms of animal behaviour; neuroethology; cellular neurophysiology, integrative networks within nervous systems; neural control of movement; processing of sensory information.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Pollack, Gerald; Dent, Joseph Alan (Fall)
Linguistics : The neurobiological study of the human language faculty. Theoretical and experimental approaches to neurolinguistics, focusing on linguistic capacity in the healthy and damaged brain.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Santi, Andrea Nicole; Deschamps, Isabelle (Fall)
Physiology : In depth presentation of experimental results and hypotheses underlying our current understanding of how single neurons and ensembles of neurons encode sensory information, generate movement, and control cognitive functions such as emotion, learning, and memory, during voluntary behaviours.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Watt, Douglas; Martinez Trujillo, Julio; Vollrath, Melissa (Fall)
Psychology : Focuses on current techniques employed to study which genes influence behaviour, and how they do so.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Psychology : The role of hormones in organization of CNS function, as effectors of behaviour, in expression of behaviours and in mental illness.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Pruessner, Jens (Winter)
Psychology : Developments in cognitive neuroscience and cognitive neuropsychiatry via readings from primary sources. Topics include the neural bases of memory, emotion, social cognition and neuropsychiatric diseases. Integrating knowledge from studies in clinical populations and functional neuroimaging studies.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Raz, Amir (Fall)
Psychology : A systematic examination of the sensorimotor system, drawing on models and data from both behavioural and physiological studies. Topics include: cortical motor areas, cerebellum, basal ganglia, spinal mechanisms, motor unit properties and force production, prioception, muscle properties.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Ostry, David J (Winter)
Psychology : Memory systems are studied with an emphasis on the neural computations that occur at various stages of the processing stream, focusing on the hippocampus, amygdala, basal ganglia, cerebellum and cortex. The data reviewed is obtained from human, non-human primates and rodents, with single unit recording, neuroimaging and brain damaged subjects.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Rajah, Maria (Winter)
21 credits selected as follows:
At least 18 of the 21 credits must be 400- or 500-level courses.
3-9 credits - One course MUST be taken from the following list:
Biology (Sci) : An introduction to laboratory techniques with a focus on methods used to investigate fundamental questions in modern cell and molecular biology. Techniques including gene cloning, DNA and protein isolation and manipulation are covered, along with functional analysis of genes and proteins, basic bioinformatics, and computer-based experimental design and data analysis.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011
Instructors: Moon, Nam Sung; Harrison, Paul; Zheng, Huanquan (Fall) Moon, Nam Sung; Harrison, Paul; Zheng, Huanquan (Winter)
Biology (Sci) : Methods of neurobiological research, including extracellular and intracellular recordings, electrical stimulation, and the study of neuro-behavioural problems.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Pollack, Gerald; St-Amant, Louis; Dent, Joseph Alan (Winter)
Neuroscience : Independent laboratory research in neuroscience.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Summer 2011
Instructors: Pollack, Gerald; Cooper, Linda H (Fall) Pollack, Gerald; Cooper, Linda H (Winter) Pollack, Gerald (Summer)
Neuroscience : Independent laboratory research in neuroscience.
