Graduate: Courses

Elective Courses

NSCI 600	Methods in Neuroscience	Fall	Wee
NSCI 601	Methods in Neuroscience Laboratory	Fall	Wee
NSCI 603	Neuroscience Seminar	Fall/Spring	Tasker
NSCI 604	Trends in Neuroscience	Fall/Spring	Tasker
NSCI 611	Brain and Language		Howard
NSCI 631	Cellular Neuroscience	Fall	Tasker
NSCI 632	Systems Neuroscience	Spring	Schrader
NSCI 633	Neurobiology of Learning and Memory	Spring	Daniel
NSCI 634	Neurobiology of Disease	Spring	Cronin
NSCI 635	Developmental Neurobiology	Spring	Inglis
NSCI 637	Molecular Neurobiology	Fall	Inglis
NSCI 651	Biological Psychology	Spring	Colombo
NSCI 653	Psychopharmacology	Fall	Dohanich
NSCI 655	Behavioral Neuroendocrinology	Spring	Dohanich, Wee
NSCI 657	Cognitive Neuroscience	Spring	Golob
NSCI 659	Stress and Trauma	Fall	Overstreet
NSCI 663	Cellular Neurophysiology		Staff
NSCI 710	Special Topics in Neuroscience	Fall/Spring	Staff
NSCI 711	Graduate Neuroscience	Fall	Tasker
NSCI 798	Research in Neuroscience	Fall/Spring	Staff
CELL 601	Cellular Biochemistry	Fall	Hopkins
CELL 608	Advanced Developmental & Cell Biology II	Spring	Muneoka
CELL 611	Cells and Tissues	Spring	Dotson
CELL 613	Embryology – Lecture & Lab	Fall	Muneoka
CELL 616	Developmental Biology	Fall	Cserjesi
CELL 621	Cellular Physiology	Fall	Cronin
CELL 636	Topics in Neurophysiology	Spring	Tasker
CELL 644	Advanced Molecular Biology	Spring	Thien
CELL 655	Synaptic Organization of the Brain	Spring	Tasker
CELL 701	Cell Biology	Fall/Spring	Dotson, Burdsal
CELL 711	Molecular Biology	Fall/Spring	Thien
PSYC 609	Univariate Statistics I	Fall	Corey, Rusher
PSYC 611	Univariate Statistics II	Spring	Corey
PSYC 613	Multivariate Analysis	Fall	Corey
PSYC 661	Advanced Studies in Psychology	Fall/Spring	Staff
PSYC 662	Advanced Studies in Psychology	Fall/Spring	Staff
PSYC 665	Advanced Studies in Cognition, Human Behavior & Memory	Fall	Staff
PSYC 669	Advanced Studies in Psychobiology	Fall/Spring	Christenson, Colombo, Dohanich, Golob, Daniel
PSYC 703	Cognitive Neuroscience: Graduate Seminar	Spring	Golob
PSYC 709	Biological Psychology: Graduate Seminar	Spring	Colombo
PSYC 710	Psychopharmacology: Graduate Seminar	Fall	Dohanich
EBIO 708	Biostatistics and Experimental Design	Fall	Dyer
GBCH 601	Graduate Biochemistry	Fall	Wimley
GPHR 704	Neuropharmacology	Spring	Taylor
GPHR 721	Advances in Pharmacology	Fall/Spring	Kadowitz
GPHR 723	Principles of Pharmacology	Fall/Spring	Agrawal
GPHR 725	Medical Pharmacology	Fall	Clarkson
GPHR 726	Medical Pharmacology	Spring	Clarkson
MCBP 607	Advanced Cell Biology I	Fall	Morris
HMGN 702	Human Genetics		Narumanchi

*** Some of the above courses are offered every other year. To find out which courses are currently offered, visit the online class schedule. Go to the Tulane Homepage. Click on Registrar, click on Course Offerings, click on the current semester’s Class Schedule. Click on Medical Science for courses offered through Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Human Genetics and Molecular & Cellular Biology. Click on School of Science and Engineering for courses offered through Cell & Molecular Biology, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Neuroscience, and Psychology. You will then be able to access class information from the various departments participating in the Neuroscience Graduate Programs.

