2010 / 2011 Division of Graduate Medical Sciences Programs

Neuroscience

In the fall of 2010 we intend to launch the Graduate Program in Neuroscience (GPN), a University-wide PhD degree-granting program in neuroscience that unites the graduate training faculty present on our two campuses, the Charles River Campus (CRC) and the Medical Campus (MED). The research of our training faculty covers virtually all areas of neuroscience and it is our intent that GPN will serve as the nexus point for all neuroscience training missions at Boston University via first, the merger of the current programs in Neuroscience (CRC) and Biomedical Neuroscience (MED) and the offering of joint degrees in Neuroscience through multiple departments of both campuses.

An essential feature of our training mission will be a set of core courses that are taken by all students which are aimed at developing a community of thinkers, who move through their training together, building relationships that cross inter-departmental and inter-campus barriers, and foster cross disciplinary collaborations.

As members of the unified program, neuroscience faculty will serve as thesis research mentors and/or knowledge facilitators, and work together to help students bridge the gap between their knowledge base of individual disciplines as well as their understanding of computational and experimental models. Every effort will be expended to provide an individually tailored mentorship and educational program for each student that builds upon their unique strengths and interests, while also recognizing areas that need enrichment via faculty guidance and curriculum choice.

There are four aspects of modern neuroscience that our program will address:

First, it is becoming increasingly clear that important breakthroughs in the field require ideas, approaches, and techniques originating from many disciplines. The GPN curriculum provides both (i) a broad cross-disciplinary core education including molecular, cellular, and systems, cognitive and behavioral, computational and clinical; and (ii) the flexibility to take neuroscience related coursework in any of the departments and programs of the University to build depth of specialization along different perspectives in a particular area of neuroscience.
Second, a critical aspect of GPN is the formation of a unified group of graduate students from across BU, including Arts & Sciences, Engineering, Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, and our Medical School. For the first year of training in GPN, these students take the “core” courses together, have the opportunity to be involved in common projects, and will participate as a community in all Boston University neuroscience activities.
Third, critical to the interdisciplinary focus of the training, is the participation of traditional science departments, which provide a large number of the elective courses and specialized training opportunities to complement the GPN curriculum. In addition, departments of a different discipline offer a joint degree in neuroscience that is coordinated with GPN to further enhance the interdisciplinary nature of the student community. These joint programs while retaining the excellence and character of current neuroscience efforts within departments of a different discipline will be connected to GPN via shared “core” coursework to enable the development of a true community of neuroscience students that are joined at a University-wide level.
Fourth, a strong emphasis is placed on building relationships among students and faculty across multiple disciplines to complement the traditional mentorship by the thesis advisor and to provide entry into the neuroscience research/student community of multiple BU schools with alternative scientific perspectives.

The Diverse Student Body

Because students who will enter GPN come from diverse backgrounds including psychology, engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, upon their mutual acceptance into the program they will be given the opportunity to fill any gaps in their training that might interfere with their ability to do their best in the upcoming core curriculum of their first and second years. This could mean enrolling in a particular summer course(s), taking a summer hands-on laboratory methods section (Tools of the Trade) that is organized by GPN faculty to introduce basic techniques in molecular or behavioral research; or even structured readings/discussions over the summer with a faculty member that are designed to stimulate a deeper understanding of a core discipline such as biology, biochemistry, or mathematics that might not have been fully emphasized in undergraduate coursework.

It is our belief that with a coherent educational program that embraces multiple complementary attitudes and approaches to scientific inquiry—breath vs. depth, multi-disciplinary vs. traditional discipline, basic vs. clinical science, and experimental approaches vs. theoretical (computational)—there is the greatest opportunity to create a young generation of researchers with sufficient expertise and flexibility to be able to come together and address some of the “big problems” in neuroscience.

Curriculum

Overview

During the first year of our intended program, students will take 10 credits of “core” coursework that covers the diverse field of neuroscience, from molecular to cellular and systems to cognition, including an introductory course in computational modeling. During their second year, they will take 10 credits a semester choosing a curriculum organized into five distinct pathways of emphasis (Molecular & Cellular Neuroscience; Behavioral & Cognitive Neuroscience; Systems Neuroscience; Neuromorphic Engineering; and Theoretical & Computational Neuroscience) or into a unique pathway that links multiple levels of analysis (Integrative Neuroscience). All pathways include a required course in probability and statistics that is relevant to the students’ thesis research. Students will also be exposed to major topics in human disease through required coursework that is specific to a pathway of emphasis, including an opportunity to observe clinical cases in neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, and speech and hearing.

