Curriculum in Neurobiology

ROBERT ROSENBERG, Director

Professors

Albert Baldwin, Regulation and Biological Functions of the Transcription Factor NF-kB and the Role of NF-kB in Disease, with a Particular Emphasis on Cancer and Cancer Therapy

George R. Breese (2) Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Neuropharmacology, Alcoholism, Neuroplasticity, Transcription Factors, RT/PCR Developmental Disorders, Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Regina M. Carelli (142) Behavioral Neurophysiology, Neurobiology of Drug Abuse, Brain Reward Systems

Fulton T. Crews (133) Molecular Aspects of Neuronal Vitality and Alcohol

Stephen T. Crews (129) Molecular Genetics of Drosophila Nervous System Development, Control of Neural Gene Regulation

Linda Dykstra (51) Behavioral Pharmacology, Opioid Analgesics, Opioid/Immune Interactions

Gregory K. Essick (106) Somatosensory Psychophysics and Neurophysiology

Patrick Flood, Periodontology

John H. Gilmore (137) Human Brain Development, Immune Regulation of Neurodevelopment, Schizophrenia

Susan Girdler, Women's health, neuroendocrine dysregulation in premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)

T. Kendall Harden (59) G-proteins, Phospholipase C, and Receptor-Mediated Regulation of Second Messenger Signaling; P2-purinergic Receptors

Mark Hollins (125) Somatosensory Information Processing, Tactile Perception, Pain

Anthony LaMantia (146) Inductive Signaling and Control of Gene Expression in the Developing Forebrain/Inductive Control of Genes Related to Neurological and Psychiatric Diseases

Jean M. Lauder (71) Neurotransmitters as Developmental Signals, Prenatal Exposure to Drugs of Abuse and Environmental Neurotoxins, Effects on Developing Neurotransmitter Systems

Kenneth Lohmann, Behavior, Sensory Physiology, Neuroethology and Conservation Biology of Animals That Live in the Ocean

P. Kay Lund (88) Growth Factors: Molecular Biology, Signal Transduction and Role in Nervous System during Development and Aging

Donald T. Lysle (122) Neuroimmunology, Learning Processes

Terry Magnusson, Mammalian Genetics, Genomics and Development of Mouse Models of Human Disease

Richard B. Mailman (82) Biochemical and Molecular Pharmacology of Dopamine Receptors, Molecular Drug Design

William Maixner (112) Pain Mechanisms and Analgesia

Patricia F. Maness (90) Cell Adhesion and Signal Transduction in Developing Neurons

Paul B. Manis (151) Cellular Basis of Auditory Information Processing in Brainstem and Cortex

Ken D. McCarthy (77) Neuronal-Glial Interactions Studied in Hippocampal Brain Slices Using Electrophysiology, Confocal Imaging, and Conditional Gene Knockout Mice

A. Leslie Morrow (121) Molecular Neurobiology of GABAA Receptors and Alcoholism

Robert A. Nicholas (147) Signaling and Targeting Pathways of P2Y Nucleotide Receptors

David Overstreet, Genetic Animal Models of Depression, Alcoholism and Anxiety Disorders

Cort A. Pedersen (91) Neuroendocrinology and Neuropharmacology of Parenting and Sexual Behavior, Behavioral and Psychological Role of Oxytocin and Vasopressin, Psychobiology of Postpartum Depression

Edward R. Perl (35) Functional Organization and Synaptic Mechanisms for Pain and Other Somatic Sensations

Mitchell J. Picker (128) Behavioral Pharmacology of Opioids, Drug Tolerance and Cross-Tolerance, Sex and Genetic Determinants of Opioid Sensitivity

Joseph Piven, Pathogenesis of Autism including Neural Mechanisms, Genetic Basis and Neuropsychological and Behavioral Phenotype

Robert L. Rosenberg (115) Regulation of Ion Channels

Bryan Roth, GPCR Structure and Function, Drug Discovery

Aldo Rustioni (50) Excitatory and Inhibitory Neurotransmitters in Somesthesis

Richard J. Samulski (135) Development of Viral Vectors for Brain Specific Gene Delivery

Robert Sealock (58) Cell Biology and Biochemistry of the Neuromuscular Junction, Dystrophin and Dystrophin-Associated Proteins

Richard Segal, Spatial Organization and Plastiticity of Lower Limb Muscle Activity

Paul G. Shinkman (41) Neural and Behavioral Plasticity in Sensory Systems, Cerebellar Mechanisms of Learning and Memory

William D. Snider (148) Developmental Regulation of Neuronal Growth Factors

Ann E. Stuart (76) Mechanisms and Control of Histamine Release and Re-uptake at Photoreceptor Synapses and Their Effect on Signal Transfer

