Immunology

New Study Outlines a Roadmap for Effective Treatment of COVID-19 – SciTechDaily

Study outlines key immunological factors underlying COVID-19 disease progression and proposes a range of drugs that may be repurposed to treat the disease.

Due to the devastating worldwide impact of COVID-19, the illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, there has been unprecedented efforts by clinicians and researchers from around the world to quickly develop safe and effective treatments and vaccines. Given that COVID-19 is a complex new disease with no existing vaccine or specific treatment, much effort is being made to investigate the repurposing of approved and available drugs, as well as those under development.

InFrontiers in Immunology, a team of researchers from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration review all of the COVID-19 clinical and research findings to date. They provide a breakdown of key immunological factors underlying the clinical stages of COVID-19 illness that could potentially be targeted by existing therapeutic drugs.

Dr. Montserrat Puigof the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, senior author of the review, stated that there are multiple factors involved in determining if the patients immune response will be insufficient or successful in combating the infection. Our review is an overview of these factors and how they can be considered to define the context in which medications currently used for other diseases, or development of novel agents, can be utilized to prevent, ameliorate or cure COVID-19.

We know that during the early stage of COVID-19 people can show no symptoms or mild symptoms, and for many the disease resolves.

For others it can be catastrophic. The illness can progress to a severe stage with manifestations including Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, accompanied by severe lung inflammation and damage. Patients with severe COVID-19 are often admitted to intensive care units and require life support with medical ventilation.

This review compiles and summarizes published up-to-date studies unraveling the factors leading to the cytokine storm and its consequences observed in COVID-19, including the immunological events underlying the severe manifestation of the disease.

The analysis is further supplemented with knowledge previously acquired from other coronaviruses including SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV.

The authors underscore key immunological events that might tip the balance from a protective to a hyperinflammatory response leading to life-threatening conditions. They outline a promising list of currently available drugs that are either under study or under consideration for use in COVID-19 based on their potential to influence these key immunological events.

These drugs include those that could inhibit SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells, antivirals with the potential to block SARS-CoV-2 replication or factors that could boost the antiviral response, monoclonal antibodies targeting pro-inflammatory cytokines that drive the hyperinflammatory response and therapeutics that could improve the function of the lungs.

Puig states that approaches to therapy in the early stage of the disease will differ from those in its severe late stage. Adding that as the results of clinical trials become available, it may become increasingly clear that there is likely no single magic bullet to resolve the disease but a combination of several interventions that target different key factors of COVID-19 may well be required.

Puig cautions that the research and data obtained from COVID-19 studies are rapidly evolving and continuously updated. Thus, as clearly stated in our review, the information provided is a lessons learned to date and describes the knowledge available at the time of the publication of the review.

The description of the immunological profile of the clinical stages of COVID-19 provided in this review will enable more informed decisions about the type and timing of treatments to be evaluated in clinical trials.

Puig explains that our hope is that the information contained in our review will help professionals in COVID-19 research develop new tools and agents to better treat those at high risk of severe COVID-19.

Reference: Lessons learned to date on COVID-19 hyperinflammatory syndrome: considerations for interventions to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 viral infection and detrimental hyperinflammation by Marco Cardone, Masahide Yano, Amy S. Rosenberg and Montserrat Puig, 29 May 2020, ,Frontiers in Immunology.DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01131

Read more here:
New Study Outlines a Roadmap for Effective Treatment of COVID-19 - SciTechDaily

Immunology

Resistance Genes to Latest Generation of Antibiotics Are Widespread – Technology Networks

The latest generation of tetracyclines a class of powerful, first-line antibiotics was designed to thwart the two most common ways bacteria resist such drugs. But a new study from researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has found that genes representing yet another method of resistance are widespread in bacteria that live in the soil and on people. Some of these genes confer the power to destroy all tetracyclines, including the latest generation of these antibiotics.However, the researchers have created a chemical compound that shields tetracyclines from destruction. When the chemical compound was given in combination with tetracyclines as part of the new study, the antibiotics lethal effects were restored.

The findings indicate an emerging threat to one of the most widely used classes of antibiotics but also a promising way to protect against that threat.

