University Bulletin (2009-2010)

BIOL 15b Biology: Human Implications
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This course may not be taken for credit by students who have completed BIOL 22a or BIOL 22b. Core course for the HSSP program.
The last half-century brought an unprecedented expansion of our knowledge of the living world. The effects of these discoveries on our lives and the effects of our lives on the rest of the living world are increasing. Recent developments in biology affect our health care choices, our consumer choices, and even our choices as parents. This course is intended as an introduction to contemporary biology. It stresses the fundamentals of cell biology and genetics and explores the diversity of life, including microorganisms and plants. It emphasizes evolution, physiology, and ecology. The course is intended to prepare students to understand the biology of everyday life, and to provide a strong foundation for those who continue to study the life sciences. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Simister

BIOL 17b Conservation Biology
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First- and second-year students should contact the instructor before enrolling in this writing-intensive course.
Considers the current worldwide loss of biological diversity, causes of this loss, and methods for protecting and conserving biodiversity. Explores biological and social aspects of the problems and their solutions. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Chester

BIOL 18a General Biology Laboratory
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Prerequisites: CHEM 18a or 19a, and BIOL 18b, or permission of the instructor. BIOL 22a must be taken before or concurrently with this course. Yields full-course credit. Laboratory fee: $20 per semester. This lab is time-intensive and students will be expected to come in to lab between regular scheduled lab sessions. In order to accommodate students with time conflicts it may be necessary to re-assign students without conflicts to another section of the course. Students' section
choice will be honored if possible
Provides firsthand experience with a wide array of organisms and illustrates basic approaches to experimental design and problem solving in genetics and genomics. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Kosinski-Collins

BIOL 18b General Biology Laboratory
Prerequisites: CHEM 18a or 19a. BIOL 22b must be taken before or concurrently with this course. Yields half-course credit. Laboratory fee: $20 per semester. This lab is time-intensive and students will be expected to come to lab between regular scheduled lab sessions. In order to accommodate students with time conflicts it may be necessary to re-assign students without conflicts to another section of the course. Students' section choice will be honored if possible.
Provides firsthand experience with modern molecular biology techniques and illustrates basic approaches to experimental design and problem solving in molecular and cellular biology including applications of biochemical techniques. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Kosinski-Collins

BIOL 22a Genetics and Molecular Biology
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Prerequisite: CHEM 10a or 11a or 15a.
An introduction to our current understanding of hereditary mechanisms and the cellular and molecular basis of gene transmission and expression. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Garrity

BIOL 22b Cell Structure and Function
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Prerequisite: CHEM 10a or 11a or 15a.
An introduction to the architecture and function of cells, organelles, and their macromolecular components. Topics include fundamental processes that are common to all cells, and the functions of specialized cells. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Simister

BIOL 23a Ecology
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Prerequisites: BIOL 22a or 15b, or a score of 5 on the AP Biology Exam, or permission of the instructor.
Studies organisms and the environments in which they live. Focuses on the physical factors and intra- and interspecies interactions that explain the distribution and abundance of individual species from an evolutionary perspective. Usually offered every year.
Staff

BIOL 25a Molecular Motors
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Prerequisite: BIOL 22b.
A discussion of movement at the cellular level. Analyzes how molecular motors generate motion and how their activity is controlled. Topics include intracellular transport, muscle contraction, rotary motion, enzymes moving along DNA, and cell division. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

BIOL 28a Marine Biology
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Prerequisites: BIOL 22a and b.
Survey of the basic biology, behavior, and life history of marine biota. Review of physical habitats, from polar to tropical waters. Weekly laboratory consists of field trips to different habitats and examination of specimens from several marine phyla. Focus is on the evolution of adaptive responses to the physical and biological factors in marine communities. Usually offered every third year.
Staff

BIOL 30b Biology of Whales
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Prerequisites: BIOL 22a and b, plus one upper-level biology elective.
Examines the biology and conservation of whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Topics include physiology, morphology, population biology, life history, molecular genetics, distributional ecology, and social behavior. Usually offered every third year.
Staff

BIOL 31b Biology of Fishes
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Prerequisites: BIOL 22a and b, plus two upper-level biology electives.
Topics include evolution, systematics, anatomy, physiology, and behavior of freshwater, marine, and anadromous fishes from temperate and tropical environments. Studies fish interactions in communities: predator/prey, host/symbiont relationships, and fish as herbivores. Also examines the ecology of fish populations. Usually offered every third year.
Staff

