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The Student Advisory Committee, currently chaired by
Dr. Larry Kromer, is established to assist the student in planning
their educational program. Because of the highly individualized nature
of the training needs of Ph.D. students, a specific curriculum will be
designed by each student with the advice and approval of the student's
Faculty Advisor, the Student Advisory Committee and, when chosen, the Thesis
Mentor.
At least 40 credit hours of graduate courses beyond
the bachelor's degree are required by the Program. The Core Courses
in Neuroscience (17 credit hours, NSCI 501, 503, 545), the Neuroscience Survey Course (2 credit hours),
a course in Critical Reading of Scientific Literature (1 credit hour),
Neurobiology of Disease (2 credit hours), and an ethics course
(2 credit hours) are requirements for all students.
It is expected that students will register for between 9 and 12 credit hours
per semester for 4 semesters. Seminar and Journal Club are continuous and students are expected to attend and participate throughout.
Additional courses are available from the list of
elective courses
in neuroscience, physiology, pharmacology, cell biology,
biochemistry, biology, biostatistics, and psychology. Although specific
elective courses are not required, it is expected that all students will
have familiarity with disciplines related to neuroscience such as biochemistry,
cell biology, immunology, behavior, endocrinology, molecular biology, pharmacology, physiology and statistics. This understanding may be obtained through a variety of mechanisms, including tutorial readings, didactic coursework, and laboratory experience. No specific didactic course requirements beyond the core neuroscience courses are dictated by our curriculum in order to
allow students maximum flexibility in tailoring their training to their
individual background, needs and interests. All students are expected to
be capable of reading neuroscience papers in a variety of areas (from molecular/cellular to neurophysiological, from animal autonomic physiology to human cognitive neuroimaging, etc.) and to be able to grasp the fundamental aspects of
experimental design and interpretation in those readings. In addition,
all students are expected to obtain advanced knowledge in specific areas
of neuroscience that relate to their research interests.
The most important aspect of the Ph.D. program is
the dissertation research. Students begin to experience laboratory research
through the series of Laboratory Rotations (at least 3 are required),
then continue in their mentor's laboratory (during the second year of training)
to acquire specific skills and preliminary data that will support their
thesis research. With the completion of core course work, a Comprehensive
Exam is taken at the end of the first year. Laboratory rotations begin the summer, prior
to starting coursework. The second and third rotations take place during
the first year. By the end of this period (beginning
of year 2), most students will have identified the laboratory of their
choice for their thesis research. During the second year, the students
are expected to begin to gain the techniques and preliminary data that
will be needed for formulating their thesis proposal. Students may prepare predoctoral fellowship applications (with the guidance of the
faculty mentor chosen as thesis advisor) during their second year in order to compete for individual funding for their thesis research period. Full-time thesis research begins during the summer after the second year.
The curriculum of the typical student in the IPN is
made up of a mix of didactic coursework and research- and skill-related
(nondidactic) learning experiences for which credit is given.
A student may take as few as 1 or as many as 5
elective courses
per semester during the first two
years. The number will depend upon the student's background and training needs. Elective courses can be
chosen from those provided by the affiliated departments:
Cell Biology,
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,
Biology,
Neuroscience,
Pharmacology,
Physiology and Biophysics,
and
Psychology.
Required Courses:
Core Courses in Neuroscience: 17 credits
- NSCI-501, 503, 545 (Core Courses in Neuroscience)
-
(17 credits total) A one-year series of courses designed to introduce basic
concepts in neuroscience and the experimental strategies that have been
used to achieve our current awareness of the structure and function of
the nervous systems. Each course in the series is comprised of independent modules:
-
NSCI-501
(Cellular, Molecular and Developmental Neurobiology)
- (6 credits - fall) The structure
and function of cells specific to nervous systems. Morphological, physiological
and molecular attributes of neurons and glia are considered with respect
to understanding the basis for the intercellular communication processes
that characterize nervous systems. Principles
of development of nervous systems. The birth of neurons and glia, factors
that influence the function of growth cones, establishment of connections,
target specificity, neuronal cell death, etc. Critical periods and the role of neurotrophic factors in development will also be discussed.
The course is divided into four modules.
Each of the four modules are taken as one component and they provide fundamentals
of nervous system development and organization, cellular components of the
nervous system, neurophysiology, basic pharmacology of neurotransmitters
and their receptors, and CNS control of homeostatic functions. Students who register for this course must take all four modules
in sequence.
To Print a Window - Right Click (not in a table) and Choose Print
Module #1 Neuropharmacology and Signal Transduction. Topics covered
include: Neurotransmitter biosynthesis, receptor subtypes and their functions,
intracellular signaling, and neurotrophic factors.
Reading list for Module
Learning objectives
2005 exam
Module #2 Cellular Neurophysiology. Topics covered include: Electronic
properties of axons and dendrites, membrane potential and action potentials,
basic description of neurotransmitters and their release, neurotransmitter
receptors, postsynaptic potentials and information processing in dendrites.
Reading list for Module
Learning objectives
Module #3 Nervous System Development, Cell Death and Regeneration.
Topics covered include: neural induction, neurogenesis, pattern formation
and neuronal differentiation, growth cones and axon pathfinding, synapse
formation and elimination, programmed cell death, and axonal regeneration.
Reading list for Module
Learning objectives
Module #4 Regulatory Systems. Topics covered include: Overview of
regulatory systems of the hypothalamus, central control of autonomic functions, cardiorespiratory system, regulation of food and water intake and metabolism,
and neuroendocrine systems.
