BIONB 7210 - Introductory Graduate Survey in Neurobiology and Behavior

Fall. 2 credits. S/U grades only (no audit).

Corequisite: BIONB 2210 (Fall) and BIONB 2220 (Spring). Requirement for graduate students in Neurobiology and Behavior.

Staff.

Designed to assist students in mapping their graduate careers and in choosing and pursuing transformative and tractable thesis topics. The core of the course will be open-ended discussions directed by paired neurobiology and behavioral ecology faculty on novel research frontiers in the study of mechanisms and the evolution of behavior (including in the zone of their conceptual intersection). Occasional laboratory experiences may also be included. Professional development topics will include how to: navigate graduate school, allocate time between reading, thinking creatively, and investing in research, design experiments, write grant proposals, give talks, and publish peer-reviewed papers.

Outcome 1: To know and understand the current frontiers of both behavioral and neurobiological studies, including which unanswered questions are considered to be the most important ones, and which questions might actually be answerable in a doctoral thesis project or longer term study.

Outcome 2: To hone critical thinking skills with respect to identifying important questions and designing strategies to address them.

Outcome 3: To become familiar with the most compelling current tools, both conceptual and experimental, for answering behavioral and neurobiological questions