BIOL 32a Field Biology
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Introduces students to the biodiversity of southern New England, emphasizing plants and insects. Course work primarily takes place on field trips to various terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Field trip scheduling will be discussed during the first meeting. Usually offered every year.
Mr. D.L. Perlman

BIOL 42a Physiology
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Prerequisites: BIOL 22a and b. CHEM 25a and b are recommended.
Introduces basic physiological principles with an overview of neural and hormonal control mechanisms. Topics include physiology of cardiovascular and respiratory systems, electrolyte regulation, digestion and absorption, and reproduction, with an overview of immunology. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Hayes

BIOL 43b Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy
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Prerequisite: BIOL 22b.
This course provides students with a solid basis for understanding vertebrate and in particular human anatomy. The gross and microscopic morphology of each organ system is considered in depth. Comparative anatomy, embryology, and relationships between structure and function are emphasized. Lectures, laboratory dissections, and clinical cases are used to illustrate the structure and function of the human body. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Morris

BIOL 50b Animal Behavior
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Prerequisites: BIOL 23a or BIOL 60b.
Examines a wide range of animal behavior, including mating and reproductive tactics, territoriality, and social behaviors. The course employs an ecological framework to understand the evolution of behavior. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. D.L. Perlman

BIOL 51a Biostatistics
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Prerequisite: MATH 10a.
A basic introduction to methods of statistics and mathematical analysis applied to problems in the life sciences. Topics include statistical analysis of experimental data, mathematical description of chemical reactions, and mathematical models in neuroscience, population biology, and epidemiology. Usually offered every year.
Staff

BIOL 55b Diet and Health
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Prerequisite: BIOL 22b must be successfully completed prior to taking BIOL 55b.
Reviews the current evidence concerning dietary impact on the chronic diseases of humans. Topics include genetics and nutrition, cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, and cancer. Students also examine the involvement of specific nutrients; for example, fat and cholesterol, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and alcohol in these disease processes. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Hayes

BIOL 60b Evolution
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Prerequisite: BIOL 22a.
"Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution," Dobzhansky said famously. Evolution is a unifying theory of biology because it explains almost everything about the living world--the diversity of life, similarities among organisms, and the characteristics of all living things. This course examines processes and patterns of evolution, including the origin and fate of variation, natural and sexual selection, inbreeding and genetic drift, the evolution of sociality, the species concept and the origin of species, biodiversity, and phylogenetics, as well as the history of life on Earth, including the fossil record and human evolution. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Morris

BIOL 93a Research Internship and Analysis
Supervised biological research experience in a Brandeis University laboratory. In consultation with a Brandeis faculty member, the student will design and execute an individual research project, culminating in an oral and written presentation. Students seeking to do biology research in Brandeis laboratories outside the biology department must obtain sponsorship of a biology department faculty member as well as permission of the departmental undergraduate advising head (UAH). This course is not intended to and will not provide credit for off-campus internships. BIOL 93a is offered both semesters but is a one-semester course and may be taken only once. Students must petition the department for permission to enroll in BIOL 93a.Course requirements include laboratory research, a written report and an oral presentation, as specified in the BIOL 93a petition. Students wishing to do a summer internship for academic credit must: obtain permission from their biology department sponsor prior to commencing the internship; complete the summer internship (a minimum of 10 weeks full-time); and complete the appropriate academic work. Credit will be awarded via the student enrolling BIOL 93a in the subsequent fall term. BIOL 93a may also be used as one of the two courses needed for Senior Research (see BIOL 99). Usually offered every semester.
Staff

BIOL 98a Readings in Biology
Prerequisites: BIOL 22a and b. Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology. May not be taken for credit by students who have satisfactorily completed BIOL 98b.
Open to exceptionally well-qualified students. This is a tutorial course with readings in a specified biological field. The student will be given a reading list, including current literature and reviews of the topic to be discussed. Course requirements include weekly discussions and the writing of several papers. Usually offered every year.
Staff

BIOL 98b Readings in Biology
Prerequisites: BIOL 22a and b. Does NOT meet the major requirement in biology. May not be taken for credit by students who have satisfactorily completed BIOL 98a.
See BIOL 98a for course description. Usually offered every year.
Staff

