1. Home
  2. Course list
  3. Courses for Spring 2022
Title Instructors Location Time Description Cross listings Fulfills Registration notes Syllabus Syllabus URL
BIBB 060-301 Music & the Brain Michael Kaplan LERN 210 TR 12:00 PM-01:30 PM Every human culture that has ever been described makes some form of music. The musics of different cultures cover a wide range of styles, but also display fascinating similarities, and a number of features are shared by even the most disparate musical traditions. Within our own culture, music is inescapable-there are very few individuals who do not listen to some form of music every day and far more who listen to music virtually all day long. Appreciation of music comes very early: newborns prefer music to normal speech and mothers all over the world sing to their babies in a fundamentally similar way. And yet, despite this seeming ubiquity, the real origin and purpose of music remains unknown. Music is obviously related to language, but how? Why do so many cultures make music in such fundamentally similar ways? What goes into the formation of music "taste" and preferences? Does music have survival value, or is it merely "auditory cheesecake", a superfluous byproduct of evolution as some critics have maintained? What is the nature of musical ability and how do musicians differ from non-musicians? In this course, we will look for answers by looking at the brain. Almost 200 years of scientific research into brain mechanisms underlying the production and appreciation of music is beginning to shed light on these and other questions. Although the sciences and the arts are often seen as entirely separate or even in opposition, studying the brain is actually telling us a lot about music, and studying music is telling us just as much about the brain. Course is available to Freshmen.
Freshman Seminar
BIBB 109-401 Intro To Brain & Behav Michael Kane LEVN AUD TR 12:00 PM-01:30 PM Introduction to the structure and function of the vertebrate nervous system. We begin with the cellular basis of neuronal activities, then discuss the physiological bases of motor control, sensory systems, motivated behaviors, and higher mental processes. This course is intended for students interested in the neurobiology of behavior, ranging from animal behaviors to clinical disorders. BIOL109401, PSYC109401 Living World Sector Registration also required for Laboratory (see below) https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2022A&course=BIBB109401
BIBB 109-402 Introduction To Brain and Behavior Joseph Tyler Gallegos LLAB 104 M 08:30 AM-10:00 AM Introduction to the structure and function of the vertebrate nervous system. We begin with the cellular basis of neuronal activities, then discuss the physiological bases of motor control, sensory systems, motivated behaviors, and higher mental processes. This course is intended for students interested in the neurobiology of behavior, ranging from animal behaviors to clinical disorders. BIOL109402, PSYC109402 Registration also required for Lecture (see below)
BIBB 109-403 Introduction To Brain and Behavior Marissa Jane Maroni LLAB 104 M 10:15 AM-11:45 AM Introduction to the structure and function of the vertebrate nervous system. We begin with the cellular basis of neuronal activities, then discuss the physiological bases of motor control, sensory systems, motivated behaviors, and higher mental processes. This course is intended for students interested in the neurobiology of behavior, ranging from animal behaviors to clinical disorders. BIOL109403, PSYC109403 Registration also required for Lecture (see below)
BIBB 109-404 Introduction To Brain and Behavior Evan J Rosario LLAB 104 M 12:00 PM-01:30 PM Introduction to the structure and function of the vertebrate nervous system. We begin with the cellular basis of neuronal activities, then discuss the physiological bases of motor control, sensory systems, motivated behaviors, and higher mental processes. This course is intended for students interested in the neurobiology of behavior, ranging from animal behaviors to clinical disorders. BIOL109404, PSYC109404 Registration also required for Lecture (see below)
BIBB 109-405 Introduction To Brain and Behavior Julie Priya Merchant LLAB 104 M 01:45 PM-03:15 PM Introduction to the structure and function of the vertebrate nervous system. We begin with the cellular basis of neuronal activities, then discuss the physiological bases of motor control, sensory systems, motivated behaviors, and higher mental processes. This course is intended for students interested in the neurobiology of behavior, ranging from animal behaviors to clinical disorders. BIOL109405, PSYC109405 Registration also required for Lecture (see below)
BIBB 109-406 Introduction To Brain and Behavior Valerie Jill Sydnor LLAB 104 M 03:30 PM-05:00 PM Introduction to the structure and function of the vertebrate nervous system. We begin with the cellular basis of neuronal activities, then discuss the physiological bases of motor control, sensory systems, motivated behaviors, and higher mental processes. This course is intended for students interested in the neurobiology of behavior, ranging from animal behaviors to clinical disorders. BIOL109406, PSYC109406 Registration also required for Lecture (see below)
BIBB 109-407 Introduction To Brain and Behavior Ethan Bennett Blackwood LLAB 104 M 05:15 PM-06:45 PM Introduction to the structure and function of the vertebrate nervous system. We begin with the cellular basis of neuronal activities, then discuss the physiological bases of motor control, sensory systems, motivated behaviors, and higher mental processes. This course is intended for students interested in the neurobiology of behavior, ranging from animal behaviors to clinical disorders. BIOL109407, PSYC109407 Registration also required for Lecture (see below)