Terms: Summer 2011, Fall 2010, Winter 2011
Instructors: Pollack, Gerald (Summer) Pollack, Gerald; Cooper, Linda H (Fall) Pollack, Gerald; Cooper, Linda H (Winter)
12 - 18 credits from the following list:
200- and 300-level courses:
Biochemistry : The generation of metabolic energy in higher organisms with an emphasis on its regulation at the molecular, cellular and organ level. Chemical concepts and mechanisms of enzymatic catalysis are also emphasized. Included: selected topics in carbohydrate, lipid and nitrogen metabolism; complex lipids and biological membranes; hormonal signal transduction.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: St-Pierre, Julie; Dostie, Josee; Kiss, Robert (Fall)
Biology (Sci) : A survey of current knowledge and approaches in the area of regulation of gene expression, post-transcriptional control of gene expression, and signal transduction.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Nilson, Laura; Zetka, Monique (Fall)
Biology (Sci) : An introduction to laboratory techniques with a focus on methods used to investigate fundamental questions in modern cell and molecular biology. Techniques including gene cloning, DNA and protein isolation and manipulation are covered, along with functional analysis of genes and proteins, basic bioinformatics, and computer-based experimental design and data analysis.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011
Instructors: Moon, Nam Sung; Harrison, Paul; Zheng, Huanquan (Fall) Moon, Nam Sung; Harrison, Paul; Zheng, Huanquan (Winter)
Biology (Sci) : Neural mechanisms of animal behaviour; neuroethology; cellular neurophysiology, integrative networks within nervous systems; neural control of movement; processing of sensory information.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Pollack, Gerald; Dent, Joseph Alan (Fall)
Biology (Sci) : Methods of neurobiological research, including extracellular and intracellular recordings, electrical stimulation, and the study of neuro-behavioural problems.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Pollack, Gerald; St-Amant, Louis; Dent, Joseph Alan (Winter)
Chemistry : Modern spectroscopic techniques for structure determination. The chemistry of alcohols, ethers, carbonyl compounds, and amines, with special attention to mechanistic aspects. Special topics.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Summer 2011
Instructors: Daoust, Michel; Gleason, James L (Fall) Auclair, Karine; Daoust, Michel (Winter) Daoust, Michel; Schwarcz, Joseph A (Summer)
Computer Science (Sci) : Comprehensive overview of programming in C, use of system calls and libraries, debugging and testing of code; use of developmental tools like make, version control systems.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011
Instructors: Vybihal, Joseph P (Fall) Vybihal, Joseph P; Dudek, Gregory L (Winter)
Linguistics : The neurobiological study of the human language faculty. Theoretical and experimental approaches to neurolinguistics, focusing on linguistic capacity in the healthy and damaged brain.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Santi, Andrea Nicole; Deschamps, Isabelle (Fall)
Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : First order ordinary differential equations including elementary numerical methods. Linear differential equations. Laplace transforms. Series solutions.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Summer 2011
Instructors: Sancho, Neville G F (Fall) Xu, Jian-Jun (Winter)
Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Sample space, events, conditional probability, independence of events, Bayes' Theorem. Basic combinatorial probability, random variables, discrete and continuous univariate and multivariate distributions. Independence of random variables. Inequalities, weak law of large numbers, central limit theorem.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Summer 2011
Instructors: Anderson, William J (Fall) Partovi Nia, Vahid (Winter)
Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Sampling distributions, point and interval estimation, hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, contingency tables, nonparametric inference, regression, Bayesian inference.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011
Instructors: Asgharian-Dastenaei, Masoud (Fall) Anderson, William J (Winter)
Neurology and Neurosurgery : A survey of the functional organization of nerve cells, signalling in the nervous system, and principles of neural development. Topics include cell polarity, neurotransmitters, neurotrophins, receptors and second messengers, cell lineage, guidance of axon outgrowth, and nerve regeneration. Emphasis will be placed on analysis of neurons at the molecular level.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Cloutier, Jean-Francois; Ragsdale, David S; Ruthazer, Edward (Winter)
Physiology : In-depth presentation of experimental results and hypotheses on cellular communication in the nervous system and the endocrine system.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Cooper, Ellis; Haghighi, Ali (Fall)
Physiology : In depth presentation of experimental results and hypotheses underlying our current understanding of how single neurons and ensembles of neurons encode sensory information, generate movement, and control cognitive functions such as emotion, learning, and memory, during voluntary behaviours.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Watt, Douglas; Martinez Trujillo, Julio; Vollrath, Melissa (Fall)
Philosophy : A survey of major positions of the mind-body problem, focusing on such questions as: Do we have minds and bodies? Can minds affect bodies? Is mind identical to body? If so, in what sense "identical"? Can physical bodies be conscious.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Davies, David (Fall)
Philosophy : A discussion of philosophical problems as they arise in the context of scientific practice and enquiry. Such issues as the philosophical presuppositions of the physical and social sciences, the nature of scientific method and its epistemological implications will be addressed.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Schlimm, Dirk (Fall)
Psychology : Focuses on current techniques employed to study which genes influence behaviour, and how they do so.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Psychology : The physiological bases of motivational states, with respect to feeding, drinking, sexual behavior, drug use, and aggression. Physiological bases of learning and memory.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Psychology : The role of hormones in organization of CNS function, as effectors of behaviour, in expression of behaviours and in mental illness.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Pruessner, Jens (Winter)
* or equivalent 300- or 400-level Computer Science course.
