Frontiers in Brain Research - GENM0202

We take for granted the notion that the human brain is the seat of our consciousness and yet very much remains to be learned about how the living brain actually works. Brain disease and mental illness are some of the most important health problems in our community and yet the causes of many of these diseases remain unknown. This course will allow the student to explore the current state of knowledge on the structure and function of the human brain and to learn about current thinking concerning the causes of brain-related illness. Topics include: cellular architecture of the brain; structural and functional differences between the left and right brain hemispheres; developmental abnormalities of the brain; language and the brain; fear and anxiety and the brain; the addicted brain; spinal cord injury and hopes for repair; degenerative brain disease; gender in brain structure and function; and mad cow disease. Students will also have the opportunity to consider ethical issues associated with the treatment of brain diseases (e.g. fetal nerve tissue transplantation in the treatment of degenerative brain disease) in the course of the lecture and laboratory sessions.

For more detailed information, please click on "Course Outline" in box above.