BIBB 109-408 Introduction To Brain and Behavior Yuzhang Chen LLAB 104 T 08:30 AM-10:00 AM Introduction to the structure and function of the vertebrate nervous system. We begin with the cellular basis of neuronal activities, then discuss the physiological bases of motor control, sensory systems, motivated behaviors, and higher mental processes. This course is intended for students interested in the neurobiology of behavior, ranging from animal behaviors to clinical disorders. BIOL109408, PSYC109408 Registration also required for Lecture (see below)
BIBB 109-409 Introduction To Brain and Behavior Kara Duplessis Mcgaughey LLAB 104 T 10:15 AM-11:45 AM Introduction to the structure and function of the vertebrate nervous system. We begin with the cellular basis of neuronal activities, then discuss the physiological bases of motor control, sensory systems, motivated behaviors, and higher mental processes. This course is intended for students interested in the neurobiology of behavior, ranging from animal behaviors to clinical disorders. BIOL109409, PSYC109409 Registration also required for Lecture (see below)
BIBB 109-601 Intro To Brain & Behav Judith Mclean LLAB 109 TR 05:15 PM-06:45 PM Introduction to the structure and function of the vertebrate nervous system. We begin with the cellular basis of neuronal activities, then discuss the physiological bases of motor control, sensory systems, motivated behaviors, and higher mental processes. This course is intended for students interested in the neurobiology of behavior, ranging from animal behaviors to clinical disorders. Living World Sector Permission Needed From Department
Permission Needed From LPS Office
Course Must Be Taken For A Grade
Registration also required for Laboratory (see below) 		https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2022A&course=BIBB109601
BIBB 109-602 Introduction To Brain and Behavior Jacob T Lewin LLAB 115 M 05:15 PM-06:45 PM Introduction to the structure and function of the vertebrate nervous system. We begin with the cellular basis of neuronal activities, then discuss the physiological bases of motor control, sensory systems, motivated behaviors, and higher mental processes. This course is intended for students interested in the neurobiology of behavior, ranging from animal behaviors to clinical disorders. Permission Needed From Department
Permission Needed From LPS Office
Registration also required for Lecture (see below)
BIBB 109-603 Introduction To Brain and Behavior Bergan M Babrowicz LLAB 104 W 05:15 PM-06:45 PM Introduction to the structure and function of the vertebrate nervous system. We begin with the cellular basis of neuronal activities, then discuss the physiological bases of motor control, sensory systems, motivated behaviors, and higher mental processes. This course is intended for students interested in the neurobiology of behavior, ranging from animal behaviors to clinical disorders. Permission Needed From Department
Permission Needed From LPS Office
Registration also required for Lecture (see below)
BIBB 160-001 Abcs Everyday Neurosc Loretta Flanagan-Cato LEVN 111 TR 10:15 AM-11:45 AM This course is an opportunity for undergraduates to share their interest and enthusiasm for neuroscience with students in grades 9-12 attending urban public schools in West Philadelphia. The course will allow Penn students to develop their science communication and teaching skills. Students will prepare neuroscience demonstrations, hands-on activities, and assessment tools. In parallel, the course aims to engage local high school students, increasing their interest and knowledge in science, and ultimately promoting lifelong science literacy. An Academically Based Community Serv Course
Enrollment By Application Only 		https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2022A&course=BIBB160001
BIBB 233-001 Neuroethology Judith Mclean GLAB 101 TR 01:45 PM-03:15 PM In course, students will learn how neurobiologists study the relationship between neural circuitry and behavior. Behaviors such as bat echolocation, birdsong, insect olfaction, spatial navigation, eye movement and others will be used to explore fundamental principles of brain function that include brain oscillations, population codes, efference copy, sensorimotor maps and sleep replay. The course will also discuss the various methodologies that are used to address these questions. The reading material will be derived mostly from the primary literature. https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2022A&course=BIBB233001
BIBB 240-001 Chronobiology and Sleep David M. Raizen MRGN CL62 TR 03:30 PM-04:45 PM Topics to be covered include basic principles of chronobiology; neuroscience mechanisms of circadian rhythms and sleep; phylogeny and ontongeny of sleep; human sleep and sleep disorders; circadian dysfunction; circadian and sleep homeostatic influences in human health and safety. Students may not recieve credit for both BIBB 240 and BIBB 040. https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2022A&course=BIBB240001
BIBB 249-401 Cognitive Neuroscience Michael Arcaro ANNS 110 TR 10:15 AM-11:45 AM The study of the neural systems that underlie human perception, memory and language; and of the pathological syndromes that result from damage to these systems. PSYC149401 https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2022A&course=BIBB249401
