Transcript Undergraduate Neuroscience Education at Cornell University

Undergraduate Neuroscience
Education at Cornell University
Carl D. Hopkins
Department of Neurobiology & Behavior
Neuroscience Departments and Programs
Spring Conference 2011
March 25, 2011
Washington, D.C.
Neuroscience at Cornell
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Program in Neuroscience
NBB
College of Arts
and Sciences
Nutritional
Sciences
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Cornell
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Neurobiology
& Behavior
Undergraduate Programs in the Neurosciences
•
•
Biology Major (Neurobiology and Behavior
Concentration): One of 13 Programs of Study
within the major.
Psychology Major
includes sophomores, juniors, seniors
Students generally register for a program of study by the end of their freshman year.
Neurobiology and Behavior
Program of Study
The NBB Program of Study Requirements (in
addition to the core biology major)
1) Two Introductory NBB courses (8 credits total)
• BioNB 2210 Introduction to Behavior
• BioNB 2220 Introduction
to Neuroscience
2) 7 additional credits
As least one 3000 or 4000 level course for 3 or 4 credits, plus one or more NBB
courses
(“special topics” (4200) OR “research” (4990) are OK)
• semester course
3 credits lecture only
4 credits with 75 min
discussion
5 credits (writing intensive)
•
180-200 students
•
Team taught (6-8 lecturers)
Fetcho, Harris-Warrick, Bass, Linster, Johnson, Hoy, Hopkins, Booker
Meeting Some of the Challenges in Teaching
Introductory Neuroscience
Lecture Format
Meeting Some of the Challenges in Teaching
Introductory Neuroscience
Lecture Format
• Lecture Notes with leaning objectives, study questions, figures, links
• Video recall with faculty
• Animation of dynamic processes
Meeting Some of the Challenges in Teaching
Introductory Neuroscience
Lecture Format
• Lecture Notes with leaning objectives, study questions, figures
• Video recall with faculty
• Animation of dynamic processes
Team Teaching
• Fall planning, Spring review
• Joint exam writing and grading
• Exam results, analysis, and comments
Meeting Some of the Challenges in Teaching
Introductory Neuroscience
Active Learning (all students)
• Test Bank and Weekly Quizzes
• Study groups
Meeting Some of the Challenges in Teaching
Introductory Neuroscience
Active Learning (all students)
• Test Bank and Weekly Quizzes
• Study groups
• Computational Exercises
Meeting Some of the Challenges in Teaching
Introductory Neuroscience
Active Learning (Discussion Sections)
• Brain Lab
• Drosophila Behavior Lab
• Stereovision Lab
• Journal Club
• Problem Sets
Neurobiology and Behavior
Program of Study
Some advanced NBB courses:
Drugs and the Brain BioNB 3920 (Harris-Warrick)
Darwinian Medicine BioNB 4270 (Sherman)
Principles of Neurophysiology BioNB 4910 (Johnson)
Hormones and Behavior BioNB 3220 (Adkins-Regan)
Animal Communication BioNB 4260 (Bradbury/Vehrencamp)
Computational Neuroscience BioNB 3300 (Linster)
Introduction to Sensory Systems BIONB 3960 (Halpern)
Neuroethology BioNB 4240 (Hopkins)
Experimental Molecular Neurobiology BioNB 4300 (Deitcher)
Neurobiology and Behavior
Program of Study
Special Topics Courses
• 4200 courses
• 1, 2 credits one time only courses
• Reviewing an important book, current topic, therapy, technique,
Examples (2011)
BioNB 4200 - Dis 203
Hopkins Neurobiology & Behavior
Jounal Club for Undergraduates
BioNB 4200, Dis 201 /
BioNB 7200, Dis 201 – The
Quest for Agelessness:
Molecular Biology of Aging
(Halpern)
BioNB 4200 – The
Neurobiology and Behavior of
Music (Hoy, Wyttenbach)
Neurobiology and Behavior
Program of Study
RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
BioNB 299 Introduction to Research
BioNB 499 Research in Neurobiology and Behavior
Over half of the NBB concentrators (c. 70+ per year) do at
least one semester of BioNB499.
Summer research (before junior or senior year)
Honors program
NSF REU program
More than 20 years of HHMI support for summer research
Neurobiology and Behavior
Program of Study
STUDENTS:
Average number of NBB graduates per year: 90
Average number of students enrolled in BioNB 2990 per semester (Intro to Research
Methods in Biology): 16.5
Average number of students enrolled in BioNB 4990 per semester (Independent
Undergraduate Research in Biology): 42
Average number of students who complete honors theses per year: 15