BIOL 99a Senior Research
The first of a two-semester course involving the student in an independent research project conducted under the supervision of a staff member and serving as an intensive introduction to specific methods of biological research. In cases where students are able to do unusually long, intensive work in the laboratory, they may request a third course credit during the petition process; if this request is approved by the senior honors coordinator, students should register for BIOL 99a (fall) followed by BIOL 99e (spring). The combined enrollments for Senior Research may not exceed three semester course credits. Two semesters of BIOL 99 may be used as one elective for the biology major. Students may also use one semester of BIOL 93 and one semester of BIOL 99 to count as senior research and one elective. To fulfill the BIOL 99 requirements, students must (1) submit to their research sponsor, at the conclusion of their first BIOL 99 semester, a paper that reviews the literature pertinent to their field of research (or, fulfill the BIOL 93 requirements), and (2) submit to their research sponsor, at the conclusion of their second BIOL 99 semester, a senior thesis that includes an abstract, an introduction, a review of materials and methods, results, discussion, and references. Students must petition the department for permission to enroll in BIOL 99. Usually offered every year.
Staff

BIOL 99b Senior Research
A continuation of BIOL 99a. See BIOL 99a for course description.
Staff

BIOL 99e Senior Research
See BIOL 99a for course description. Usually offered every semester.
Staff

BISC 2a Human Reproduction, Population Explosion, Global Consequences
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Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology.
Appropriate for students interested in a broad range of fields, including biology, environmental studies, and the social sciences. This course progresses from a molecular and cellular biology description of basic facts in human genetics and reproduction, AND an evolutionary description of human origins in Africa and global migration, to a demographic and epidemiological view of human population growth, and a consideration of some of the very complex problems arising from the presence of more than six billion people on Earth today. Readings include scientific papers appropriate to students with high school backgrounds in biology and chemistry, essays in the social sciences, and a wide variety of other texts and media. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Wangh

BISC 2b Genes, Culture, History: A Case Study
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Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology.
Findings from the Human Genome Project are correlated with cultural,historical, and religious information about human origins, human reproduction, infectious diseases, and lineages of human populations. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Wangh

BISC 3a Paradigms of Biological Investigation
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Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology. May not be taken by students who have completed BIOL 22a or BIOL 22b.
Examines the concepts and principles of scientific research with examples from its Greek beginnings to modern times. Topics from evolutionary biology, biophysics, molecular biology, and physics are used to describe the nature of scientific advances. Concepts related to experimental design and critical thinking are considered. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Farber

BISC 3b Humans and the Environment
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Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology.
Explores a range of interactions between organisms and their environments. Focuses on human interactions with and impacts on the natural world. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. D.L. Perlman

BISC 4a Heredity
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Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology. May not be taken by students who have completed BIOL 22a.
An exploration of what genes are and their functions. Examines how genes are inherited, how they work, and how changes in certain genes cause inherited diseases. Also investigates recent biological developments such as the Human Genome Project, genomics, gene therapy, stem cells, and the new medical and ethical challenges these developments pose in the twenty-first century. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Sengupta

BISC 4b Food, Nutrition, and Health
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Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology.
Nutrition is the science of food and its role in health and disease. This course will introduce the biological background to provide students with tools to better understand everything from how we choose food to how our diet influences our long-term health. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Lai

BISC 5a Pathogens and Human Disease
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Prerequisite: High school chemistry and biology. Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology. May not be taken by students who have completed BIOL 125a, 132a, or 175b.
This course discusses the life cycle, pathogenesis, transmission, and epidemiology of certain organisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc.) that cause important human diseases. Other topics include emerging diseases, host defense mechanisms, vaccines, public health concerns. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Press

BISC 5b Diseases of the Mind
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Prerequisite: High school chemistry. Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology. May not be taken by students who have completed BIOL 22b.
An exploration of biology of several protein folding diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, ALS, and mad cow disease and their effect on normal brain function. Examines the medical and ethical challenges of therapies, drug design, and clinical trials on patients afflicted with these disorders. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Kosinski-Collins

BISC 6b Environmental Health
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Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology.
The impact on human health of environmental contamination with toxic, carcinogenic, or pathogenic agents. Tools of toxicology, epidemiology, and risk assessment are applied to specific environmental issues such as air and water quality, petroleum, metal, and other chemical contaminations. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

BISC 7a The Biology and Culture of Deafness
Does NOT satisfy the school of science requirement. Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology.
An exploration of the biology, sociology, and language of the deaf. Looks at mechanisms of hearing and different causes of deafness. Medical models of deafness are compared with sociological and cultural concepts of deafness. The course also introduces students to the language of the deaf community in the United States, American Sign Language (ASL). Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Morris

