This course is offered to all graduate students in the division of Graduate Medical Sciences, and others with permission of the instructor. It is offered once every two years, and is next to be offered in Spring 2005. This course covers the anatomy and physiology of the visual system, including retina, thalamus, striate cortex, and extrastriate pathways. Emphasis is placed on exploring current issues in visual research. Students present primary journal articles and occasional reviews with guidance from faculty who are presently engaged in research involving the structures under discussion.

Course Goals
The goals of this course are for the student to become conversant in the specialized anatomical and physiological structures of the mammalian visual system and to understand how these relate to the processing of a visual scene. Students will be able to discuss current theories of visual scene analysis and the relationship of the visual system to the other sensory and motor systems of the brain. Students will also be able to discuss comparative studies, and also theories of how the visual system has evolved.

Course Faculty
The course is primarily taught by Drs. Louis Toth and Dae-Shik Kim. Other lecturers from BU or from outside institutions may be brought in as scheduling permits.