Students are referred to the D2L MSU website to gain access to the course materials.
PSY209 Brain & Behavior
The course provides an introduction in the field of behavioral neuroscience. It will cover a range of issues related to the function, development, and evolution of the brain. We will discuss how single neurons function within neural networks that enable us to think, feel and behave. We will also discuss the neural basis of motivation, cognition, learning, memory, and sleep and how aberrations in these processes may underlie various brain disorders.
PSY493 Neuroscience of Psychopathologies
The course explores the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie psychopathologies. Emphasis will be on alterations in neurobiological systems underlying psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, personality disorders, autism, and schizophrenia. The impact of genetic and environmental risk factors will be discussed. A comprehensive overview will be given of current human and animal studies as well as drug treatments and new drug developments.
PSY992 Neurobiology of Stress
The course will give an overview of the neural systems involved in the stress response from the molecular and cellular to the behavioral level. We will discuss the roles of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in the stress response and the effects of stress on neuronal plasticity, learning and memory, and mental health and disease. Emphasis will be on the mechanisms mediating vulnerability and resilience to stress. The long-term consequences of early life stress on cognitive, emotional, and social behaviors will also be discussed. Students will present current research articles covering experimental findings in both animals and humans.