BIBB 269-001 Autonomic Physiology Jennifer N. Heerding LLAB 109 TR 12:00 PM-01:30 PM This course will introduce the student to the functioning of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which is critically involved in the maintenance of body homeostasis through regulation of behavior and physiology. The course will begin with a review of the basic anatomy and physiology of the ANS including the sympathetic, parasympathetic and enteric divisions. The mechanisms by which the ANS regulates peripheral tissues will be discussed, including reflex and regulatory functions, as will the effect of drugs which modulate ANS activity. The role of the ANS in regulating behavior will be addressed in the context of thirst, salt appetite and food intake. https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2022A&course=BIBB269001
BIBB 375-101 Lab in Animal Behavior Michael Kane LLAB 104 W 10:15 AM-01:15 PM This course will allow students to understand the variety, function, and evolution of complex behaviors in simple animals and how the genes governing these behaviors can be used to provide insight into human behavior and brain disease. The course is structured to allow students to experience what it is like to work in a neuroscience research laboratory. We will use the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) as our model organism (with one class dedicated to song birds). Over the course of the semester, we will examine the underlying neurobiology, physiology, and genetics of a variety of fly behaviors to understand aggression, taste, learning and memory, courtship, neurodegenerative diseases, and circadian rhythms. We will review both current and historical research advances in detail by focusing on primary literature. Students will be expected to design, analyze and interpret the behavioral experiments that are employed. Students will learn how to conduct animal behavior research, enhance their ability to critically read scientific literature, and improve their written and oral communication skills through paper presentations and written reports. https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2022A&course=BIBB375101
BIBB 420-601 Smell and Taste Brian C. Lewandowski BENN 201 W 07:00 PM-10:00 PM All organisms respond to chemicals in their environment. This chemosensation guides diverse behaviors such as a feeding, avoiding predators, sex, and social interactions. This course will provide a broad survey of our current understanding of taste and smell, focusing on insect and rodent model systems as well as studies in humans. The course will begin with a review of chemical signal transduction mechanisms, and build to an exploration of the cortical integration of chemical signals and chemical guided behaviors. Class time will emphasize primary literature, discussion, and student presentations. The goal is to reach an integrated understanding of the physiology and psychology of chemical sensory systems. In the process, students will learn to read and critically evaluate data from primary research articles. Course Must Be Taken For A Grade
BIBB 429-401 Sleep and Memory Anna Schapiro T 01:45 PM-04:45 PM Why do we sleep? This question has puzzled scientists for centuries, but one reason emerging from research in the area is that sleep is critical for forming, retaining, and transforming our memories. This seminar explores human and animal research in psychology and neuroscience that has shed light on how sleep carries out these functions. Topics will include the different stages of sleep and their roles in memory consolidation, the neural systems involved in representing memory at different timescales, and the role of dreams in processing memories. PSYC429401 https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2022A&course=BIBB429401
BIBB 430-601 Neuro Basis of Autism John D Herrington WILL 25 MW 07:00 PM-08:30 PM This course examines the neurobiological processes underlying autism spectrum disorders. In this seminar course, we will first examine the brain phenotypes associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), in addition to investigating the genetic and environmental contributions to the etiology and pathophysiology of ASD. After an initial examination of the clinical literature and research, we will focus on animal models of ASD, including those of syndromic causes of autism (Rett Syndrome, Tuberous Sclerosis, Fragile X) and investigate changes in neurotransmitter systems and synaptic dysfunctions in the brain of these models. Course Must Be Taken For A Grade
BIBB 440-301 Neuroscience Behind Cwct: Neuroscience Behind the Addiction To Chocolate,Wine,Coffee & Tobacco Mariella De Biasi GLAB 102 TR 10:15 AM-11:45 AM Both clinical observations and popular culture support the idea that food might have addictive properties. Similar to the narrative for addictive drugs,individuals and the media use terms like "food addict" and "chocoholic", and refer to cravings, symptoms of withdrawal, and escalating patterns of eating that might be viewed as evidence of tolerance. The class will discuss chocolate and coffee as examples of so-called "addictive" food and compare their effects and mechanisms with those of alcohol and nicotine, two substances with well-characterzed addictive properties. Furthermore, we will discuss why some forms of overeating are thought to reflect an addictive behavior. Considering the social dimension of alcohol,coffee, and tobacco consumption and the fact that large numbers of the population consume them together, we will also discuss the possible interactive effects of combinationsof these psychoactive substances on mood and disease state. At the end of the course the student will become familiar with the diagnostic criteria for substance dependence, the anatomy and physiology of the brain circuits involvedin reward processing and drug depencence, and the neurotransmitter systems involved.
