Biological Mechanisms of Brain Disorders

Catalog description

This course is designed to introduce students to a broad range of neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases and disorders in order to understand how genetic and environmental perturbations can disrupt normal brain function. The primary focus will be on understanding the biological bases of nervous system dysfunction. For each disease discussed, the subject matter will be organized to explain how normal brain function is impacted, the biological mechanisms underlying dysfunction (including still-unanswered questions) and current efforts to develop effective treatments (translational research). With this approach, students will gain an understanding of disease presentation, how animal models and human studies are being used to elucidate pathophysiological mechanisms, and opportunities and challenges in the development of new therapies. The class format will be a mix of lecture-based sessions and discussions of scientific journal articles. Offered as NEUR 301 and NEUR 401 .