Please note: Syllabi change from semester to semester and therefore, please only use them as a guide and not a definitive list of topics covered by a course in future semesters.
NEU 100A: Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology (4 units; Syllabus) - offered in Fall only
Prerequisites: Biology 1A and Biology 1AL, Physics 8A and Physics 8B (Physics 8B may be taken concurrently)
This course is a comprehensive introductory survey of cellular and molecular neuroscience, including cellular neurophysiology, membrane biophysics, ion channel function, synaptic transmission and plasticity, sensory transduction, and nervous system development. We will discuss topics at the level of molecules to cells to simple circuits.
NEU 100B: Circuit, Systems and Behavioral Neuroscience (4 units; Syllabus) - offered in Spring only
Prerequisites: NEU 100A (or MCB 160)
This course is a comprehensive survey of circuits and systems neuroscience, including how brain function underlies behavior. Students will learn how brain circuits are organized, how the brain processes sensory information, how it plans and executes movement, and how it stores information during learning. We will discuss brain rhythms and sleep, and brain systems for emotion, reward, attention, and other higher functions. The major focus is on the mammalian brain, but we will also discuss principles from other organisms. By the end of the course, students will have a strong understanding of the biological and computational principles for neural circuit function, and the neurobiological basis of behavior.
NEU 110: Scientific Logic and Communication (2 units; Syllabus) - offered in Fall and Spring
Prerequisites: Biology 1A and Biology 1AL
Students in this course will develop competency in scientific communication, including scientific writing and presentation of data. We will use active learning exercises to teach strategies for organizing and presenting scientific ideas and evidence verbally and in writing. Each semester there will be one broad neuroscience topic (such as color vision or memory) that we will study in three different research areas: cellular, circuits/systems and cognitive neuroscience. Throughout the semester, students will read and discuss research articles, practice interpreting graphs, make presentations, and complete scientific writing assignments such as analyzing a research article. (F, Sp)
NEU C121: Human Neuroanatomy (3 units; Syllabus; Cross-listed with PSYCH C111) - offered in Spring, odd years
This course covers the anatomical composition of the human brain with particular emphasis on modern understanding regarding the micro- and macroanatomy of the cerebral cortex and the underlying white matter. The course is designed for students who intend to continue their postgraduate education toward a masters, doctorate, or medical degree in a field involving the study of the human brain.
NEU C124: Interface Between Neuroethology & Neural Engineering (3 units; Syllabus; Cross-listed with BIO ENG C171) - offered in Spring, odd years
Prerequisites: Bio Eng 105; and Bio Eng 101 or EECS 16A and EECS 16B, or consent of instructor
The course will provide students with an overview of the tight interface between neural engineering and neuroethological approaches in the field of neuroscience. This course will also discuss the concepts of causal manipulations, such as the control of brain circuits using optics and genetic engineering. Lastly, students will also inquire and discuss what discoveries have yet to be made and how neuroethological approaches can inform neural engineering designs that will revolutionize the future of neural medicine.
NEU C125: Neuroethology: Complex Animal Behaviors and Brains (4 units; Syllabus; Cross-listed with PSYCH C115C) - offered in Spring, even years
Prerequisites: One foundational lower division level in general Biology, Animal Behavior or Neurosciences; UC Berkeley classes that satisfy this requirement are Bio 1A, Bio1B, IB 31, Psych C61/MCB C61, or Psych 110
Neuroethologists study neural systems by combining behavior and neuroscience to understand the neural mechanism that have evolved in various animals to solve particular problems encountered in their environmental niches. This comparative approach that emphasizes how information is processed and transformed by the brain is particularly powerful for understanding neural systems. In this course, you will learn important concepts in ethology, sensory systems, motor systems and neural plasticity and development by studying the behavior and brains of animals such as crickets, lobsters, barn-owls, honey-bees, echolocating bats, electric fishes and songbirds.
NEU C126: Hormones and Behavior (3 units; Syllabus; Cross-listed with PSYCH C116) - offered in Spring, odd years
Prerequisites: Completion of biological prerequisites for the major and consent of instructor; a course in mammalian physiology recommended.
This course provides a comprehensive overview of behavioral endocrinology beginning with hormone production and actions on target tissues/circuits and continuing with an exploration of a variety of behaviors and their regulation/consequences. The course also examines the reciprocal interactions between the neuroendocrine system and behavior, considering the impact of hormones on development and adult behavior, and how behavior regulates physiology. Although non-human vertebrate species will be the primary focus, the relevance of these topics to humans will also be explored. Topics include sexual differentiation and sex differences in behavior, reproductive, parental, and aggressive behavior, biological rhythms, and homeostatic regulation.
NEU 128: Cognitive Neuroscience (3 units; Syllabus) - offered in Fall, odd years
Prerequisites: NEU 100A
This course provides an overview of cognitive neuroscience. Cognitive neuroscience is a broad field of study that aims to create quantitative computational models that explain how behavior and cognition are subserved by brain anatomy and function. The field combines philosophy, insights and methods from several other fields: neurology, cellular neuroscience, systems neuroscience, computational neuroscience, statistics, and machine learning.