We first found tetracycline-destroying genes five years ago in harmless environmental bacteria, and we said at the time that there was a risk the genes could get into bacteria that cause disease, leading to infections that would be very difficult to treat, said co-senior author Gautam Dantas, PhD, a professor of pathology and immunology and of molecular microbiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Once we started looking for these genes in clinical samples, we found them immediately. The fact that we were able to find them so rapidly tells me that these genes are more widespread than we thought. Its no longer a theoretical risk that this will be a problem in the clinic. Its already a problem.

In 2015, Dantas, also a professor of biomedical engineering, and Timothy Wencewicz, PhD, an associate professor of chemistry in Arts & Sciences at Washington University, discovered 10 different genes that each gave bacteria the ability to dice up the toxic part of the tetracycline molecule, thereby inactivating the drug. These genes code for proteins the researchers dubbed tetracycline destructases.

But they didnt know how widespread such genes were. To find out, Dantas and first author Andrew Gasparrini, PhD then a graduate student in Dantas lab screened 53 soil, 176 human stool, two animal feces, and 13 latrine samples for genes similar to the 10 theyd already found. The survey yielded 69 additional possible tetracycline-destructase genes.

Then they cloned some of the genes into E. coli bacteria that had no resistance to tetracyclines and tested whether the genetically modified bacteria survived exposure to the drugs. E. coli that had received supposed destructase genes from soil bacteria inactivated some of the tetracyclines. E. coli that had received genes from bacteria associated with people destroyed all 11 tetracyclines.

The scary thing is that one of the tetracycline destructases we found in human-associated bacteria Tet(X7) may have evolved from an ancestral destructase in soil bacteria, but it has a broader range and enhanced efficiency, said Wencewicz, who is a co-senior author on the new study. Usually theres a trade-off between how broad an enzyme is and how efficient it is. But Tet(X7) manages to be broad and efficient, and thats a potentially deadly combination.

In the first screen, the researchers had found tetracycline-destructase genes only in bacteria not known to cause disease in people. To find out whether disease-causing species also carried such genes, the scientists scanned the genetic sequences of clinical samples Dantas had collected over the years. They found Tet(X7) in a bacterium that had caused a lung infection and sent a man to intensive care in Pakistan in 2016.

Tetracyclines have been around since the 1940s. They are one of the most widely used classes of antibiotics, used for diseases ranging from pneumonia, to skin or urinary tract infections, to stomach ulcers, as well as in agriculture and aquaculture. In recent decades, mounting antibiotic resistance has driven pharmaceutical companies to spend hundreds of millions of dollars developing a new generation of tetracyclines that is impervious to the two most common resistance strategies: expelling drugs from the bacterial cell before they can do harm, and fortifying vulnerable parts of the bacterial cell.

The emergence of a third method of antibiotic resistance in disease-causing bacteria could be disastrous for public health. To better understand how Tet(X7) works, co-senior author Niraj Tolia, PhD, a senior investigator at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the NIH, and co-author Hirdesh Kumar, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in Tolias lab, solved the structure of the protein.

I established that Tet(X7) is very similar to known structures but way more active, and we dont really know why because the part that interacts with the tetracycline rings is the same, Kumar said. Im now taking a molecular dynamics approach so we can see the protein in action. If we can understand why it is so efficient, we can design even better inhibitors.

Wencewicz and colleagues previously designed a chemical compound that preserves the potency of tetracyclines by preventing destructases from chewing up the antibiotics. In the most recent study, co-author Jana L. Markley, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in Wencewiczs lab, evaluated that inhibitor against the bacterium from the patient in Pakistan and its powerful Tet(X7) destructase. Adding the compound made the bacteria two to four times more sensitive to all three of the latest generation of tetracyclines.