Course Descriptions

Elective Courses held on the Main Campus (uptown)

NSCI 600 Methods in Neuroscience (3) Dr. Wee. A lecture course exposing students to contemporary theories and techniques used by Tulane neuroscientists in their own research programs. The course is taught by faculty members representing several departments from both the Main Campus and the Health Sciences Center.	NSCI 601 Methods in Neuroscience Laboratory (1) Dr. Wee. Co requisite: NSCI 600. A laboratory course allowing students to follow a neuroscience experiment from hypothesis-design development to neurochemical analyses. The course provides direct exposure to drug administration, behavioral assessment, tissue preparation, and in vitro analysis of neurochemicals.
NSCI 603 Neuroscience Seminar (1) Dr. Tasker. Neuroscience Seminar meets approximately once per month. Local and visiting neuroscientists present their latest research. The seminar is held on the downtown campus in the fall semester, and on the uptown campus in the spring semester.	NSCI 604 Trends in Neuroscience (1) Dr. Tasker. This course is designed to provide students with the opportunity to present research results, from the literature to their own work. In the fall semester, held on the uptown campus, the course consists of a journal club, where students present papers taken from the neuroscience literature. In the spring semester, on the downtown campus, the course is more tailored to the progress of each student. First-year students present journal articles, while students beyond the first year present their own research results, in talk of 10 minutes to a full hour.
NSCI 611 Brain and Language (3) Dr. Howard. The goal of this course is to learn how the brain is organized to produce and comprehend language and to understand the linguistic disorders attendant on brain damage. There is an optional service learning component in which students can work with a speech therapist at a local healthcare provider.	NSCI 631 Cellular Neuroscience (3) Dr. Tasker. Introduction to the basic principles of the neurosciences, including cellular and molecular neurobiology, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of simple invertebrate and vertebrate systems, neural development, neuropharmacology and synaptic organization of higher neural systems.
NSCI 632 Systems Neuroscience (3) Dr. Schrader. The subject of this course is the human nervous system, its anatomy, connectivity and function. Discusses the normal structure of the nervous system and the relationship of that structure to physiological function. The course is taught from a practical, clinical point of view and is intended to prepare students for further study in the neurosciences.	NSCI 633 Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (3) Dr. Daniel. An introduction to the neural mechanisms that control learning and memory. Lectures will cover the cellular basis of learning and memory as well as the neural structures and sustems that mediate learned behavior.
NSCI 635 Developmental Neurobiology (3) Dr. Inglis. A broad overview of the different stages of neural development. Examination of the molecular aspects of developmental neurobiology, with reference to some important signaling pathways involved in neural growth and specification. Particular attention will be given to those active research fields, such as growth cone guidance and collapse and activity-dependent development, and applications of these to injury and disease.	NSCI 634 Neurobiology of Disease (3) Dr. Cronin. Advanced course on the higher neural functions of the nervous system and neurological diseases resulting from disruption of these functions. An emphasis is placed on the physiology of the nervous system and neural dysfunction caused by inherited and acquired diseases. Topics range from motor control and neuromuscular diseases to high cognitive function and dementia.
NSCI 651 Biological Psychology (3) Dr. Colombo. An intensive survey of biological psychology with an emphasis on neuroanatomy and research methods used to study mechanisms of learning and memory, mental disorders, emotion, stress, and other psychological phenomena.	NSCI 637 Molecular Neurobiology (3) Dr. Inglis. Introduction to the molecular biology of neurons and neuronal functions. Topics of study will include: the molecular composition of nerve cells, and how this provides a basis for their functional properties; their synaptic connectivity; how they receive, transmit, and retain information at a molecular level. Studies will focus on current research in the field of molecular neurobiology.