NEU 152: Neurotechnology (3 units; Syllabus) - offered in Spring
Prerequisites: It is expected that students have the knowledge and background equivalent of junior- or senior-level neuroscience or BioE students + an introductory biology course. Prerequisites include Biology 1A, or Bio Eng 11 and Physics 7A
This course covers topics in emerging neurotechnology including a primer on the basic rates and biophysical timescales of cellular processes, electrophysiological recordings, electrical stimulation of nervous tissue and discussions on how technologies can be built to understand and control the nervous system. We will describe technologies prolifically used to learn about the brain, focusing on electron and fluorescence microscopy. In the second part, we will focus on technologies to monitor and manipulate the nervous system that have been leveraged for use in implantable medical devices and brain-machine interface applications, including high-density extracellular electrophysiology and invasive and non-invasive neurostimulation techniques.
NEU 162: Learning and Memory (3 units; Syllabus) - offered in Spring
Prerequisites: NEU 100A and NEU 100B
The biology of learning and memory is critical to our understanding of development, culture, behavioral change, the uniqueness of individuals, and limits to an organism’s potential. We will study experimental investigations of learning and memory at the cellular, circuit, and population level. We will discuss these topics in the context of normal development and disease. Students will become familiar with thinking about the brain at the level of circuits, cells, synapses, and proteins.
NEU 164: Neurodevelopment (3 units; Syllabus) - offered in Fall only
Prerequisites: NEU 100A
This course will provide students with insights into the cellular mechanisms underlying development of the nervous system. We will discuss the importance of these mechanisms by highlighting cases where alterations in these processes lead to neurodevelopmental disorders. We will review what is currently known about these topics and the areas of active research. In the lecture, we will refer to figures from research literature, and you will be reading and discussing articles in the discussion section. Reading articles critically is an important skill for all biologists and a great way to learn how research is conducted. By the end of the course, you will have a good background in neural development and the latest methods used to study it.
NEU 165: Neurobiology of Disease (3 units; Syllabus) - offered in Spring only
Prerequisites: NEU 100A or equivalent
The course will give insights into the cellular mechanisms underlying neurological diseases. The course is divided into three main sections: neurodevelopmental disorders, psychiatric disorders, and neurodegeneration. We will explore each of these topics at the molecular and cellular levels, reviewing what is currently known and the areas of active research. In lecture we will refer to figures from the research literature, and you will be reading and discussing articles in the discussion section. Reading articles critically is an important skill for all biologists and a great way to learn how research is conducted. By the end, you will have a good background in neurological diseases and a better ability to understand primary literature.
NEU 171L: Neurobiology Laboratory (4 units; Syllabus) - offered in Fall only
Prerequisites: Biology 1A, Biology 1AL, Physics 8A, Physics 8B; NEU 100A or equivalent (may be taken concurrently)
In this course you will be introduced to a variety of techniques that are commonly used to study the nervous system including electrophysiology, optogenetics, cell biology, imaging, genetics, and anatomy. Experiments will be done on cells and invertebrates, and will cover molecular channel properties, neuronal cell physiology, development, and behavior. We hope that by analyzing the data from these experiments you will gain a better understanding of key principles in neuroscience. In addition, you will learn how to design experiments, troubleshoot experiments, analyze your data, and present your findings in written reports.
NEU 172L: Cognitive and Computational Lab (4 units; Syllabus) - offered in Fall only
Prerequisites: NEU 100A and NEU 100B. Basic Concepts in Programming and Data Analysis: DATA C8 or equivalent.
In this laboratory course, students will be taught the experimental and analytical techniques used by cognitive and computational neuroscientists. Students will learn how to assess humans’ performance in visual and auditory tasks, how to design experiments for testing theories of motor control, and how cognitive processes such as memory and decision-making affect perceptual and motor behavior. Students will also be introduced to computational methods used to analyze the large behavioral and neural data sets that are acquired in systems and cognitive neuroscience. Finally, students will be introduced to the tools of theoretical neuroscience for generating mathematical descriptions of the computations performed by a thinking brain.
NEU 173L: Neuroanatomy Laboratory (4 units; Syllabus) - offered in Spring only
Prerequisites: Biology 1A, Biology 1AL, Physics 8A, Physics 8B; NEU 100A, NEU 100B, or equivalent (may be taken concurrently)
This course provides you with a basic understanding of the principles of brain structures and function. Our emphasis is more integrative and broadly-based than in most neuroanatomy courses. In addition to the fundamental structural biology of the central and autonomic nervous systems, we will introduce a variety of techniques that are commonly used to study the nervous system including immunohistochemistry, MRI, and fluorescence imaging. We will address topics in developmental neurobiology, the sensory, motor, and limbic systems, as well as aspects of neurochemistry and neuropathology. You will also learn how to design experiments, troubleshoot experiments, analyze your data, and present your findings in written reports.