Courses for Spring 2025

	Title	Instructors	Time	Description	Cross listings	Fulfills	Syllabus URL
NRSC 0050-301	Forensic Neuroscience	Daniel D. Langleben	F 1:45 PM-4:44 PM	Progress in behavioral neuroscience and brain imaging techniques, such as functional and structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) has forced the courts to reconsider the role of behavioral sciences in courtroom decision-making. The goal of this course is to enable students to understand and interpret the use of behaviorial neuro evidence in the justice system. The course will introduce the students to the relevant behavioral neuroscience constructs, principles of brain imaging and rules of scientific evidence. Students will be asked to use this introductory knowledge to critically evaluate the use of brain imaging and other behavioral neuroscience techniques as evidence in representative legal cases. For each case, students will serve as neuroscience experts for the defense or prosecution and prepare, present and defend their testimony against the opposing team. Through this course, students will develop the ability to critically evaluate brain imaging and other neuroscience data in forensic and legal settings.		Living World Sector
NRSC 0060-301	Music and the Brain	Michael Kaplan	TR 12:00 PM-1:29 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.		Living World Sector
NRSC 1110-401	Introduction to Brain and Behavior	Kristen Ashley Hipolit	TR 10:15 AM-11:44 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.	BIOL1110401, PSYC1210401	Living World Sector
NRSC 1110-402	Introduction to Brain and Behavior	Kristen Ashley Hipolit	R 8:30 AM-9:59 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.	BIOL1110402, PSYC1210402	Living World Sector
NRSC 1110-403	Introduction to Brain and Behavior	Kristen Ashley Hipolit	R 3:30 PM-4:59 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.	BIOL1110403, PSYC1210403	Living World Sector
NRSC 1110-404	Introduction to Brain and Behavior	Kristen Ashley Hipolit	R 5:15 PM-6:44 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.	BIOL1110404, PSYC1210404	Living World Sector
NRSC 1110-405	Introduction to Brain and Behavior	Kristen Ashley Hipolit	F 8:30 AM-9:59 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.	BIOL1110405, PSYC1210405	Living World Sector
NRSC 1110-406	Introduction to Brain and Behavior	Kristen Ashley Hipolit	F 10:15 AM-11:44 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.	BIOL1110406, PSYC1210406	Living World Sector
NRSC 1110-407	Introduction to Brain and Behavior	Kristen Ashley Hipolit	F 12:00 PM-1:29 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.	BIOL1110407, PSYC1210407	Living World Sector
NRSC 1110-408	Introduction to Brain and Behavior	Kristen Ashley Hipolit	F 1:45 PM-3:14 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.	BIOL1110408, PSYC1210408	Living World Sector
NRSC 1110-409	Introduction to Brain and Behavior	Kristen Ashley Hipolit	F 3:30 PM-4:59 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.	BIOL1110409, PSYC1210409	Living World Sector
NRSC 1110-601	Introduction to Brain and Behavior	Judith Mclean	TR 5:15 PM-6:44 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.	BIOL1110601, PSYC1210601	Living World Sector	https://coursesintouch.apps.upenn.edu/cpr/jsp/fast.do?webService=syll&t=202510&c=NRSC1110601
NRSC 1110-602	Introduction to Brain and Behavior	Judith Mclean	M 5:15 PM-6:44 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.	BIOL1110602, PSYC1210602	Living World Sector
NRSC 1110-603	Introduction to Brain and Behavior	Judith Mclean	W 5:15 PM-6:44 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.	BIOL1110603, PSYC1210603	Living World Sector
NRSC 1160-001	ABCS of Everyday Neuroscience	Loretta Flanagan-Cato	TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM	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.
NRSC 2217-401	Visual Neuroscience	Mengting Fang Alan A Stocker	MWF 10:15 AM-11:14 AM	An introduction to the scientific study of vision, with an emphasis on the biological substrate and its relation to behavior. Topics will typically include physiological optics, transduction of light, visual thresholds, color vision, anatomy and physiology of the visual pathways, and the cognitive neuroscience of vision.	PSYC2240401, VLST2170401	Living World Sector
NRSC 2233-001	Neuroethology	Judith Mclean	TR 1:45 PM-3:14 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.
NRSC 2240-001	Chronobiology and Sleep	David M. Raizen	TR 3:30 PM-4:59 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.