NSCI 655 Behavioral Neuroendocrinology (3) Dr. Dohanich, Dr. Wee. An introduction to the roles of steroid and peptide hormones in physiology and behavior. Lectures focus on the hormonal mechanisms that control reproductive and regulatory functions in human and infrahuman species.	NSCI 653 Psychopharmacology (3) Dr. Dohanich. An introduction to the effects of psychoactive agents on the nervous system. Lectures emphasize the mechanisms by which drugs regulate neurotransmitter systems to alter psychological and physical states.
NSCI 659. Stress and Trauma (3) Dr. Overstreet. This course provides an overview of the field of stress and trauma. Students will acquire a thorough knowledge of current definitions and epidemiology of stress and trauma; psychobiological bases of stress and trauma reactions and related psychological problems; psychological, biological, and environmental factors that moderate the relations between stress, stress reactions, and psychological problems; and treatments for stress related psychological problems.	NSCI 657 Cognitive Neuroscience (3) Dr. Golob. An introduction to the study of human behavior and cognition using neuroscience methods. The course will examine the neural basis of perception, attention, memory, language, motor control, and emotions.
NSCI 710 Special Topics in Neuroscience (1-6) Staff. This course is designed to allow students freedom in designing their program of study. Under this course designation, a student can, with the approval of the advisor, design and name a specific course that is appropriate to a specific program of study and that can be utilized by other students. Often under these circumstances the course is referred to as “independent studies.” NSIP 710 allows registration for courses offered elsewhere that are approved by the advisor and/or Neuroscience Program director. New courses sometimes are offered first through NSIP 710. Smaller courses derived from larger neuroscience courses that are formally designed can also be registered for under NSIP 710.	NSCI 663 Cellular Neurophysiology (3) Staff. Survey of current topics and techniques in the physiology of neurons and neuronal circuits, concentrating primarily on electrophysiological studies.
NSCI 798-800 Research in Neuroscience (1-6) Staff. Research in Neuroscience is used for continuous registration for graduate students who spend full time on dissertation research. All other course requirements must be complete prior to signing up for NSIP 798.	NSCI 711 Graduate Neuroscience (3) Dr. Tasker. This course is designed to present information about neuroscience to graduate students. The focus is on molecular and cellular neurobiology, with blocks on neurophysiology, synaptic physiology, neurotransmitter receptors and their signal transduction mechanisms, learning and memory, and the basic processes of neural development.
CELL 608 Advanced Developmental and Cell Biology II (3) Dr. Muneoka. Lectures, readings, and discussion of the literature in the fields of cellular, developmental, and molecular biology.	CELL 601 Cellular Biochemistry (3) Dr. Hopkins. Structure and function of biological molecules, energetics, metabolism, synthesis of macromolecules and assembly of structures.
CELL 613 Embryology (4) Dr. Muneoka. Anatomical study of developmental processes in humans. Lectures and online laboratory.	CELL 611 Cells and Tissues (4) Dr. Dotson. Prerequisite: 301 or approval of instructor. Emphasis on modern techniques and their applications to research on cell and tissue structure, physiology, and biochemistry. Lectures and laboratory.
CELL 621 Cellular Physiology (3) Dr. Cronin. A survey of vertebrate anatomy and physiology emphasizing the cellular and molecular basis or organ function. This course emphasizes modern experimental approaches for exploring physiological function of a variety of organ systems.	CELL 616 Developmental Biology (3) Dr. Cserjesi. Prerequisite: 205 or approval of instructor. The origin and development of form and patterns in organisms. Recent investigations and research methodology on the processes of growth and differentiation are stressed.
CELL 644 Advanced Molecular Biology (3) Dr. Thien. Prerequisite: 311 or instructor approval. Current topics in molecular biology with emphasis on higher-order chromatin structure and transcription, mutability, and DNA repair mechanisms in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Other topics include: Nuclear hormone receptors, HOX gene activation in development, RNAi, and genome organization.	CELL 636 Topics of Neurophysiology (2) Dr. Tasker. Prerequisite: Instructor approval. Graduate students and upper level undergraduate students in the Neurobiology Division of the Cell and Molecular Biology Department present research projects/progress to the group. Class meets once a week for two hours.
