2014-15 Catalog

How can we build systems that perform well in unk nown environments and unforeseen situations? How can we develop systems that exhibit "intelligent" behavior, without prescribing explicit rules? How can we build systems that learn from experience in order to improve their performance? We will study core modeling techniques and algorithms from statistics, optimization, planning, and control and study applications in areas such as sensor networks, robotics, and the Internet. The course is designed for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students. Not offered 2014-15.

A lecture and discussion course on the neurobiology of behavior. Topics may include biological clocks, eating behavior, sexual behavior, addiction, mental illness, and neurodegenerative diseases. Given in alternate years; not offered 2014-15.

This class will focus on understanding what is known about the large-scale organization of the brain, focusing on the mammalian brain. What large scale brain networks exist and what are their principles of function? How is information flexibly routed from one area to another? What is the function of thalamocortical loops? We will examine large scale networks revealed by anatomical tracing, functional connectivity studies, and mRNA expression analyses, and explore the brain circuits mediating complex behaviors such as attention, memory, sleep, multisensory integration, decision making, and object vision. While each of these topics could cover an entire course in itself, our focus will be on understanding the master plan--how the components of each of these systems are put together and function as a whole. A key question we will delve into, from both a biological and a theoretical perspective, is: how is information flexibly routed from one brain area to another? We will discuss the communication through coherence hypothesis, small world networks, and sparse coding. Given in alternate years, not offered 2014-15.

This course develops the mathematical methods needed for a quantitative understanding of biological phenomena, including data analysis, formulation of simple models, and the framing of quantitative questions. Topics include: probability and stochastic processes, linear algebra and transforms, dynamical systems, MATLAB programming. Given in alternate years; not offered 2014-15.

This course will cover the cellular and molecular basis of diseases of the nervous system, as well as current and future therapeutic approaches. These diseases include disorders of abnormal protein structure (Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's, prion), autoimmunity (multiple sclerosis), developmental disorders of cognition and social communication (schizophrenia, autism, Fragile X, Rett syndrome), epilepsy, stroke and depression. Genetic and environmental etiologies will be explored, and animal models will be compared to the human condition. The role of the reward system in addiction will also be discussed. Given in alternate years; not offered 2014-15.

A course of lectures, readings, and discussions focused on the genetic, physiological, and ecological bases of behavior in mammals. A basic knowledge of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology is desirable. Given in alternate years; not offered 2014-15.

This special topics course will examine the neural mechanisms of reward, decision making, and reward-based learning. The course covers the anatomy and physiology of reward and action systems. Special emphasis will be placed on the representation of reward expectation; the interplay between reward, motivation, and attention; and the selection of actions. Links between concepts in economics and the neural mechanisms of decision making will be explored. Data from animal and human studies collected using behavioral, neurophysiological, and functional magnetic resonance techniques will be reviewed. Given in alternate years; not offered 2014-15.