BISC 7b Exercise Physiology
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Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology.
An introductory course in exercise physiology, with the focus on the muscular, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, and metabolic responses and the physiological adaptations that occur during exercise. Concepts related to physical fitness, body composition/weight control, and training principles are discussed. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Burr

BISC 8b Drugs that Changed the World
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Prerequisite: High school chemistry and biology. Does NOT meet the requirements for the major in biology.
Introduces the science underlying drug discovery and development. Students learn basic principles of microbiology, chemistry, biology, pharmacology and statistics while learning how a drug progresses from bench to bedside. Students learn to decipher a drug packaging insert. Topics include landmarks in antibiotic and cancer chemotherapy, featuring recently approved drugs such as Herceptin and Gleevec. Readings are drawn from the original scientific literature, FDA rulings, patent law, and the popular press. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Hedstrom

BIOL 101a Molecular Biotechnology
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Prerequisite: BIOL 22a.
A study of the molecular basis of DNA replication, RNA transcription focusing on molecular biology techniques such as PCR, DNA sequencing, genomics, cloning, microarrays, and siRNA and their relation to human disease research applications. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Kosinski-Collins

BIOL 102b Structural Molecular Biology
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Prerequisites: BIOL 22a and b, or permission of the instructor.
Cells are filled with machines that carry materials about the cell, that chemically transform molecules, that transduce energy, and much more. Our understanding of how these machines work depends on understanding their structures. This introduction to the structural basis of molecular biology examines the designs of proteins, their folding and assembly, and the means whereby we visualize these structures. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Kosinski-Collins

BIOL 103b Mechanisms of Cell Functions
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Prerequisite: BIOL 22b or permission of the instructor.
An advanced course focusing on a mechanistic understanding of cell biological processes and the methods by which these processes are elucidated. Papers are chosen to illustrate a variety of experimental approaches, including biochemistry, genetics, and microscopy. Topics include cell cycle, signal transduction, cytoskeleton and cell movement, membrane traffic, and intercellular transport. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Goode and Ms. Nicastro

BIOL 105b Molecular Biology
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Prerequisites: BIOL 22a and b.
Examination of molecular processes in replication and expression of genetic information and techniques by which this understanding has been achieved. Topics include recombinant DNA and other molecular biological techniques, structure and organization of DNA in chromosomes, DNA replication, transcription and regulation of gene expression, RNA structure and processing, mRNA stability, and other mechanisms of post-translational control. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Marr

BIOL 111a Developmental Biology
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Prerequisite: BIOL 22b.
How do complex organisms build themselves starting from single cells? Examines how processes such as fertilization, embryogenesis, cell differentiation, and tissue-specific gene expression occur; what is known about the key molecules and genes that orchestrate these processes; and how genetic changes affecting these processes underlie the evolution of body form. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Paradis and Ms. Sengupta

BIOL 122a Molecular Genetics
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Prerequisite: BIOL 22a.
A lecture- and literature-based course emphasizing strategies of genetic analysis in understanding complex processes,mostly in eukaryotes such as budding and fission yeast, fruit flies, worms and mice. Examples will focus on the control of DNA replication, the regulation of the cell cycle and cell differentiation, and on mechanisms that preserve genetic stability and ensure accurate transmission of genetic information from generation to generation in both somatic and germ cells. Classical genetic methods and recent molecular genetic and genomic approaches will be examined. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Haber

BIOL 125a Immunology
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Prerequisites: BIOL 22a and b.
Topics include properties, functions of cells involved in innate and adaptive immunity; genes, structure, function of immunoglobins and T cell receptors; cell interactions; lymphocyte differentiation; genetic regulation; MHC restriction; cell interactions and signaling; tolerance and autoimmunity; vaccines; viral immunity; AIDS. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Press

BIOL 126b Protein Structure and Disease
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Prerequisites: BIOL 22a and b, or the equivalent, or permission of the instructor.
Reviews the basic principles of protein structure so that the functional aspects of different protein designs may be understood. Examines various protein mutations related to certain molecular diseases and the architecture of some key viruses and their infectivity. Consideration of drug design is an integral part of the course. Student presentations are essential to the course. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Cohen

