This course is a seminar in neuroscience and the capstone course for the CBN major. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of major debates in the field and current issues in neuroscience research that inform how we approach the science of the brain and behavior.
Through this course, you will gain the following knowledge and skills:
All reading material will be posted on the course website. There is no required textbook for the course.
Course assessments will focus on using what you have learned to demonstrate your skills in making oral and written arguments supported by evidence, which are key skills for every scientist. Half of the course grade is based on in-class material, and half is based on a research paper that you will complete over the course of the semester. Start working on your paper early! The sooner you begin working on it, the more opportunities you will have to receive feedback on your work.
Please submit all assignments in PDF form by email to the instructor and teaching assistant.
If you have any concerns about completing these assessments, please let me know as soon as possible. I am happy to work with you to find alternative ways for you to demonstrate your knowledge in the course, but the sooner I know, the better.
Assessment | Grade percentage | |
Research Paper (50%) | Topic Statement | 5% |
Intro Draft | 15% | |
Method/Data Analysis Draft | 15% | |
Final Paper | 15% | |
Participation (50%) | Discussion Participation | 15% |
Response Journals | 15% | |
Guest Lecture Response Papers (4 total) | 20% |
A-...90.00-93.32% | A...>93.32% | |
B-...80.00-83.32% | B...83.33-86.66% | B+...86.67-89.99% |
C-...70.00-73.32% | C...73.33-76.66% | C+...76.67-79.99% |
D-...60.00-63.32% | D...63.33-66.66% | D+...66.67-69.99% |
F...<60.00% |
At the beginning of the semester, you will select an area of neuroscience to focus on for individual study. This topic may correspond to a research project you are working on in a faculty member's lab (indeed, this is encouraged!). You will review the literature on a specific topic in your area and write a research report describing a proposed novel, empirical study on that topic.
Instructions and additional resources for writing your paper:
Discussing research with other scholars is an essential skill for every scientist. Therefore, a large part of the course grade is based on attending class and participating in discussion. Please arrive on time to class. If you must miss class, I will be happy to meet with you to go over any material you missed. Just send me a message. Many of our class periods will be devoted to discussion of current research and debates in the field, centered around one or more journal articles on the topic.
Each discussion will be led by several students in the class. Everyone should be prepared to contribute to the discussion of the readings and how they fit with one or more broader theories in neuroscience. It's okay if there are things in the article you don't understand—that's why we discuss the material together. I am also happy to meet with you before class to answer any questions. If you must miss class for some reason on a day you are scheduled to lead discussion, please meet with me to make up the work.
Because of the hybrid format of the class, half of the class will be in-person and half will participate via Zoom on any given day. Please see the schedule to know which days you are expected to attend in-person versus on Zoom, determined alphabetically by last name. Both groups of students will participate in the class discussion. If you are unable to attend in-person for any reason, you may participate via Zoom.
At the end of each class, we will reserve a few minutes for everyone to write a brief response reflecting on the topic we discussed that day. In addition, for guest lectures, you will write a short (1 page) response paper on the lecture and associated readings.
Date | Group 1 (A-Ma) Location |
Group 2 (Me-Z) Location |
Topic | Readings | Deadlines/Notes |
1/26 | Zoom | Zoom | Intro/organizational meeting | Crockett talk | |
1/28 | Zoom | Zoom | Research paper overview, topic statement | Research paper guidelines/resources | |
2/2 | Bartley 024 | Zoom | Research Topic 1: Development | Casey et al. (2008) Galván talk |
|
2/4 | Zoom | Bartley 024 | Research Topic 1: Development | Pfeifer & Allen (2012) | |
2/9 | Zoom | Zoom | Guest lecture - Troy Shirangi | Shirangi et al. (2016) Meeh et al. (2021) |
Topic statement due |
2/11 | Zoom | Bartley 024 | RCR: Authorship, peer review | Authorship 2 Authorship 3 Peer Review 3 |
|
2/16 | Bartley 024 | Zoom | RCR: Research misconduct, social responsibility | Research Misconduct 3 Social Responsibility 1 Social Responsibility 2 |
Response paper 1 (Shirangi) due |
2/18 | Zoom | Zoom | Working Break 1 |
Kanwisher talk Wolpert talk |
Individual meetings |
2/23 | Bartley 024 | Zoom | Research Topic 2: Perception | Firestone & Scholl (2015) | |
2/25 | Zoom | Bartley 024 | Research Topic 2: Perception | TBD | |
3/2 | Bartley 024 | Zoom | Guest lecture - McCall Sarrett | Sarrett et al. (2020) | Intro draft due |
3/4 | Zoom | Bartley 024 | RCR: Mentoring, data management | Mentoring 1 Data Management 2 | |
3/9 | Zoom | Bartley 024 | Research Topic 3: Language | Christiansen & Chater (2008) | Response paper 2 (Sarrett) due |
3/11 | Bartley 024 | Zoom | Research Topic 3: Language | TBD | |
3/16 | Zoom | Zoom | Working Break 2 |
Schoonover talk Boyden talk |
Individual meetings |
3/18 | Zoom | Zoom | Guest lecture - Ben Sachs | Sachs et al. (2014) Sachs et al. (2015) |
|
3/23 | Bartley 024 | Zoom | Research Topic 4: TBD | TBD | Method/Analysis draft due |
3/25 | Zoom | Bartley 024 | Research Topic 4: TBD | TBD | Response paper 3 (Sachs) due |
4/6 | Zoom | Bartley 024 | Research Topic 5: TBD | TBD | |
4/8 | Bartley 024 | Zoom | Research Topic 5: TBD | TBD | |
4/13 | Zoom | Zoom | Asynchronous Day |
Herculano-Houzel talk Suzuki talk Lozano talk |
Individual meetings |
4/15 | Zoom | Zoom | Guest lecture - Meghan Caulfield | ||
4/20 | Zoom | Bartley 024 | Research Topic 6: Psychological disorders | Borsboom et al. (2019) | Response paper 4 (Caulfield) due |
4/22 | Bartley 024 | Zoom | Research Topic 6: Psychological disorders | TBD | Final paper due |
4/27 | Zoom | Zoom | CBN outcomes assessment | ||
4/29 | Zoom | Zoom | Careers, grad school, work-life balance |
Woolston (2017) Foltz (2020) |