In addition, all students will take a 2-credit seminar, Frontiers in Neuroscience, that is coordinated with the GPN seminars and a minimum of two laboratory rotations, with one in an area outside of their immediate interest. Before completion of coursework for the degree, additional credits of directed study in thesis research are used to make up the 64 credits necessary for partial fulfillment of the PhD. Students can also substitute additional coursework for directed study to make up the credit requirement for the degree, especially as needed based upon their choice of pathway emphasis or to supplement a lack of certain background during undergraduate study.

The goal for the majority of students will be to complete core requirements and to choose the laboratory for their thesis research by the end of the first year. Course requirements within a pathway of emphasis will most likely be completed by the end of the second year. All efforts will be made to tailor the training program to the individual goals of the student taking into account their previous training experiences either at the undergraduate or master’s level. GPN committees will continually evaluate, expand, and redesign “core” coursework and choices of advanced electives in order to offer its students the best curriculum available across the University.

Core Courses and Program Requirements

(A) CORE COURSES

An essential feature of the Program is a set of core courses: these are taken by all students in GPN during their first year and are aimed at developing a community of thinkers who move through the training program together, building relationships that cross departmental and campus barriers, and foster cross-disciplinary collaborations.

Based on their previous scientific background, students complete 8–10 credits of core neuroscience coursework that provides a strong foundation in this diverse field of graduate study. There are two team-taught lecture/discussion courses that are given sequentially over the first year. Each course has two directors, each from a different campus. GPN students register in the following:

Principles of Neuroscience I: From Molecules to Systems (GRS BI 755/GMS AN 810) (4 cr)
Principles of Neuroscience II: From Systems to Mind (GRS BI 756/GRS PS 738/GMS AN 811) (4 cr)

Additional core neuroscience requirements include: a 7-week intensive introductory course in data analysis and mathematical models for students who do not have a strong background in computation. Students that are pursuing thesis research in computational neuroscience (or who have taken an undergraduate course in the area) can substitute an elective within their pathway of emphasis for this requirement.

An Introduction to Mathematical Models and Data Analysis in Neuroscience (GRS MA 665) (2 cr)

This introductory course combines lectures and hands-on computer time to treat real laboratory data like case studies and motivates students to use the mathematical approach as a means to better understand their own research via statistical data analysis and modeling.

(B) ADDITIONAL REQUIRED CURRICULUM

In addition to the core curriculum, students also take the following seminar coursework during their first year and enroll in at least two laboratory rotations:

Frontiers in Neuroscience (NE500/501) (2 cr)

All students attend a weekly journal club/seminar course co-directed by a GPN faculty member from each campus that reviews the key research papers specific to weekly neuroscience seminar speakers and builds critical thinking and skills in oral presentation. Because the Neuroscience Program serves the University’s neuroscience community rather than a particular department, school, or program, the seminar series is coordinated with the many excellent offerings across Boston University (such as department seminars in anatomy and neurobiology, biochemistry, cognitive and neural Systems, and pharmacology and experimental therapeutics; the Spivak Center Neuroscience Distinguished Lecture Series; and the BU Neuroscience Center Presidential Lectures) to provide weekly seminars for GPN students and faculty. Additional seminars will be hosted by GPN to provide a balanced exposure for students to all areas of neuroscience as represented in the core training program. When possible, the seminar speaker will attend the journal club before her/his talk to hear neuroscience students give formal oral presentations that review and evaluate the work from their laboratory. Students will also meet as a group with distinguished lecturers from Center events or keynote speakers from BU Neuroscience Day to gain invaluable information and first-hand interactions with exceptional individuals working in the neurosciences.