NRSC 2249-401	Cognitive Neuroscience	Michael Arcaro Alexander Gordienko Monami Nishio	TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM	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.	PSYC1230401	Natural Sciences & Mathematics Sector
NRSC 2270-401	Drugs, Brain and Mind	Michael Kane	TR 10:15 AM-11:44 AM	The course will begin with a review of basic concepts in pharmacology including: routes of drug administration, drug metabolism, the dose response curve, tolerance and sensitization. Following a brief overview of cellular foundations of neuropharmacology (neuronal biology, synaptic and receptor function), the course will focus on several neurotransmitter systems and the molecular and behavioral mechanisms mediating the mind-altering, additive and neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression, schizophrenia and anxiety with an emphasis on their underlying neurobiological causes, as well as the pharmacological approaches for treatment.	PSYC2250401	Natural Sciences & Mathematics Sector
NRSC 2273-401	Neuroeconomics	Ibraheem Catovic Fiona Lee Sunny Liu	W 1:45 PM-4:44 PM	This course will introduce students to neuroeconomics, a field of research that combines economic, psychological, and neuroscientific approaches to study decision-making. The course will focus on our current understanding of how our brains give rise to decisions, and how this knowledge might be used to constrain or advance economic and psychological theories of decision-making. Topics covered will include how individuals make decisions under conditions of uncertainty, how groups of individuals decide to cooperate or compete, and how decisions are shaped by social context, memories, and past experience.	PSYC2555401	Living World Sector
NRSC 3375-101	Laboratory in Animal Behavior	Michael Kane	R 12:00 PM-2:59 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.
NRSC 3492-101	Experimental Methods in Synaptic Physiology	Michael Kaplan	W 1:45 PM-4:44 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.
NRSC 4422-601	Neuroimmunology	Yeong Shin Yim	MW 5:15 PM-6:44 PM	This seminar will focus on how immune and central nervous systems communicate and influence each other. We begin with the anatomical and cellular basis of the thymus, gut, and brain, then discuss the connection between these organs and how these connections can influence neurological disorders. The class includes lectures, analysis of scientific literature, class discussions, and journal presentations. The course requires no prior knowledge of neuroimmunology, but understanding of basic neuroscience and immunology principles will be assumed.
NRSC 4430-601	The Cognitive Neuroscience of Autism	John D Herrington	MW 7:00 PM-8:29 PM	This course examines neurobiological mechanisms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The cognitive neuroscience literature on autism will be roughly categorized around major theoretical models and their relation to autism, focusing on cognitive neuroscience and functional brain imaging, along with some structural imaging and EEG.
NRSC 4455-301	Neuronal identity: practical and conceptual implications	Camila Barrios Camacho	MW 8:30 AM-9:59 AM	What does it mean to be a cell with a specific role in the nervous system? This question has long intrigued developmental and theoretical neuroscientists and will be the intellectual point of departure for this course. As -omics technologies (such as transcriptomics, proteomics, and genomics) continue to rapidly evolve at both single-cell and population levels, our understanding of neuronal taxonomies has deepened significantly. In this course, students will identify and reflect on the limitations, advantages, and inconsistencies precipitated by such insights. Additionally, as our ability to more precisely define cell types grows, so do the possibilities for targeted therapies. Discussions will encompass the implications of neuronal identity in neurological diseases, examining how disruptions in specific cell types can lead to various pathologies, and how this knowledge is driving the development of targeted therapies. Students will engage and draw understanding from a broad range of fields, such as developmental neuroscience, evolutionary neuroscience, and cell biology. Students will write several short reflection papers, facilitate weekly journal club sessions, and engage in a group debate. Previous background in developmental neuroscience and/or biology is recommended.
NRSC 4475-301	Neurodegenerative Diseases	Mary Ellen Kelly	R 1:45 PM-3:14 PM T 1:45 PM-3:14 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.
NRSC 4482-301	Clinical Psychopharmacology	Samantha M Fortin	TR 12:00 PM-1:29 PM	This course examines the history, rationale and putative mechanism of action of drugs used in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Emphasis is placed on neurobiological processes underlying psychopathology and pharmacological intervention. Drugs currently in use as well as new drugs in development will be covered. Strategies, techniques, issues and challenges of clinical psychopharmacological research will be addressed and new approaches to drug discovery, including the use of pharmacogenomics and proteomics to understand variability in drug response and identify new molecular drug targets, will be covered in depth. Specific drug classes to be considered include antidepressants, anxiolytics, typical and atypical antipsychotics, narcotic analgesics, sedative hypnotics, and antiepileptic medications. A contrasting theme throughout the course will be the use of drugs as probes to identify neural substrates of behavior.
NRSC 4485-301	Nerve and Muscle in Health and Disease	Stephen Hollingworth	TR 10:15 AM-11:44 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.