Our team has a motto extending the wise words of Benjamin Franklin: In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death, taxes and antibiotic resistance, Wencewicz said. Antibiotic resistance is going to happen. We need to get ahead of it and design inhibitors now to protect our antibiotics, because if we wait until it becomes a crisis, its too late.ReferenceGasparrini et al. (2020). Tetracycline-inactivating enzymes from environmental, human commensal, and pathogenic bacteria cause broad-spectrum tetracycline resistance. Communications Biology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-020-0966-5

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

See original here:
Resistance Genes to Latest Generation of Antibiotics Are Widespread - Technology Networks

Immunology

Distributed Bio Partners With Mediar Therapeutics, Inc. – Business Wire

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Distributed Bio, a global leader in computational optimization of fully human monoclonal antibody libraries, is pleased to announce a comprehensive research partnership with Mediar Therapeutics, a preclinical stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics to halt, or even reverse, fibrosis based in Cambridge, MA. Distributed Bio will use its SuperHuman2.0 Antibody Discovery platform to identify lead antibodies for Mediar programs.

Mediar selected Distributed Bio based on their industry-leading scientific technology and expertise in antibody discovery, says Dr Paul Yaworsky, CSO of Mediar. The platform is engineered to yield a truly diverse panel of fully human high affinity antibodies which enhance our ability to generate therapeutic candidates that match our selectivity, cross reactivity and developability requirements. Drug development is inherently a high-risk process. At Mediar we strive to take every measure to mitigate those risks. Partnering with Distributed Bio is one of those measures, and ultimately leads us to delivering lifesaving therapeutics faster and more efficiently.

We are delighted that Mediar selected Distributed Bio as a preferred partner for antibody discovery, says Dr Jacob Glanville, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Distributed Bio. The SuperHuman Platform represents the culmination of a decade of our research in computational library design. Weve recently demonstrated how effective and fast it is by generating a large panel of neutralizing antibodies against Covid-19 in a matter of weeks. The ultimate goal of everyone in the biotechnology industry is to improve patients lives as fast as possible. Our technologies represent an essential tool in that fight.

The SuperHuman2.0 antibody library of 76 billion sequence-unique antibodies offers a new paradigm in antibody discovery: hits to any target, with species cross-reactivity and selectivity that are crucial for success. The hits are H3-diverse, thermostabilized >70C, non-immunogenic, fully human, pre-screened by human blood and exist on 100% germline frameworks with robust therapeutic pedigrees to enhance developability, CMC, and human safety profiles. SuperHuman2.0 delivers an order of magnitude more molecules than can be generated by other technologies, and enables partners to search for ultra-specific, species-cross reactive therapeutic antibodies at unprecedented speeds. The library overcomes many of the limitations of other monoclonal generation technologies that has resulted in a unique engineering opportunity: a library that can generate diverse and developable hits against every antigen tested, enabling routine success against historically impossible or challenging antibody targets Covid-19, GPCRs agonists and antagonists, Ion Channels, pMHC complexes, broadly-neutralizing antibodies against HIV, therapeutic anti-idiotypic antibodies, bi-epitopic antibodies, ultra-selective antibodies that avoid related proteins, and mouse/NHP/human cross-reactive antibodies with low species homology.

About Distributed Bio

Distributed Bio is a computational immunoengineering biotechnology group, self-funded by the success of the stack of antibody discovery, optimization and analysis technologies to partners across the pharmaceutical industry. Our mission is to disrupt biologic engineering with big data, machine learning, and computational immunology-driven design.

From a team that includes inventors of antibody repertoire sequencing technologies, their AbGenesis antibody and TCR repertoire analysis and engineering platform enables partners to analyze antibody repertoires by high-throughput sequence, Sanger sequence, and functional assay without requiring large data center investments or local bioinformatics specialists. By using AbGenesis to analyze thousands of antibody repertoires and antibody libraries, they developed the computationally optimized SuperHuman2.0 antibody library, the SLiC single light chain library, the Tungsten humanized VHH library, CAR-T discovery library, and the Cosmic antibody library.

About Mediar Therapeutics

Mediar Therapeutics is a preclinical stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics to halt, or even reverse, fibrosis and restore long-term organ function. The platform and pipeline are based on an emerging class of novel targets fibrotic mediators that play key roles in modulating myofibroblast biology and the development of fibrosis in chronically damaged organs. Mediar was founded by Partners Innovation Fund, Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham & Womens Hospital.