Kathleen K. Sulik (131) Teratology, Embryology

Jenny P. Ting (105) Use of Murine Models to Study the Role and Regulation of Inflammatory Genes in Demyelination and Remyelination

Alex Tropsha, Methodologies and Software Tools for Computer-Assisted Drug Design

Terry A. Van Dyke (143) Cell Growth Regulation, Cancer, Gene Expression

Richard Weinberg, Supramolecular Organization of the Postsynaptic Density, Calcium Sources and Actin-Binding Proteins in Spines

Barry L. Whitsel (46) Somatosensory Mechanisms

R. Mark Wightman (118) Neurotransmitters, Dopamine Reward Exocytosis, Neurochemistry

Associate Professors

Eva Anton, Molecular Analysis of Neuronal Migration and Layer Formation in Cerebral Cortex

Aysenil Belger, Cortical Circuits Underlying Attention and Executive Function in the Human Brain

Manzoor Bhat, Genetic Dissection of Axon-Glial Interactions in Drosophila and Mice

Richard E. Cheney (136) Molecular Motors in the Nervous System, Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology of the Cytoskeleton

Luda Diatchenko, Human Genetic Variability of Pain Sensitivity and Pathophysiological Pain States

Michael F. Goy (111) Biochemistry and Physiology of Excitable Cells, Synapse Formation, Second Messenger Mechanisms in Signal Transduction, Epithelial Biology

Clyde W. Hodge (150) Neurobehavioral Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics of Addiction

Lars Fredrik Jarskog, Molecular Mechanisms That Contribute to the Neuropathology of Schizophrenia

Josephine Johns, Behavioral Pharmacology, Toxicology, Teratology, Neuroendocrinology

Tal Kafri, Development of HIV-1 Vectors for Gene Therapy of Genetic Diseases Such As Hemophilia A and B

Darin Knapp, Physiology and Behavioral Aspects of the Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

Silva Markovic-Plese, Autoimmune Response in MS, New Immunomodulatory Therapies

Glenn K. Matsushima (139) Neuroimmunology, Function of Activated Microglia in Neurodegenerative Disease

David Siderovski, Signaling Scaffold Activities of rgs12 and rgs14 in Coordinating Heterotrimeric G-Protein

Todd Thiele, Neurobiology of Alcoholism

Juli Valtschanoff, Vanilloid Receptors in Nociception

Ellen R. Weiss (144) Regulation of G Protein Signaling Pathways, Visual Signal Transduction

Assistant Professors

Joyce Besheer, Neurobiological Mechanisms Underlying Alcoholism and Addiction

Jay Brenman, Neuronal Dendrite and Axon Morphologies

Mohanish Deshmukh, Neuronal Apoptosis

Leisa Glantz

Rita Fuchs-Lokensgard, Associative Learning and Memory in Cue-Induced Relapse to Drug Seeking

Joseph Hopfinger, Reflexive Attention Mechanisms, Spatiotemporal Analyses of Voluntary Attention, Attentional Control Mechanisms, Studies of Memory Mechanisms

David Huang, Pathophysiology of Stroke and Cellular Mechanisms of Neuroprotection

Xuemei Huang, Structural Basis for Parkinson's Signs and Symptoms; Etiologic Factors in Parkinson's Disease

Carl J. Malanga, Child Neurology, Movement Disorders

Carol Otey, Mechanisms of Cell Motility and Adhesion

Larysa Pevny, Neural Induction, Neurogenesis, SOX Proteins

Benjamin Philpot, Modification of the Cerebral Cortex by Sensory Experience

Franck Polleux, Identification of the Cues and Signaling Pathways Underlying the Development of Connections in the Mammalian Cerebral Cortex

Donita Robinson, Chemistry and Physiology of the Nucleus Accumbens

Paul Tiesinga, Biophysics of Cortical Information Processing

Mark Zylka, Molecules and Mechanisms for Pain

Research Professors

Jacqueline Crawley, Mouse Behavioral Phenotyping

Karamarie Fecho, Actute Inflammatory and Neuropathic Pain

Doug Fitzpatrick, Sound Localization Pathways

Chistina Grobin, Neuroactive Steroids in the Brain

Rick B. Meeker (107) Neuroendocrine Regulation, Glutamate Receptors, Mechanisms of AIDS Dementia

Richard Weinberg, Postsynaptic Mechanisms of Glutamatergic Transmission

The Neurobiology Curriculum of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill includes faculty from the departments of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Anesthesiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Biostatistics, Chemistry, Medicine, Neurology, Oral Biology, Oral Surgery, Pathology, Pharmacology, Cell and Molecular Physiology, Psychiatry, Psychology, Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Mathematics and from the Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology and the Program in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. The theme unifying members of these diverse departments is a desire to understand the mechanisms through which the nervous system functions. While sharing this fundamental interest in the nervous system, research techniques used by members of the curriculum are quite diverse and provide the student with the opportunity to master a wide variety of laboratory skills.