400- and 500-level courses:
Biochemistry : Covers biochemical mechanisms underlying central nervous system function. Introduces basic neuroanatomy, CNS cell types and morphology, neuronal excitability, chemically mediated transmission, glial function. Biochemistry of specific neurotransmitters, endocrine effects on brain, brain energy metabolism and cerebral ischemia (stroke). With examples, where relevant, of biochemical processes disrupted in human CNS disease.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Flores Parkman, Ana Cecilia; Mechawar, Naguib; Cermakian, Nicolas (Winter)
Biology (Sci) : Properties of nerve cells that are responsible for learning and memory. Recent advances in the understanding of neurophysiological, biochemical and structural processes relevant to neural plasticity. Emphasis on a few selected model systems involving both vertebrate and invertebrate animals.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Hardt, Oliver; Migues Blanco, Paola Virginia (Fall)
Biology (Sci) : Neural mechanisms underlying behaviour in vertebrate and invertebrate organisms.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Pollack, Gerald (Winter)
Biology (Sci) : Discussions of all aspects of nervous system development including pattern formation, cell lineage, pathfinding and targeting by growing axons, and neuronal regeneration. The basis for these discussions will be recent research papers and other assigned readings.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Levine, Robert; Van Meyel, Donald (Winter)
Biology (Sci) : Discussion of fundamental molecular mechanisms underlying the general features of cellular neurobiology. An advanced course based on lectures and on a critical review of primary research papers.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Hastings, Kenneth E M; Carbonetto, Salvatore T (Fall)
Biomedical Engineering : An introduction to the theoretical framework, experimental techniques and analysis procedures available for the quantitative analysis of physiological systems and signals. Lectures plus laboratory work using the Biomedical Engineering computer system. Topics include: amplitude and frequency structure of signals, filtering, sampling, correlation functions, time and frequency-domain descriptions of systems.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Kearney, Robert E (Fall)
Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : The formulation and treatment of realistic mathematical models describing biological phenomena through such qualitative and quantitative mathematical techniques as local and global stability theory, bifurcation analysis and phase plane analysis. Numerical simulation. Concrete and detailed examples will be drawn from molecular, cellular and population biology and mammalian physiology.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Mackey, Michael C (Fall)
Microbiology and Immun (Sci) : An advanced course serving as a logical extension of MIMM 314. The course will integrate molecular, cellular and biochemical events involved in the ontogeny of the lymphoid system and its activation in the immune response. The course will provide the student with an up-to-date understanding of a rapidly moving field.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Fournier, Sylvie; Olivier, Martin; Fritz, Jörg (Fall)
Microbiology and Immun (Sci) : This course concentrates on the non-specific aspects of the immune response, an area which is not adequately covered by the other immunology courses presented at the university. Interactions between guest researchers (from 91ÉçÇø and other universities) and students will be furthered.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Rauch, Joyce Ellen; Di Battista, Giovanni (Winter)
Neurology and Neurosurgery : An interdisciplinary course on the biochemistry and cellular/molecular biology of free radicals, transition metals, oxidative stress and antioxidants and their roles in health and disease.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Pharmacology and Therapeutics : Topics in pharmacology with an emphasis on molecular aspects and the nervous system; topics include molecular mechanisms of drug-action, cellular targets and rationale for therapeutics.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Almazan, Guillermina (Fall)
Pharmacology and Therapeutics : Selected topics in pharmacology of the endocrine, metabolic, and cardiovascular systems. Additional topics include: pharmacogenetics/pharmacogenomics, chronopharmacology, molecular structure in pharmacology, epigenetic targets in cancer chemotherapy, and stem cell therapies.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Bernard, Daniel (Winter)
