Courses

This course is an introduction to basic neural function. Topics include neural transmission, development of the nervous system, anatomy, sensory systems, learning and the corresponding change in the brain, and the role of the nervous system in behavior. Team-based learning will be used to understand the experiments that shape current knowledge.

During registration, students will register for both the lecture and a corresponding lab section, which will appear on the student's academic transcript in a single entry.

In this course, students will learn about how hormones act in the brain and the body to affect behaviors. This course draws heavily on biological psychology and students learn about techniques in neuroendocrinology to better understand cellular function, neural circuits, and the display of behaviors. Team-based learning and case studies are used to explore the endocrine system, sexual differentiation, the stress response, thirst and digestion, and reproductive behaviors. The experimental evidence upon which our understanding of hormones, brain, and behavior is constructed is emphasized.

Enrollment in Psychology 219 is recommended. A grade of C- or better must be earned in both Psychology 218 and 219 to satisfy the LS requirement.

Recommended preparation: PSYC 110 or NEUR 127 or BIOL 125.

PSYC 218 is cross listed with NEUR 218.

The laboratory in Hormones, Brain and Behavior will consider the role of hormones in shaping the brain, the effect of experience on hormone levels, and neuroendocrine factors in the display of hormones. Students will learn common techniques in behavioral neuroendocrinology and will collect and analyze data. Psychology 219 requires current or prior registration in Psychology 218. A grade of C- or better must be earned in both Psychology 218 and 219 to satisfy the LS requirement.

PSYC 219 is cross listed with NEUR 219.

This course will examine how psychological principles can be employed to promote and maintain health, prevent and treat illness, and encourage adherence to disease treatment regimens. Within a biopsychosocial framework, we will analyze behavioral patterns and public policies that influence risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic pain, substance abuse, and sexually transmitted diseases, among other conditions. Additionally, students in groups will critically examine the effects of local policies on health outcomes and propose policy changes supported by theory and research. A grade of C- or better must be earned in both Psychology 260 and 261 to satisfy the LS requirement.

PSYC 260 is cross listed with NEUR 260.

This course provides students with direct experience applying principles of health psychology. Students will engage in a term-long self-directed project aimed at increasing the frequency of a healthy behavior (such as exercising) or decreasing the frequency of an unhealthy behavior (such as smoking). Additionally, we will read and discuss case studies that relate to the current topic in the lecture portion of the course. A grade of C- or better must be earned in both Psychology 260 and 261 to satisfy the LS requirement.

PSYC 261 is cross listed with NEUR 261.

Students work on a research project related to a faculty member's research interests, and directed by that faculty member. Student activities vary according to the field and stage of the project. The long-run goal of these projects normally includes dissemination to a scholarly community beyond Carleton. The faculty member will meet regularly with the student and actively direct the work of the student, who will submit an end-of-term product, typically a paper or presentation.

We will focus on recent advances in neuroscience. All areas of neuroscience (cellular/molecular, developmental, systems, cognitive, and disease) will be considered. Classical or foundational papers will be used to provide background.

BIOL 365 is cross listed with NEUR 365.

The immune system directly influences the central nervous system and behavior during both health and disease. The course will have an emphasis on animal behavior (e.g., memory and sociability assays) and techniques in neuroimmunology that range from genetic engineering (e.g., CRISPR and DREADD) to immune cell function, detection of surface receptors, and protein expression (e.g., flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, immune cell migration assays, ELISA, and western blot.) The topics that will be covered range from how cytokines influence behavior to effects of gut microbiota in brain function and behavior. This course will primarily use empirical research that will help you develop a deeper understanding of molecular techniques, cell biology, and develop strong analytical skills of biological findings in immunology and its connection with animal behavior.

PSCY 370 is cross listed with NEUR 370.

Students work on a research project related to a faculty member's research interests, and directed by that faculty member. Student activities vary according to the field and stage of the project. The long-run goal of these projects normally includes dissemination to a scholarly community beyond Carleton. The faculty member will meet regularly with the student and actively direct the work of the student, who will submit an end-of-term product, typically a paper or presentation.