Graduate students working toward the Ph.D. in neurobiology must take NBIO 411, 412, 701 or 702, 710, 722 and 723, 850 and 994.

The minor in neurobiology consists of a minimum of 15 hours of courses selected from the list below with the approval of the director.

Fellowships, commensurate with usual grants-in-aid, are available to support graduate students who are working toward the Ph.D. degree under the direction of a faculty member in the neurobiology curriculum and who major in neurobiology. After the first year, graduate students receive travel awards to attend national scientific meetings.

Applicants are urged to complete their applications by January 1.

Courses for Graduates and Advanced Undergraduates

400 [101C] CONDITIONING AND LEARNING (PSYC 400) (3). Prerequisite, PSYC 222. A comprehensive survey of the methods, findings and theories of classical and operant conditioning. Students develop skills necessary to evaluate, integrate and summarize significant original literature. Fall. Eckerman.

401 [102B] BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF BEHAVIOR (PSYC 401) (3). Prerequisite, PSYC 222 or BIOL 101. Ethological, genetic and physiological variables are studied in relation to their behavior effects. Fall and spring. Gariepy, Lysle.

402 [106B] PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY (PSYC 402) (3). Prerequisite, PSYC 101, PSYC 220, or permission of the instructor. Elements of neurophysiology, neuroanatomy and neurochemistry as they apply to the understanding of brain-behavior relationships. (As announced.) Carelli.

411 [111], 412 [112] NEUROBIOLOGY LABORATORY APPRENTICESHIP (1–21). Prerequisite, permission of the director of training in the neurobiology curriculum. A laboratory-tutorial course to acquaint the student with methods used in several areas of neurobiology. Fall and spring. Faculty of the neurobiology curriculum.

450 [150] TUTORIAL IN NEUROBIOLOGY (3). Prerequisite, permission of the instructor. A tutorial in selected topics in neurobiology tailored to meet interests of the students and competencies of instructors. Fall and spring. Staff.

Courses for Graduates

701 [201A] BEHAVIOR AND ITS BIOLOGICAL BASES I (PSYC 701) (3). A survey of psychological and biological approaches to the study of sensory and perceptual information processing; perceptual development. Fall. Staff.

702 [202A] BEHAVIOR AND ITS BIOLOGICAL BASES II (PSYC 702) (3). A survey of psychological and biological approaches to the study of basic learning and higher integrative processing. Spring. Staff.

703 [204] ADVANCED BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY: CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (PSYC 703) (3). Prerequisite, PSYC 402 or equivalent. Each fall one specific topic is covered in depth; e.g., neural bases of memory storage, homeostasis and perception. Format includes lecture and seminar meetings with student presentations. Fall. Shinkman.

704 [207] APPLICATIONS OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY TO HEALTH RESEARCH (PSYC 704) (3). This course provides a critical analysis of interdisciplinary research within experimental psychology, including such topics as psychopharmacology, psychoneuroimmunology, psychophysiology and animal models of brain/behavior disorders. Fall. Carelli, Dykstra, Girdler, Light, Lysle, Picker.

705 [323] BEHAVIORAL PHARMACOLOGY (PSYC 705, PHCO 705) (3). Prerequisite, PSYC 404 or permission of the instructor. Basic principles of pharmacology and behavior analysis are considered in relation to drugs that affect the central nervous system. Spring. Dykstra.

708 [302] SEMINAR IN THE BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF PSYCHOLOGY (PSYC 708) (3). Prerequisite, permission of the instructor. Limited to graduate students in psychology and neurobiology. Lectures and seminar presentations on a wide range of topics in the area of physiological psychology. Fall and spring. Carelli.

710 [210] MEDICAL NEUROBIOLOGY (PHYI 710) (3). Prerequisite, permission of the course director. A special segment of the neurobiology course for medical students (for neurobiology graduate students only). Structural and functional organization is analyzed at the level of the cell membrane, the neuron and integrated neuronal systems. Spring. Farel, staff.

722A [222A] CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY: INTRODUCTION (BIOC 722A, PHCO 722A, PHYI 722A) (2). Prerequisite, permission of the course director. Introductory section covers basic neurobiology, including neuronal cell biology, action potentials, synaptic potentials, molecular biology and neuroanatomy. Course meets four weeks with six lecture hours per week. Fall. Stuart.