Laboratory Rotations

Providing an enriching set of laboratory research experiences directed by GPN faculty for students during their first year is a central feature of the neuroscience training program at Boston University. The multitude of highly talented mentors who have funded research projects provides the student with a large number of potential laboratories from which to choose their thesis research mentor that will complement their current interests, and through laboratory rotations, expand their horizons into different areas of investigation that they may grow towards in the future. All students will take a minimum of two rotations with at least one rotation in an area outside of their initial research interests. Students can also request additional rotations should they not find a mentor after completion of the second rotation, or if they would like more exposure to other methodologies used in neuroscience.

(C) PATHWAYS OF EMPHASIS AND ELECTIVE STUDY

The rest of the credits towards the PhD degree come from required and/or elective study (12 credit minimum) that is organized into five distinct pathways of emphasis (Behavioral & Cognitive, Molecular & Cellular, Systems, Neuromorphic Engineering, and Theoretical & Computational) as well as a unique pathway (Integrative) that contains advanced coursework in all areas of the “core” training that was taken during the first year.

Regardless of pathway emphasis, taking advantage of the translational research and history of clinical training at the Medical Campus and rehabilitative health sciences at the CRC, all students take coursework (2 cr) and participate in clinical rounds that provide an exposure to topics relevant to human disease (such as Autism, Alzheimer’s, Drug Abuse, Epilepsy, Parkinson’s, Schizophrenia, and Disorders of Hearing & Speech). They also take a required course in probability and statistics that is appropriate to their area of thesis research.

For example, students in the Molecular & Cellular pathway of emphasis take the following:

Foundations in Clinical Neuroscience: From Molecules to Disorders (GMS MS 783) (2 cr)

This advanced course in clinical neuroscience is for students with a background in molecular and cellular neuroscience and provides the focus for an understanding of how endogenous substances act in the brain, the challenges faced in the development of effective therapies that target the nervous system, and what molecules can tell us about disease etiology and the potential for future treatment. This course is coordinated with clinical rounds that are offered through the Boston VA hospital as well as the Alzheimer’s Disease Center located on the MED campus.

Options for clinically relevant courses specific to other pathways of emphasis cover topics ranging from neuropsychology to human imaging and neural engineering, as well as the rehabilitative sciences offered at BU’s Sargent College.

Additional program credits come from directed ctudy during thesis research to make up the 64 cr PhD requirement. Students also take required workshops in neuroscience ethics and responsible conduct of research, attend all seminars and program events of the GPN, workshops in professional development, and participate in at least one teaching or outreach activity.

(D) HANDS-ON LABORATORY BOOT CAMP

Before starting in the training program, the GEC Oversight Committee reviews the research experiences of each of the students to determine whether they have had basic training in molecular, behavioral, and/or cognitive research. Based upon their history of undergraduate or post-baccalaureate experiences they will be advised to take a series of group method sessions called Tools of the Trade run by faculty in the summer that provide students with the essential hands-on experience necessary to make their laboratory rotations in the fall meaningful for their graduate-level training. In Tools of the Trade, students learn some of the basic techniques necessary for conducting laboratory research in the field of neuroscience, independent of their current research interests. Students that have already had experience in both molecular and cognitive research can petition to the GEC to waive the requirement and students who are unable to attend during the summer can take the sessions as part of their Laboratory Research Experience class during the Fall Semester before beginning laboratory rotations.

For instance, group activities may be organized around detection of an important neuronal RNA via real-time PCR, the identification of a single nucleotide polymorphism in a DNA sample from a patient with a neurodegenerative disease, identification of protein in brain slices using immunohistochemistry and fluorescence microscopy, electrophysiological measurements or calcium imaging of living neurons, interaction of transcription factors with DNA regulatory elements that control expression of neural-specific genes, neuroimaging of the brain to detect the activation of particular brain structures, and running of a behavioral task with animals to address questions of learning and memory. Projects vary with the expertise and interests of the participating GPN faculty. Students will receive 1 directed study credit by registering for Tools of the Trade.