Continued here:
Distributed Bio Partners With Mediar Therapeutics, Inc. - Business Wire

Immunology

Ive gotten a couple of dirty looks: When the coronavirus pandemic and spring allergy season align – The Boston Globe

Were still in the midst of a pandemic. At the same time, spring allergy season is upon us. As the two overlap, so too can a few mild symptoms brought on by each one, doctors say. The coincidental timing has made people hyper-aware of appearing ill when in public, as we approach Phase 2 of Governor Charlie Bakers reopening plan. For others, its left them wondering when they get that first sniffle or cough or headache if maybe theyre coming down with COVID-19.

As one Twitter user put it: Its a bad year to have an epically terrible allergy season.

The battle to hold back from coughing or sneezing within earshot of strangers has led to upping doses of allergy medications, or joking about carrying around signs that say, Its just allergies!" Some have felt the need to actually belt the phrase out loud, lest they give anybody around them the wrong impression.

Madeline Donohue, a tech consultant who lives in the Fenway, said, "The hardest part is if I get hit with a sneeze attack.

Its embarrassing because Im like, Im not sick!" she said.

Donohue said shes perfected a new skill to let people know that shes healthy: smiling with her eyes over her face mask, a look that says, Its just allergies, I swear.

Arlington resident Nick Gotch said the alignment of the pandemic and the layers of yellowish-green pollen now coating most surfaces outside has made it much more difficult than a usual allergy season."

Hes more reluctant to go out because people might think he has the virus, and "I dont really want to be a cause of concern, he said in a message to the Globe. The other thing ... [is] having a sudden allergy attack while wearing a mask is problematic.

For 42-year-old Mark Ajemian, an awkward situation unfolded while picking up takeout recently. As he waited for his order with a mask on, his allergies came on full force. He held it in. Then, before he could get his food, he had to rush outside.

I had a sneeze fit for like a minute and a half, he said. I went back inside, and everyone was staring at me like, Dont come near me. ... Honestly, I dont blame the people that are judging me.

While some allergic types have tried to stifle symptoms in public, others have been left playing a new game in their heads at the onset of them: Am I sick, or is that just nature at work?

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, allergy symptoms from exposure to different types of pollens can include sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose, watery eyes, coughing, and wheezing.

When it comes to signs of possibly having COVID-19, at least a few of those symptoms cough, shortness of breath, congestion, or a runny nose are slightly similar.

Dr. Caroline Sokol, an attending physician with the allergy and clinical immunology department at Mass. General Hospital, said this can "definitely be confusing for some people, what theyre experiencing.

Symptoms of seasonal allergies are going to come across to some people as a viral infection or look like a viral infection, said Sokol, who is recovering from COVID-19 herself. Although a lot of people will say, I think this is my allergy symptoms, theres stress and anxiety over the fact that its hard to know the difference sometimes.

But several doctors who spoke with the Globe, including Sokol, made clear that there are key differences between the two, specifically a fever, diarrhea, muscle aches, and the sudden loss of smell without nasal congestion.

Sokol said when allergy patients have called concerned about what they might be dealing with, shes had them start allergy treatments immediately, because if its allergies, all those treatments will help pretty quickly.

If they dont, shell recommend further treatment or getting tested for the virus.

Omar Cabrera, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Health, said its certainly possible that symptoms of allergies can be similar to some of those of COVID-19, which is why officials generally recommend a low threshold for testing for the virus.

Even the presence of mild symptoms suggests the need for testing, Cabrera said in a statement. At this time the Commonwealth has capacity to test as indicated, and one purpose of diagnostic tests is to distinguish between conditions that may appear similar.

Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, chief of the division of infectious diseases at Brigham and Womens Hospital, said because COVID-19 numbers are trending downward, it should be easier for people who have mostly stayed indoors up to this point, and also deal with allergies annually, to differentiate the two.

But for those who are suddenly overcome by a blast of pollen-related sneezes or coughs when finally stepping outside, its all the more reason to always be wearing a mask, he said.

Allergy sufferers could still be asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers.

You will be doing everybody a huge favor."

Steve Annear can be reached at steve.annear@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @steveannear.

Read the rest here:
Ive gotten a couple of dirty looks: When the coronavirus pandemic and spring allergy season align - The Boston Globe

Neuroscience

Neuroscience – Harvard University – Department of …

Neuroscience - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

Harvard University COVID-19 updates

In Neuroscience, students investigate the biological mechanisms that underlie behavior as well as how brains process information. We study the nervous system at every level: from the macroscopic (behavior and cognition) to the microscopic (cells and molecules).