Physiology : Topics of current interest in neurophysiology including the development of neurons and synapses, physiology of ionic channels, presynaptic and postsynaptic events in synaptic transmission and neuronal interactions in CNS function.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Cooper, Ellis; Cohen, Monroe W; Chen, Brian (Fall)
Physiology : This course deals with cellular interactions, regulation and effector mechanisms of the normal immune response in relation to diseases and pathogenic processes. It is taught at an advanced level.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Jones, Russell; Saleh, Maya; Di Noia, Javier (Winter)
Physiology : A discussion of the principal theories and interesting new developments in the study of ion channels. Based on a textbook, computer exercises and critical reading and presentation of research papers. Topics include: Properties of voltage-and ligand-gated channels, single channel analysis, structure and function of ion channels.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Physiology : Topics of current interest in systems neurophysiology and behavioural neuroscience including: the neural representation of sensory information and motor behaviours, models of sensory motor integration, and the computational analysis of problems in motor control and perception. Students will be expected to present and critically discuss journal articles in class.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Guitton, Daniel E; Cook, Erik; Musallam, Wissam (Winter)
Physics : Analytic and computer simulation techniques are used to examine the role of nonlinearities and time delays in determining the dynamic behaviour of physiological control systems and their relation to normal and pathophysiological states. Examples drawn from the control of respiration, cellular proliferation and differentiation, biochemical feedback networks, thermoregulatory mechanisms, and neural feedback.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Psychology : Developments in cognitive neuroscience and cognitive neuropsychiatry via readings from primary sources. Topics include the neural bases of memory, emotion, social cognition and neuropsychiatric diseases. Integrating knowledge from studies in clinical populations and functional neuroimaging studies.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Raz, Amir (Fall)
Psychology : A systematic examination of the sensorimotor system, drawing on models and data from both behavioural and physiological studies. Topics include: cortical motor areas, cerebellum, basal ganglia, spinal mechanisms, motor unit properties and force production, prioception, muscle properties.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Ostry, David J (Winter)
Psychology : Memory systems are studied with an emphasis on the neural computations that occur at various stages of the processing stream, focusing on the hippocampus, amygdala, basal ganglia, cerebellum and cortex. The data reviewed is obtained from human, non-human primates and rodents, with single unit recording, neuroimaging and brain damaged subjects.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Rajah, Maria (Winter)
Psychology : An introduction to pain research and theory, with emphasis on the interactions of psychological, cultural and physiological factors in pain perception. The role of these factors in clinical pain and its management by pharmacological and non-pharmacological means will be discussed.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Abbott, Frances V (Winter)
Psychology : We examine in detail the structure of the visual system, and its function as reflected in the perceptual abilities and behaviour of the organism. Parallels are also drawn with other sensory systems to demonstrate general principles of sensory coding.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Kingdom, Frederick A A; Mullen, Kathleen T (Fall)
Psychology : The multi-disciplinary study of intelligent systems. Problems in vision, memory, categorization, choice, problem solving, cognitive development, syntax, language acquisition, and rationality. Rule-based and connectionist approaches.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Shultz, Thomas R (Fall)
Psychiatry : Current theories on the neurobiological basis of most well known mental disorders (e.g. schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, dementia). Methods and strategies in research on genetic, physiological and biochemical factors in mental illness will be discussed. Discussion will also focus on the rationale for present treatment approaches and on promising new approaches.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Srivastava, Lalit K; Wong, Tak Pan (Winter)
* Students may select either MATH 437 OR PHYS 413, but not both.