Normally Offered: Alternate Fall semesters (even years)
Prerequisites and Other Registration Restrictions: None, but it is expected that students in the class have a solid background in biology and in physiological processes.
Format: The course consists of lectures and student presentations. Students also need to critically evaluate case study presentations by the upperclass students in the class.
Description: The course provides a comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of the interrelationships between the central nervous system and the endocrine system in the mammal. The course also provides the student with basic concepts and experimental approaches in mammalian neuroendocrinology including cellular and molecular actions of hypothalamic and pituitary hormones and the role of these hormones in controlling reproductive functions, body metabolism (e.g., obesity and diabetes), stress, growth, biological rhythms, drug addiction and immunity. It also provides the opportunity for the student to learn how to critically interpret information from the neuroendocrinology literature. The course materials (text and research presentations materials) will be provided in the class.
Course Resources Materials: The course materials will be provided in the class (Neuroendocrinology text by D.K. Sarkar; and References for Research Topics). For additional reading material, it is recommended to use: An Introduction to Neuroendocrinology (2nd edition) by Michael Wilkinson and Richard E. Brown.
Evaluation: Students' evaluations will consist of two research presentations (40% of grade) and two take-home exams (60% of grade). Each take-home exam will be given on the topics discussed in the lectures. These exams will be formatted as short-essay and problem-solving questions.