Consequently, the questions that neuroscientists ask are wide-ranging: how do electrical and molecular signals allow neurons to process and transmit information from the environment? What guides the development of the immense number of precise connections in the nervous system? How can the complex signals of many thousands of active neurons be recorded and interpreted? What causes the profound behavioral deficits in Alzheimers disease or Autism Spectrum Disorders?

CHECK OUT OUR COURSES

MAKE AN ADVISING APPOINTMENT

Excerpt from:
Neuroscience - Harvard University - Department of ...

Neuroscience

Neuroscience | CNAS Undergraduate Academic Advising Center

The Neuroscience major is an intercollege major offered by the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. As an interdepartmental, cross-college program, the major offers access to more than 40 faculty from the departments of Molecular, Cellular and Systems Biology (MCSB; formerly Cell Biology and Neuroscience); Psychology; Biomedical Sciences; Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology (EEOB; formerly Biology); Entomology; Bioengineering and Chemistry.

The interdepartmental structure of the major provides our students with excellent and diverse opportunities for training in classes and in research. Research interests of faculty in the major include molecular, cellular, systems and behavioral approaches. There are also numerous multi-faculty research groups, including interests in glial-neuronal interactions (through the Center for Glia-Neuronal Interactions), neurodevelopmental disorders, cortical processes and plasticity, neuroinflammation, and gut-brain interactions. The program strives for excellence in research, teaching, and public service, and members of our faculty have been recognized in each of these areas, including as Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Several have received awards for teaching, including the Academic Senates Distinguished Teaching Award, the Innovative Teaching Award, and the Distinguished Campus Service Award, and awards for excellence in undergraduate mentoring.

Visit the Neuroscience Department website

See original here:
Neuroscience | CNAS Undergraduate Academic Advising Center

Neuroscience

Best Master’s Degrees in Neuroscience 2020

Sleeping disorders, bad dreams, strange behavior, worsening memory and concentration, psychotic disorders and all sorts of addictions these diagnoses stem from a dysfunctional nervous system, or the system that has been compromised. Everything mentioned above is covered by Neuroscience, which is a scientific study of the nervous system and students can explore these issues and more with a Read more

Sleeping disorders, bad dreams, strange behavior, worsening memory and concentration, psychotic disorders and all sorts of addictions these diagnoses stem from a dysfunctional nervous system, or the system that has been compromised. Everything mentioned above is covered by Neuroscience, which is a scientific study of the nervous system and students can explore these issues and more with a Master in Neuroscience.

On the synchronic level, Master in Neuroscience programs are considered to be an interdisciplinary science. Neuroscience collaborates with many branches of science that broaden its scope drastically. Currently the field of Neuroscience counts more branches than a number of developed sciences with a long history. These branches include chemistry, physics, psychology, mathematics, medicine, computer science and engineering. Some of the cutting-edge technologies connected to Neuroscience help to unravel the mysteries of brain activity, sensation, memory, learning ability, perception, sleep and neurologically based dysfunctions. With a Master in Neuroscience, graduates have excellent career opportunities in academic institutions, research facilities, and private companies and organizations.

Scroll this page to find out more about various Master in Neuroscience programs and find the one that suits you best. Take the next step toward your career with a Master in Neuroscience, today!

Other options within this field of study:

Read the rest here:
Best Master's Degrees in Neuroscience 2020

Neuroscience

Neuroscience < University of California, Berkeley

About the Program

The Neuroscience Graduate Program at UC Berkeley is a unique, diverse PhD training program that offers intensive, integrated training in multiple areas of neuroscience research.

The program involves more than 60 faculty from different campus departments, with expertise ranging from molecular and cellular neuroscienceto developmental neuroscience, systems and computational neuroscience, and human cognitive neuroscience.

We provide a highly interdisciplinary, intellectually dynamic training environment of coursework, research training, and mentoring, within a strong research program that produces fundamental advances in knowledge and cutting-edge techniques.