Electives

In the intended program students will acquire their more advanced training from coursework offered in departments around the University in order to fulfill the credit requirements for the PhD degree. Please contact the Program Office (617-638-4303) for the most up-to-date information regarding the choice of electives and required curriculum specific to the following proposed pathways of emphasis that will be guided by specialized GPN committees:

Behavioral & Cognitive
Molecular & Cellular Systems
Theoretical & Computational
Neuromorphic Engineering Integrative

The following is a list of potential electives organized by topic area

*Medical Campus

Relevant to Molecular, Cellular & Systems (see also Computational)

(CAS BI 520) Sensory Neurobiology (4)
(CAS BI 545) Neurobiology of Motivated Behavior (4)
(CAS BI 575) Techniques in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (4)
(CAS BI 599) Neurobiology of Synapses (4)
(CAS PS 530) Neural Models of Memory Function (4)
(GMS AN 702) *Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (2)
(GMS AN 709) *Neural Development and Plasticity (2)
(GMS AN 804) *Methods in Neuroscience (4)
(GMS AN 807) *Neurobiology of the Visual System (2)
(GMS BN 798) *Functional Neuroanatomy in Neuropsychology (4)
(GMS PM 860) *Electrophysiology and Pharmacology of the Synapse (2 cr)
(GMS PM 892) *Molecular and Neural Bases of Learning Behaviors (2)
(GRS BI 644) Neuroethology (4)
(GRS BI 645) Cellular and Molecular Neurophysiology (4)
(GRS BI 655) Developmental Neurobiology (4)
(GRS BI 681) Molecular Biology of the Neuron (4)
(SAR HS 550) Neural Systems (4)
(SAR HS 755) Readings in Neuroscience (4)

Relevant to Biomedical & Translational

(CAS BI 554) Neuroendocrinology (4)
(GMS AN 808) *Neuroanatomical Basis of Neurological Disorders (2)
(GMS AN 707) *Neurobiology of Aging (2)
(GMS AN 713) *Autism: Clinical and Neuroscience Perspectives (2)
(GMS AN 804) *Methods in Neuroscience (4)
(GMS AN 808) *Neuroanatomical Basis of Neurological Disorders (2)
(GMS PM 820) *Neuropsychopharmacology (2)
(GMS PM 840) *Neuroendocrine Pharmacology (2)
(GMS PM 850) *Biochemical Neuropharmacology (2)
(GMS IM 690) *Imaging of Neurologic Disease (2)
(GMS BN 782) *Forensic Neuropsychology (4)
(GMS BN 793) *Adult Communication Disorders (4)
(GMS BN 891 & 892) *Case Studies in Neuropsychology (three different clinical rounds, sections A1, B1, and C1) (2 credits each section)
(GMS BN 893) *Child Clinical Neuropsychology (4)
(GMS BN 796) *Neuropsychological Assessment I (4)
(GMS BN 797) *Neuropsychological Assessment II (4)
(GMS BN 821) *Neuroimaging Seminar (2)

Behavioral & Cognitive Neuroscience

(CAS PS 520) Research Methods in Perception and Cognition (4)
(CAS PS 525) Cognitive Science (4)
(CAS PS 528) Human Brain Mapping (4)
(CAS PS 544) Developmental Neuropsychology (4)
(CAS PS 721) General Experimental (4)
(CAS PS 734) Psychopharmacology (4)
(CAS PS 737) Memory Systems of the Brain (4)
(CAS PS 738) Techniques in Systems & Behavioral Neuroscience (4)
(CAS PS 821) Learning (4)
(CAS PS 822) Visual Perception (4)
(CAS PS 824) Cognitive Psychology (4)
(CAS PS 828) Seminar in Psycholinguistics (4)
(CAS PS 831) Seminar in Neuropsychology (4)
(CAS PS 833) Advanced Physiological Psychology (4)
(CAS PS 835) Attention (4)
(ENG BE 715) Functional Neuroimaging (4)
(GMS BN 795) *Neuropsychology of Perception and Memory (4)
(GMS AN 716) *Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience (4)
(GRS PS 829) Principles in Neuropsychology (4)