CELL 655 Synaptic Organization of the Brain (3) Dr. Tasker. This course is offered jointly by Tulane and LSU Medical School to provide an in-depth examination of the physiologic and anatomic organization of the major structures of the brain and spinal cord. It is team taught by members of both faculties, drawing from the research expertise of each program and each faculty member. The course will consist of two 1.5 hour lectures per week, each week being devoted to a different brain structure and taught by a different instructor. The organization of each structure, including the cellular physiology, the major synaptic inputs, the intrinsic synaptic organization, and the primary outputs, will be emphasized.	CELL 701 Cell Biology (3) Dr. Burdsal, Dr. Dotson. Prerequisites: 205 and 311. Fundamental properties of eukaryotic cells and the physiology of cellular components. Emphasis on modern biological approaches and the interaction between cells and their environment.
CELL 711 Molecular Biology (3) Dr. Thien. Prerequisite: CELL 205. Introduction to theory and applications of molecular biology.	PSYC 609 Psychological Applications of Univariate Statistics I (3) Dr. Corey, Dr. Ruscher. Selected topics relating to methodological or quantitative aspects of psychological research are examined. Examples of topics include non-parametric statistics, computer applications in mathematical models of behavior, problems in design of multivariate analyses, Monte Carlo solutions to quantitative problems, and least-squares approaches.
PSYC 611 Psychological Applications of Univariate Statistics II (3) Dr. Corey. An intermediate-level course in statistics designed to meet the needs of beginning graduate students and those undergraduate students who plan to undertake graduate work in psychology. Emphasis is placed upon design of experiments and interpretation of research results.	PSYC 613 Multivariate Statistics (3) Dr. Corey. Prerequisite: approval of instructor. Design and analysis of experiments in the behavioral sciences involving multiple predictor and criterion variables. Extensive use is made of Tulane computer facilities but no programming knowledge is required.
PSYC 661,662 Advanced Studies in Psychobiology (1 or 3) Staff. By arrangement with department.	PSYC 665 Advanced Studies in Cognition, Human Behavior, and Memory (3) Staff. Considered are advanced theoretical and empirical works and new developments in cognition, human verbal and motor learning, and retention processes. Research is pursued in depth to optimize student comprehension of such issues as encoding, transformation, storage, retention, retrieval, utilization, and interpretation of stimulus information by human subjects.
PSYC 669 Advanced Studies in Psychobiology (3) Dr. Christenson, Dr. Colombo, Dr. Dohanich, Dr. Golob, Dr. Daniel. Advanced theoretical and empirical work in physiological mechanisms of behavior, neuroendocrinology, sensory processes, animal learning, or comparative animal behavior is explored.	PSYC 703 Cognitive Neuroscience: Graduate Seminar (3)
PSYC 709 Biological Psychology: Graduate Seminar (3)	PSYC 710 Psychopharmacology: Graduate Seminar (3)
EBIO 708 Biostatistics and Experimental Design (3) Dr. Dyer. This course will teach students how to interpret statistical data in an evolutionary and ecological context. Special emphasis will be placed on understanding the nature of ecology field experiments and experimental design.

Course Descriptions

Course descriptions are taken from each department website. Some descriptions are not available. Go to http://www2.tulane.edu/academics_dept.cfm for the latest course descriptions.

Elective Courses held in the Health Sciences Center (downtown)

GBCH 601 Graduate Biochemistry (4)	GPHR 704 Neuropharmacology (2)
GPHR 721 Advances in Pharmacology (1)	GPHR 723 Principles of Pharmacology (4)
GPHR 725(F) & 726(S) Medical Pharmacology (2)	MCBP 607 Advanced Cell Biology I (3)
HMGN 702 Human Genetics (3) Dr. Narumanchi. This class is an overview of basic disciplines and content areas within human genetics. The emphasis is clinical application of this knowledge within selected topic areas in biochemical, molecular, and population genetics as well as cytogenetics.