Visit Group Website

The following minimum requirements apply to all graduate programs and will be verified by the Graduate Division:

The Graduate Council views academic degrees not as vocational training certificates, butas evidence of broad training in research methods, independent study, and articulation of learning. Therefore, applicants who already have academic graduate degrees should be able to pursue new subject matter at an advanced level without the need to enroll in a related or similar graduate program.

Programs may consider students for an additional academic masters or professional masters degree only if the additional degree is in a distinctly different field.

Applicants admitted to a doctoral program that requires a masters degree to be earned at Berkeley as a prerequisite (even though the applicant already has a masters degree from another institution in the same or a closely allied field of study) will be permitted to undertake the second masters degree, despite the overlap in field.

The Graduate Division will admit students for a second doctoral degree only if they meet the following guidelines:

Applicantsmay apply only to one single degree program or one concurrent degree program per admission cycle.

If applicants have previously been denied admission to Berkeley on the basis of their English language proficiency, they must submit new test scores that meet the current minimum from one of the standardized tests.Official TOEFL score reports must be sent directly from Educational Test Services (ETS). The institution code for Berkeley is 4833. Official IELTS score reports must be mailed directly to our office from the British Council. TOEFL and IELTS score reports are only valid for two years.

Visit the Berkeley Graduate Divisionapplication page.

Applicants to the program should have a bachelor's degree in science from a four-year college and at least one year of laboratory experience. Applicants are required to submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test scores.

During the first year of graduate study, each neuroscience graduate student spends three 10-week periods performing research projects in different faculty laboratories. The goal is to expose students to different techniques and approaches in neuroscience and to provide training in experimental design, critical analysis of data, and presentation of research findings. Performance in rotations is evaluated and graded. Rotations also allow students to identify the laboratory in which their thesis research will be performed. During the first-year students also take Neurosci 290A/B Methods & Career Skills Classes whichintroduce a broad range of modern neuroscience research methods in didactic lectures and provide advising in initial career skills. Neurosci 290A (Fall) includes a survey of cutting-edge research methods, advising on how to choose a thesis mentor, training in scientific rigor and reproducibility, and an introduction to the use and misuse of statistics in neuroscience research. Neurosci 290B (Spring) includes in-depth training on how to give a top-notch scientific talk, advising on how to write effective research papers, and on scientific project management.

Step II: Qualifying Exam

Students complete an oral qualifying exam during the spring semester of Year 2. This exam is structured around two written proposalsone in the students proposed area of thesis research, and the other in an area of neuroscience outside the thesis topic. During the exam, a faculty committee tests the students knowledge of these areas and general neuroscience. Students must demonstrate the ability to recognize important research problems, propose relevant experimental approaches, and display comprehensive knowledge of relevant subjects. Students must pass the qualifying examination before advancing to doctoral candidacy.

Students undertake research for the PhD dissertation under a four-person committee in charge of their research and dissertation. Students do original research using a wide variety of cutting-edge neuroscience methods. The students then write a dissertation based on the results of this research. On completion of the research and approval of the dissertation by the committee, the students are awarded the doctorate.

Total normative time is 5.5 years.

Students can either take one graduate-level course from each category, or three graduate level coursesfrom two areas, plus a selected advanced undergraduate course from a third area. They are taken in years 12. Courses offered will vary depending on the semester. The courses below are samples of courses that fulfill the area requirements.

Students must take one additional elective course. This can be either a graduate-level seminar or graduate-level lecture course, and can be 1 unit or more. This is typically taken in years three-four. You may also select a foundation course as an elective. Consult your thesis adviser and thesis committee to select the most appropriate course for you.

There is no formal defense of the completed dissertation. Neuroscience students are required to publicly present a thesis seminar about their dissertation research in their final year.

During their fourth year of study, students are required to make a presentation on the progress of their thesis work while enrolling in NEUROSC294(Neuroscience Graduate Student Presentation Seminar), a journal club, for a letter grade.

Neuroscience students are required to serve as graduate student instructors (GSIs) for two semesters. Whenever possible, GSI assignments are determined with an eye toward student research interests. Teaching occurs during fall semester of the second year and spring semester of the third. Teaching affords students supervised experience in a variety of educational situations, including labs, discussion sections, and demonstrations. GSIs also participate in record-keeping, grading, advising, and student consultations.