BIOL 128a Human Genetics
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Prerequisites: BIOL 22a and b.
Survey of topics, including: mutation and polymorphism; molecular methodology; single-gene inheritance and complexities thereof; multifactorial conditions, risk assessment, and Bayesian analysis; cytogenetics; hemoglobinopathies; population genetics; gene mapping; cancer genetics; ethical considerations in genetics; immunogenetics; pharmacogenetics; genetics of development; biochemistry of selected genetic diseases; gene therapy, genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Hiller

BIOL 132a General Microbiology
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Prerequisites: BIOL 22a and b.
A survey of the physiology and the properties of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms. Topics include microbial nutrition, metabolism, growth, and genetics; immunity and other means of microbial control; pathogenicity, epidemiology, concepts in infectious disease. Selected disease-causing organisms are discussed, including problems they pose for medical control and society. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Press

BIOL 134b Topics in Ecology
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Prerequisites: BIOL 23a or permission of the instructor. Topics may vary from year to year. Please consult the Course Schedule for topic and description. Course may be repeated once for credit with permission of the instructor.
Annually, a different aspect of the global biosphere is selected for analysis. In any year the focus may be on specific ecosystems (e.g., terrestrial, aquatic, tropical, arctic), populations, system modeling, restoration ecology, or other aspects of ecology. Usually offered every year.
Staff

BIOL 135b The Principles of Biological Modeling
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Prerequisite: MATH 10a or 10b.
With examples from neuroscience, cell biology, ecology, evolution, and physiology, dynamical concepts of significance throughout the biological world are discusses. Simple computational and mathematical models are used to demonstrate important roles of the exponential function, feedback, stability, oscillations, and randomness. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Miller

BIOL 141b Molecular Pathophysiology
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Prerequisite: BIOL 42a, BCHM 100a, or NBIO 140b, or permission of the instructor.
An in-depth investigation of the molecular mechanisms by which the body's organ systems maintain health/homeostasis and succumb to genetic diseases (e.g., cystic fibrosis, Parkinson's disease, ALS), with additional emphasis on understanding how the body adapts to physical exertion and exercise. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

BIOL 149b Molecular Pharmacology
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Prerequisites: BIOL 22b and CHEM 25a and b. NBIO 140b strongly recommended.
Covers the essentials of pharmacology and the study of the actions of chemical agents (drugs, toxins, neurotransmitters, and hormones) that interact with living systems. Emphasizes molecular mechanisms of neuropharmacology. Topics include pharmacokinetics, hormone action, autonomic pharmacology, and the psychopharmacology of drugs of abuse and mental disorders. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Marder

BIOL 155a Project Laboratory in Genetics and Genomics
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Prerequisites: BIOL 18a and b and BIOL 22a and b.
This small, laboratory-based course provides a unique opportunity for students to pursue a genuine research project. Each semester, we focus on a specific topic, such as bacterial genetics, epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation, or microbial diversity, and design and carry out original experiments. Students learn basic molecular biology techniques, genetic and genomic analysis, experimental design, and the fundamentals of reading and writing research papers. Usually offered every semester.
Ms. Lovett (Fall) and Mr. Morris (Spring)

BIOL 160b Human Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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Prerequisites: BIOL 22a and b.
Course deals with hormonal, cellular, and molecular aspects of gametogenesis, fertilization, pregnancy, and birth. Pathological and abnormal variations that occur and the available medical technologies for intervention, correction, and facilitation of these processes are discussed. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Jackson

BIOL 172b Growth Control and Cancer
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Prerequisites: BIOL 22a and b.
Covers the fundamental rules of behavior of cells in multicellular organisms. Examines cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern cell growth, and differentiation and survival in normal cells, as well as how this regulation is disrupted in cancer. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Ren

BIOL 174b Stem Cells
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Prerequisites: BIOL 22a and b.
Stem cells are cells that can both undergo self-renewal and give rise to all cells or special cell types of the body. They have the potential for the restoration of lost organ function that cannot be achieved through traditional drug therapies. Covers stem cell biology, cell differentiation and transdifferentiation, cell lineage commitment, gene expression regulation, signal transduction, cell identity memory, and cell therapies. Provides a unique way to gain insights into developmental biology, molecular and cell biology, cancer biology, biology of aging, and regenerative medicine, as well as bioethics and health and public policies. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Ren