722B [222B] CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY: POSTSYNAPTIC MECHANISMS-RECEPTORS (BIOC 722B, PHCO 722B, PHYI 722B) (2). Prerequisite, permission of the instructor. Consideration of membrane receptor molecules activated by neurotransmitters in the nervous system with emphasis on ligand binding behavior and molecular and functional properties of different classes of receptors. Course meets for four weeks with six lecture hours per week. Fall. Stuart.

722C [222C] CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY: ELECTRICAL SIGNALING (BIOC 722C, PHCO 722C, PHYI 722C) (2). Prerequisite, permission of the course director. The genesis of electrical impulses in the nervous system is considered with an emphasis on membrane potentials, voltage-gated ion channels, and structural features of neurons that influence coding. Course meets for five weeks with six lecture hours per week. Fall. Stuart.

723A [223A] SYNAPTIC MECHANISMS AND INTRACELLULAR SIGNALING (BIOC 723A, PHCO 723A, PHYI 723A) (3). Prerequisite, permission of the course director. Explores biochemical signal transduction events following activation of neurotransmitter receptors including G-protein coupling, desensitization, signaling specificity, downstream effectors, calcium signaling and tryosine kinases. Course meets for five weeks with six lecture hours per week. Spring. Stuart.

723B [223B] ANATOMY AND FUNCTION OF SENSORY AND MOTOR SYSTEMS (BIOC 723B, PHCO 723B, PHYI 723B) (3). Prerequisite, permission of the course director. Explores the mechanisms regulating the release of neurotransmitters from nerve terminals, including quantal release, vesicle and terminal membrane proteins, neurotransmitter transporters and plasticity of synaptic transmission. Course meets for five weeks with six lecture hours per week. Spring. Stuart, faculty.

723C [223C] CNS: ANATOMY AND FUNCTION (2). Prerequisite, permission of the course director. Neuroanatomy will examine the organization of human and animal brains for processing different sensory modalities, with emphases on anatomical techniques and relating structure to function.

724 [224] DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY (PHYI 724) (3). Prerequisite, permission of the instructor. A survey of nervous system development emphasizing detailed analysis of selected research topics such as neural induction, neural crest development, neuronal differentiation, synapse formation, neurotrophic factors, glial development and the effects of experience. Spring. Perl.

725 [225] EXPERIMENTAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY (3). Prerequisite, permission of the instructor. Six or more laboratory hours a week. On occasion. Staff of neurobiology curriculum.

728 [228] DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM (2). Prerequisites, NBIO 222 and 223 or NBIO 201. Explores the basic neurobiology and the clinical aspects of a range of diseases of the nervous system, including ALS, Alzheimer's, autism, schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis, deafness, epilepsy, pain, brain tumors, stroke, Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases. Fall. Gilmore, Manis, staff.

729 [221] SENSORY NEURAL INFORMATION PROCESSING AND REPRESENTATION (3).

735 [235] SEMINAR IN CHEMICAL NEUROBIOLOGY (2). Prerequisite, two semesters of biochemistry. Fall. (Alternate years.) Morell.

850 [290] SEMINAR IN NEUROBIOLOGY (BIOL 850, PHYI 850, PHCO 850) (3). Prerequisite, permission of the director of the neurobiology curriculum. An intensive consideration of selected topics and problems in neurobiology. The course focuses on the development of presentation and evaluation skills of the trainees. Six credit hours required for neurobiology graduates. Spring. Faculty of the neurobiology curriculum.

857 [259] SEMINAR IN COMPARATIVE ANIMAL BEHAVIOR (BIOL 857) (2). Prerequisite, permission of the instructor. Fall or spring. Staff.

858 [260] SEMINAR IN COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY (BIOL 858) (2). Prerequisite, BIOL 451 or permission of the instructor. Fall or spring. Staff.

891 [211], 892 [212] SPECIAL TOPICS IN PHYSIOLOGY (PHYI 891, 892) (1–5). Prerequisite, permission of the instructor. Individually arranged in-depth programs of selected topics such as membrane function, transport physiology, renal physiology, etc. Fall and spring. Staff.

951 [310] RESEARCH IN NEUROBIOLOGY (PHCO 951, PHYI 951, BIOL 951) (3–12). Prerequisite, permission of a staff member. Research in various aspects of neurobiology. Six to 24 hours a week. Fall and spring. Faculty of the neurobiology curriculum.

994 [394] DOCTORAL DISSERTATION (Var.). Fall, spring and summer. Research advisor.