GSIs are evaluated by both supervising faculty and the students they teach. These evaluations become a permanent part of the student file. Deserving GSIs are nominated for the Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award.

Expand all course descriptions [+]Collapse all course descriptions [-]

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2015, Spring 2014, Spring 2013This course will survey the field of Alzheimer's disease (AD) from a biological and public health perspective by reading original research papers in the fields of medicine, neuroscience, and epidemiology. The course will begin with a historical survey of the concept of AD, followed by a description of clinical and neuropathological features. Subsequent classes will cover the genetics and molecular biology of the disease, as well as biomarkers, epidemiology, risk factors, treatment, development of new diagnostic approaches, and ethical issues. The course will also serve as a model for the analysis of complex diseases with multiple genetic and environmental causes, and late onset neurodegenerative diseases. The course will also serve as a model for the analysis of complex diseases with multiple genetic and environmental causes and late-onset neurodegenerative disease.Biological and Public Health Aspects of Alzheimer's Disease: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2020, Fall 2019, Fall 2018This course covers the molecular/cellular basis of neuron excitability (membrane potentials, action potential generation and propagation, ion channels), synaptic transmission and plasticity, sensory receptor function, and developmental neurobiology.Cellular and Developmental Neurobiology: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2018Advanced coverage of current research problems in systems-level neuroscience, and experimental and computational techniques used for these studies.Circuit and Systems Neurobiology: Read More [+]

Rules & Requirements

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.

Hours & Format

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week

Additional Details

Subject/Course Level: Neuroscience/Graduate

Grading: Letter grade.

Also listed as: MCELLBIC262

Circuit and Systems Neurobiology: Read Less [-]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007This course provides an introduction to the theory of neural computation. The goal is to familiarize students with the major theoretical frameworks and models used in neuroscience and psychology, and to provide hands-on experience in using these models. Topics include neural network models, supervised and unsupervised learning rules, associative memory models, probabilistic/graphical models, and models of neural coding in the brain.Neural Computation: Read More [+]

Rules & Requirements

Prerequisites: Calculus, differential equations, basic probability and statistics, linear algebra, and familiarity with high level programming languages such as Matlab

Hours & Format

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week

Additional Details

Subject/Course Level: Neuroscience/Graduate

Grading: Letter grade.

Instructor: Olshausen

Also listed as: VISSCIC265

Neural Computation: Read Less [-]

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015Seminar on the presentation and evaluation of research results for first-year neuroscience graduate students. During the first weeks, faculty present their research (FERPS); later, students present individual research results and evaluate their own and each other's work. Course enrollment limited to 15.Neuroscience First Year Research: Read More [+]

Rules & Requirements

Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Neuroscience Graduate Group; concurrent enrollment in 291A-291B

Hours & Format

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of seminar per week

Additional Details

Subject/Course Level: Neuroscience/Graduate

Grading: Letter grade.

Instructor: Ngai

Neuroscience First Year Research: Read Less [-]

Terms offered: Fall 2020, Fall 2019, Fall 2018Professional core competency training for graduate students involved in neuroscience research at Berkeley. Includes survey of modern research methods, and professional skills including principles of experimental design and data reproducibility.Neuroscience Research Design and Analysis: Read More [+]

Rules & Requirements

Prerequisites: Restricted to 1st year PhD students in Neuroscience-related PhD Programs (Neuroscience PhD Program, MCB PhD Program, Psychology PhD Program, Biophysics PhD Program), or permission of instructor

Hours & Format

Fall and/or spring: 8 weeks - 1.5 hours of lecture per week

Additional Details

Subject/Course Level: Neuroscience/Graduate

Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.

Instructors: Feldman, Neuroscience Graduate Advisors, Guest faculty speakers

Neuroscience Research Design and Analysis: Read Less [-]

Terms offered: Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2018Professional core competency training for graduate students involved in neuroscience research at Berkeley. Includes training in giving scientific presentations, scientific writing, and project management.Neuroscience Career Skills: Read More [+]

Rules & Requirements

Prerequisites: Restricted to 1st year PhD students in Neuroscience-related PhD Programs (Neuroscience PhD Program, MCB PhD Program, Psychology PhD Program, Biophysics PhD Program), or permission of instructor

Hours & Format

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1.5 hours of seminar per week

Additional Details

Subject/Course Level: Neuroscience/Graduate

Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.