BIOL 175b Advanced Immunology: Topics in Infectious Disease
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Prerequisites: BIOL 125a and permission of the instructor.
An advanced lecture- and literature-based course that focuses on a select group of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, etc.) considered important in human disease. Topics include mechanisms/determinants of pathogenicity, immune evasion, host immune responses, vaccines, public health issues, and bioterrorism agents. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Press

NBIO 136b Computational Neuroscience
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Prerequisite: MATH 10a or PHYS 10a or approved equivalents.
An introduction to concepts and methods in computer modeling of neural systems. Topics include single and multicompartmental models of neurons, information representation and processing by populations of neurons, synaptic plasticity and models of learning, working memory, decision making and neuroeconomics. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Miller

NBIO 140b Principles of Neuroscience
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Prerequisite: BIOL 22b or permission of the instructor.
Examines the basic principles of neuroscience. Topics include resting potentials, action potentials, synaptic transmission, sensory systems, motor systems, learning, neural circuits underlying behavior, neurological diseases, and mental illness. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Marder

NBIO 143b Developmental Neurobiology
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Prerequisite: BIOL 22b or permission of the instructor.
Discusses the mechanisms used in the development of the nervous system. Topics include determination of neuronal cell fates, neuronal differentiation and pattern formation, neuron survival and growth, and mechanisms responsible for generation of connectivity in the nervous system. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Paradis and Ms. Sengupta

NBIO 145b Systems Neuroscience
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Prerequisite: NBIO 140b.
A fundamental question in neuroscience is how our brains extract and compute features and functions--such as direction of motion from visual stimuli--and how experience allows the microcircuits within our brains to become better tuned to such features. Understanding these processes requires insight into the cellular and network mechanisms that give rise to them. We will begin by examining the classical literature, and then we will move on to recent advances in understanding the cellular and network properties of brain microcircuits. The course emphasizes reading from original papers, and extensive class discussion. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Turrigiano

NBIO 146a The Neurobiology of Human Disease
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Prerequisite: NBIO 140b.
A lecture- and literature-based overview of the neurobiological underpinnings of neurological and psychiatric disorders including autism, mental retardation, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other developmental and degenerative disorders. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Nelson

NBIO 147a Neurogenetics
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Prerequisites: BIOL 18a and BIOL 22a.
Topics include function of neurons and neuronal circuits in the generation of behavior. The use of genetics and genetic manipulations in the study of behavior will be emphasized. Model organisms to be discussed will include Drosophila, C. elegans, zebrafish and mammals.Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Paradis and Ms. Sengupta

NBIO 148b Cellular Neuroscience
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Prerequisite: NBIO 140b or permission of the instructor. Graduate students may take this course concurrently with NBIO 140b.
Focuses on cellular and molecular mechanisms of excitability and synaptic plasticity. Students examine classic experiments on action potentials and synaptic transmission and the original research literature dealing with the cellular mechanisms of developmental and learning-related plasticity. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Griffith

NBIO 150a Autism and Human Developmental Disorders
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Prerequisite: BIOL 22b.
Autism and other developmental disorders are characterized by abnormal brain development resulting in cognitive and behavioral deficits. Takes an integrative approach to investigate the biological, behavioral, medical, and social aspects of human developmental disorders. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Birren

ANTH 116a Human Osteology
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Junior and senior majors have priority for enrollment.
Skeletal anatomy and application of forensic techniques to archaeological problems. Hands-on laboratory sessions focus on methods of estimating age, determining sex, assessing variability, distinguishing bone disorders, and identifying cultural and natural modifications to bony tissue. Case studies exemplify bioarchaeological approaches. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Urcid

COSI 230a Topics in Computational Biology
This course aims to transcend traditional departmental boundaries and facilitate communications between experimental biologists and computational scientists. Through reading literature and small research projects, students will be introduced to problems in computational biology and learn the methods for studying them.
Mr. Hong

QBIO 110a Numerical Modeling of Biological Systems
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Prerequisite: MATH 10a and b or equivalent.
Modern scientific computation applied to problems in molecular and cell biology. Covers techniques such as numerical integration of differential equations, molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations. Applications range from enzymes and molecular motors to cells. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Hagan

QBIO 120b Quantitative Biology Instrumentation Laboratory
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Focuses on optical and other instruments commonly used in biomedical laboratories to make quantitative measurements in vivo and in vitro. Students disassemble and reconfigure modular instruments in laboratory exercises that critically evaluate instrument reliability and usability and investigate the origins of noise and systematic error in measurements. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Dogic