Curriculum

The Neuroscience Program emphasizes interdisciplinary education with specialization appropriate to the student's interests. The Graduate College requires preliminary examinations at the Ph.D. level. The master's degree may be obtained, but is not required for the doctoral degree. Research is an integral part of the curriculum in Neuroscience at Iowa State University. A student will select a major professor from the faculty participating in the program. The role of the major professor is to act as a mentor and guide the student's professional development.  

Year by year guideline for coursework (August 2004)

Required Neuroscience Courses

NEURO 556. Cellular, Molecular and Developmental Neuroscience (previously Neurobiology.) (3-0) Cr. 3. Fall. Prereq: Zool 355 or Psych 310; physics recommended. Integration, coding, plasticity and development in nervous systems. The optional laboratory section is strongly encouraged.

BMS 537. Neurobiology (dual-listed with BMS 337). (2-2) Cr. 3. Spring. Prereq: 10 credits in biological science and permission of the instructor. Neurobiology of domestic animals.

STAT 401. Statistical Methods for Research Workers. Cr. 4. Fall & Spring. Prereq: 101, 104, 201 or 227. Methods of analyzing and interpreting experimental and survey data.

NEURO 660. Current Topics in Neurobiology and Behavior. Cr. 2 to 3 each time taken. Prereq: permission of instructor. Topics may include communication, computational neuroscience, hormones and behavior, neural integration, developmental neurobiology, neuroanatomy and ultrastructure, sensory biology, social behavior, techniques in neurobiology and behavior.

NEURO 690. Journal Club in Neuroscience. (1-0). Cr. 1. Fall & Spring. Prereq: 556. Students are required to attend and make at least one presentation at a weekly journal club.

NEURO 696. Neuroscience Seminar. Cr. 1. Fall & Spring. Prereq: 556. Presentation and discussion of research by students, faculty and visiting scholars.

NEURO 699. Research. Credits vary.
 

Neuroscience Electives (Please ask about other possible courses.)

BBMB 404. Biochemistry. Cr. 3. Fall. Prereq: 332. Chemistry of amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, and nucleotides: enzymology; metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids.

ComS 474. Elements of Neural Computation. Cr. 3. Prereq: Math 165 & ComS 228 or permission of instructor. Mathematical and computational models of neurons and networks of neurons. Application to artificial intelligence and cognitive and neural modeling.

EE 545. Artificial Neural Networks. Cr. 3. Prereq: 524. Introduction to fundamentals of artificial neural networks (ANNs). Theory and practical implementation of networks.

PSYCH 511. Advanced Physiological Psychology.  Cr. 3. Prereq: 310.   Neurophysiological correlates of behavior

PSYCH 517. Psychopharmacology. (3-0). Cr. 3. Fall alternate years. Prereq: 310, permission of instructor. Fundamentals of drug-behavior interactions with emphasis on psychoactive drugs and their use in experimental, therapeutic and social settings.

PSYCH 519. Cognitive Neuropsychology. Cr. 3. Prereq: permission of instructor. Psychological models and neurological substrates underlying cognition in normal and brain damaged patients.

BMS 511. Functional Neuroanatomy and Morphology of Neurotransmitter Pathways. (2-4). Cr. 4. Fall alternate years. Prereq: 10 credits in biological sciences, permission of instructor. Basic organizational schemes of the mammalian brain including cytoarchitecture, chemoarchitecture and connectivity of different regions of the nervous system.

BMS 549. Advanced Vertebrate Physiology. (4-0). Cr. 4. Fall. Prereq: 355; 320 or BME 525; credit or enrollment in BB 420 or 404. Neurophysiology, sensory systems, muscle, neuroendocrinology, endocrinology.

BMS 565. Autonomic Physiology and Pharmacology of Smooth Muscle. (2-0). Cr. 2. Spring alternate years. Prereq: 551, 552, and permission of instructor. The regulation of vascular smooth  muscle by the autonomic nervous system and autocoids. Drug receptor mechanisms.

BMS 575X. Cell Biology. Cr. 3. Prereq: 10 credits in biological sciences or permission of the instructor. This course provides a thorough overview of cell structure and function. Major topics include the universal features of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, types of utilization and conversion of energy, genetic control of cell shape and functionality, internal organization of cells, communication between cells, and development of multicellular systems.

Zool 540. Signal Transduction. (Same as BB 540) Cr. 3. Prereq: 528, BB 404. Mechanisms and components of cellular signal transduction including receptors, G-proteins, second messengers, protein phosphorylation, other post translational protein modifications and transcriptional regulation.