BIBB 442-401 Neurobiol Learn & Memory Mary Ellen Kelly DRLB 2C6 W 01:45 PM-04:45 PM This course focuses on the current state of our knowledge about the neurobiological basis of learning and memory. A combination of lectures and student seminars will explore the molecular and cellular basis of learning in invertebrates and vertebrates from a behavioral and neural perspective. PSYC421401, NGG575401, BIOL442401 https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2022A&course=BIBB442401
BIBB 475-301 Neurodegenerative Diseas Mary Ellen Kelly WILL 220 TR 01:45 PM-03:15 PM This course will familiarize students with advances in our understanding of the clinical features and pathogenesis of a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, prion diseases, Parkinson's disease and atypical parkinsonisms, neurodegenerative ataxias, motoneuron diseases, degenerative diseases with chorea, iron and copper disorders, and mitochondrial diseases. Students will analyze original research reports on a range of proposed pathological cellular processes that may represent steps in cell dealth pathways leading to neuron loss seen in these diseases. Significant emphasis will be placed on the fast-expanding fieldexploring genetic contributions to neurodegenerative disease, as identification of genetic mutations pathogenenic for familial neurodegenerative diseases has been a major driving force in neurodegenerative research and pointed researchers towards essential molecular process that may underlie these disorders. Strategies for therapeutic intervention in the management, prevention, and cure of neurodegenerative disease will be addressed. https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2022A&course=BIBB475301
BIBB 485-301 Nerve and Muscle Disease: Nerve and Muscle in Health and Disease Stephen Hollingworth EDUC 121 TR 10:15 AM-11:45 AM In this seminar course, we will deepen our understanding about excitability in the nervous system and in skeletal and cardiac muscle. A particular focus of the course will be the roles which calcium ions play as second messengers in nerve, muscle and synapse. We will study disease processes involving excitability and calcium handling, such as Long QT syndrome and hyperkalemic periodic paralysis. The later part of the course will have a journal club format, based on the reading and presentation of original papers, including papers about non-opioid analgesia and malignant hyperthermia. We will learn about the techniques used to study intracellular calcium and about how calcium is handled in nerve and muscle. Classical, physiological experiments will be interpreted in terms of modern molecular knowledge. https://pennintouchdaemon.apps.upenn.edu/pennInTouchProdDaemon/jsp/fast.do?webService=syllabus&term=2022A&course=BIBB485301
BIBB 492-101 Methods in Synaptic Phys Michael Kaplan LLAB 12 W 01:45 PM-04:45 PM In this lab course, a small number of students meet once per week to discuss topics in synaptic physiology and to become proficient at sharp electrode techniques for intracellular recording, using isolated ganglia from the snail Heliosoma. The first part of each class will consist of discussion of weekly reading from the primary literature, with the remainder of the class devoted to hands-on experiments. After learning to record from and characterize single neurons, students will study synaptic transmission by stimulating incoming nerve trunks or by recording from pairs of interconnected neurons. As a midterm assignment, students will prepare and present a short research proposal using this model system, to be evaluated by the class. For the last half of the course, the class will work together on one or two of these proposals, meeting at the end of each class to pool our data, analyze the results and discuss their significance. Lab Fee: $100. Permission Needed From Instructor
BIBB 585-401 Theoretical Neuroscience Vijay Balasubramanian LEVN 111 TR 08:30 AM-10:00 AM This course will develop theoretical and computational approaches to structural and functional organization in the brain. The course will cover: (i) the basic biophysics of neural responses, (ii) neural coding and decoding with an emphasis on sensory systems, (iii) approaches to the study of networks of neurons, (iv) models of adaptation, learning and memory, (v) models of decision making, and (vi) ideas that address why the brain is organized the way that it is. The course will be appropriate for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students. A knowledge of multi-variable calculus, linear algebra and differential equations is required (except by permission of the instructor). Prior exposure to neuroscience and/or Matlab programming will be helpful. BE530401, PSYC539401, PHYS585401, NGG594401