Instructors: Feldman, Neuroscience Graduate Advisors, Guest faculty speakers

Neuroscience Career Skills: Read Less [-]

Terms offered: Fall 2020, Fall 2019, Fall 2018Closely supervised, intensive laboratory experimental research under the direction of an individual faculty member. For first-year neuroscience graduate students, this course will provide an introduction to experimental methods and research approaches in the different areas of neuroscience. Grade awarded on completion of sequence, which includes 3 ten-week laboratory rotations spread out over the fall and spring semesters.Neuroscience Introduction to Research: Read More [+]

Rules & Requirements

Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Neuroscience Graduate Group; consent of instructor

Hours & Format

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 20-40 hours of laboratory per week

Additional Details

Subject/Course Level: Neuroscience/Graduate

Grading: Letter grade. This is part one of a year long series course. A provisional grade of IP (in progress) will be applied and later replaced with the final grade after completing part two of the series.

Instructor: Ngai

Neuroscience Introduction to Research: Read Less [-]

Terms offered: Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2018Closely supervised, intensive laboratory experimental research under the direction of an individual faculty member. For first-year neuroscience graduate students, this course will provide an introduction to experimental methods and research approaches in the different areas of neuroscience. Grade awarded on completion of sequence, which includes 3 ten-week laboratory rotations spread out over the fall and spring semesters.Neuroscience Introduction to Research: Read More [+]

Rules & Requirements

Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Neuroscience Graduate Group; consent of instructor

Hours & Format

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 20-40 hours of laboratory per week

Additional Details

Subject/Course Level: Neuroscience/Graduate

Grading: Letter grade. This is part two of a year long series course. Upon completion, the final grade will be applied to both parts of the series.

Instructor: Ngai

Neuroscience Introduction to Research: Read Less [-]

Terms offered: Fall 2020, Summer 2020 10 Week Session, Spring 2020For graduate students in neuroscience in their second or later years. During the summer, the course will count for 3-6 units. Individual research under faculty supervision. In this course each graduate student conducts basic thesis and dissertation research after successful completion of the first-year laboratory rotation, Neuroscience 291A-291B. Laboratory work provides the basis for students' thesis research, preparation for the preliminary examination, and continued progress toward completion of Ph.D. dissertation.Neuroscience Graduate Research: Read More [+]

Original post:
Neuroscience < University of California, Berkeley

Neuroscience

Neuroscience: News and Discussions. – reddit

Hi, I am interested in learning more about the role of language development (or lack thereof) and reasoning skills (e.g., executive function, problem solving) in preschool children. I understand that certain aspects of speech/language (e.g., if/then statements, causal terms, adjectives/modifiers/adverbs) are necessary for specific and concise language, which enables efficient reasoning ability. Considering this, executive function therapy (i.e., targeting self-regulation, planning/organization, etc.) may be facilitated through specific language therapy, targeting the aforementioned areas? Does anyone have any resources or can point me in any direction where I can find more information/ideas? Thank you!

Read the rest here:
Neuroscience: News and Discussions. - reddit

Neuroscience

Home | Neuroscience Program | University of Miami

Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system (i.e., brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves), the mechanisms of behavior, and the nature of mind and consciousness. Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field that draws from a number of scientific disciplines including medicine, biological sciences, psychology, physics, chemistry, mathematics and engineering, and beyond with the nervous system serving as the common focus. Neuroscience is one of the most rapidly advancing fields of research and training. At the University of Miami, over 50 faculty members from 13 departments on three campuses participate in undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral training. They engage in neuroscience research that accounts for more than 20% of the Universitys federally sponsored research dollars. While the home of the major is in the College of Arts & Sciences, the teaching faculty and Steering Committee come from several schools, including the Miller School of Medicine. The College of Arts & Sciences Department of biology and psychology are home to many of our faculty as well.

Read more from the original source:
Home | Neuroscience Program | University of Miami