Theoretical & Computational Neuroscience

(CAS CN 500) Computational Methods in Cognitive and Neural Systems (4)
(CAS CN 510) Principles and Methods of Cognitive and Neural Modeling I (4)
(CAS CN 520) Principles and Methods of Cognitive and Neural Modeling II (4)
(CAS CN 530) Neural and Computational Models of Vision (4)
(CAS CN 540) Neural and Computational Models of Adaptive Movement and Planning Control (4)
(CAS CN 550) Neural and Computational Models of Recognition, Memory, and Attention (4)
(CAS CN 560) (co-listed as BE 509) Neural and Computational Models of Speech and Hearing (4)
(CAS CN 570) Neural and Computational Models of Conditioning, Reinforcement, Motivation, and Rhythm (4)
(CAS CN 580) Introduction to Computational Neuroscience (4)
(GRS CN 700) Computational and Mathematical Methods in Neural Modeling (4)
(GRS CN 710) Advanced Topics in Neural Modeling: Comparative Analysis of Learning Systems (4)
(GRS CN 720) Neural and Computational Models of Planning and Temporal Structure in Behavior (4)
(GRS CN 730) Models of Visual Perception (4)
(GRS CN 740) Topics in Sensory Motor Control (4)
(GRS CN 760) Topics in Speech Perception and Recognition (4)
(GRS CN 780) Topics in Computational Neuroscience (4)
(GRS CS 640) Artificial Intelligence (4)
(ENG BE 509) (co-listed as CN 560) Quantitative Physiology of the Auditory System (4)
(ENG BE 570) Introduction to computational vision (4)
(ENG BE 701) Auditory Signal Processing: Peripheral (4)
(ENG BE 702) Auditory Signal Processing: Central (4)
(ENG BE 707) Quantitative Studies of Excitable Membranes (4)
(ENG BE 710) Neural Plasticity and Perceptual Learning (4)

Coursework in related disciplines:

(CAS MA 565) Math Models in the Life Sciences (4)
(CAS MA 573) Qualitative Theory of Ordinary Differential Equations (4)
(CAS MA 581) Probability (4)
(CAS MA 582) Mathematical Statistics (4)
(CAS MA 583) Introduction to Stochastic Processes (4)
(CAS MA 584) Multivariate Statistical Analysis (4)
(CAS MA 585) Time Series and Forecasting (4)
(CAS MA 684) Applied Multiple Regression and Multivariable Method (4)
(ENG BE 515) Introduction to Medical Imaging (4)
(ENG BE 540) Bioelectrical Signals: Analysis and Interpretation (4)
(ENG BE 550) Bioelectromechanics (4)
(ENG BE 560) Biomolecular Architecture (4)
(ENG BE 740) Parameter Estimation and Systems Identification (4)
(ENG BE 747) Advanced Signals and Systems Analysis for Biomedical Engineering (4)
(CAS BI 552/553) Molecular Biology (4,4)
(GMS BI 782) *Molecular Biology (4)
(CAS BI 555) Techniques in Cell Biology (4)
(GRS BI 735) Advanced Cell Biology (4)
(CAS BI 721) Biochemistry (4)
(CAS MB 722) Advanced Biochemistry (4)
(GMS BL 755/756) * Biochemistry (4,4)
(GRS BI 621/622) Biochemistry (4,4)
(GMS BI 789) *Physical Biochemistry (2)
(CAS BI 556) Membrane Biochemistry and Cell Signaling (4)
(CAS BI 551) Biology of Stem Cells (4)
(ENG BE 561) DNA and Protein Sequence Analysis (4)
(ENG BE 700) Advanced Topics in Biomedical Engineering (4)
(GMS BI 776) *Gene Targeting in Transgenic Mice (2)
(GMS BI 786) *Biochemical Mechanisms of Aging (2)
(GMS BI 797) *Molecular Mechanisms of Growth and Development (2)
(GMS PM 800) *Systems Pharmacology (4)
(GMS PM 832) *Pharmacogenomics (2)
(GMS PM 843) *Pharmacologic Intervention in Inflammatory Responses (2)
(GMS PM 880) *Gene Regulation and Pharmacology (2)
(GMS PM 881) *Drug Discovery and Development (2)
(GMS MI 713) *Comprehensive Immunology (4)
(GMS MM 701) *Genetics and Epidemiology of Human Disease (2)
(GMS MM 703) *Cancer Biology and Genetics (2)
(GMS MM 710) *Molecules to Molecular Therapeutics: The Translation of Molecular Observations to Clinical Implementation (4)
(MET AD 893) Technology Commercialization: From Lab to Market (4)