Reading list for Module
Learning objectives
NSCI-503
(The Vertebrate Nervous System: Basic Principles of
Organization and Function and Cortical Functions and Dysfunction)- (6 credits - spring) An overview of the functional anatomy of
the normal adult vertebrate nervous system. Principles of organization
and of embryonic development through which the basic plan is established.
The major structures and pathways that subserve sensory, motor and integrative
functions are considered from the peripheral receptors/effectors through the level of perception and behavior.
- Regional cortical functions are considered in terms
of the anatomical, cellular and molecular basis for the normal function
as well as known clinical dysfunctions. Current and potential future research
on these disorders is discussed from the viewpoint of strategies and methods
for learning more about the normal and diseased nervous systems, including
neurophysiology, neuropsychology and functional imaging. Neuropsychiatric
and neuropsychological disorders are emphasized, and research on animals and humans is compared.
Each of the four modules are taken as one component and they provide basic
CNS control of sensory functions, and behavioral and cognitive neuroscience
as well as diseases of the nervous system. Students who register for this course must take all four modules
in sequence.
Module #5 Sensory Systems. Topics covered include: Critical periods
for sensory system formation, sensory transduction, fundamentals of sensory
systems, chemical senses, somatosensory functions, audition, and vision. Also part of this module is a minimodule on
Neuroanatomy which has a
Set of Objectives on
Neuroanatomy that you can download.
Module #6 Fundamentals of motor systems,
neuron-muscle units, spinal cord motor functions, supraspinal descending
control of postural and voluntary movement, basal ganglia, cerebellum,
occulomotor, and
motor functions of the neocortex.
Module #7
Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience. Topics covered include:
Cognitive development, object and face recognition, spatial cognition, attention,
learning and memory, language and communication, hemispheric specialization,
and brain disorders (Schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and Epilepsy).
Module #8 (NSCI
545 - 5 credits - IPN Ph.D. students only) Neuroanatomy and Diseases of the Nervous System.
The medical neuroscience course is used as a forum to learn neuroanatomy,
neural systems, and diseases of the nervous system.
-
NSCI-505 (Neuroscience Survey I)
- (2 hrs, Graded) The courses provides a survey of neuroscience research being conducted at Georgetown University. Each semester the course is given, 16 faculty members present research from their laboratories and emphasize the experimental design strategies. Different faculty are chosen to present in different semesters. Students are given a reading list for each topic and the formal presentation by the faculty member is followed by an interactive discussion session. Students prepare a mini-grant proposal on a research topic chosen in consultation with the course director and a faculty member with expertise on the topic.
This course is only in the fall and is a requirement for all
first-year IPN students.
-
NSCI-507 (Critical Reading in Neuroscience)
- (1 hr, P/F) In this course, first-year students in the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience read and critically evaluate current research literature. All students in the class are responsible for reading and "dissecting" every paper. The discussion of a single paper lasts two weeks. Analysis is conducted by identifying the given facts from previous research and the hypotheses that the authors are attempting to prove. The methods (Experimental Design) and results are critically examined in the context of the hypotheses. Before evaluating the conclusions, the class generates a list of questions and "Learning Objectives" which are addressed by researching previous literature prior to the second meeting. The second session begins with a discussion of the information relevant to the learning objectives and the questions raised during the first week are answered before evaluating the conclusions of the paper. Faculty members facilitate the discussion. When outside speakers come for the Neuroscience Seminar series, a paper from the speaker's laboratory is analyzed and the speaker is present for one class session. This gives students the opportunity to meet and interact with the visiting speaker. The students have a chance to ask the speaker questions pertaining to the research reported in the paper and its conclusions. This has proved highly productive and educational both for the students and the speakers.
This course is offered only in the fall and is a requirement for all first-year IPN students.
-
NSCI-532 (Survival Skills and Ethics for Emerging Scientists)
- (2hr P/F) This course will allow the student to develop an
understanding of the skills and ethical questions important for a
successful and satisfying career in science. This course is
offered only in the spring and is a requirement for all first-year IPN
students.
-
NSCI-533, 534 (Neurobiology of Disease I [Fall] and II [Spring])
- (1hr each P/F) In this course, a clinical understanding of
neurological and psychiatric disorders will inform, enrich, and
contextualize basic neuroscience education. Interactive disease-oriented
problem-solving will be an organizing and assessment principle in the
classroom, introducing both clinical case presentations and clinical
research literature in the context of a series of basic science topics
(concurrently taught in the basic neuroscience core course). Selected
disease-oriented themes (e.g., Autism, Stroke, Epilepsy, Alzheimer’s
Disease and Dementias, Schizophrenia, Spinal Cord Injury, Addiction,
Parkinson’s Disease) will cut across and integrate the various levels of
analysis: from genes to systems, channels to cognition, and circuits to
emotions. Discussion will focus on current clinical etiological,
diagnostic and therapeutic features, as well as historical perspectives
and research approaches for improving diagnosis and therapy. Faculty
teaching the course are from the Georgetown Hospital, the VA Medical
Center (Center For Schizophrenia and Neuroscience Research), National
Rehabilitation Hospital, and Children’s National Medical Center.
Students will gain an appreciation for the clinical context for their
own research, ideas for novel research questions, and a facility for
establishing clinical collaborations. This course is
a requirement for all first-year IPN
students.
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