# Seminars 2014-2015 **SPECIAL NOTE, SPRING 2015: Information on seminar availability, updates, and study card signing is available at [http://mbb.harvard.edu/mbb-seminar-courses-updates-and-study-card-signing-spring-2015](/mbb-seminar-courses-updates-and-study-card-signing-spring-2015).** Each MBB student is required to take an Interdisciplinary Seminar during the junior year. These seminars are discussion-based courses that usually meet once a week for a few hours, during which students consider important readings and research on a topic or set of topics related to mind/brain/behavior. In lieu of exams, students usually prepare papers based on library or laboratory research, and grades are usually based on these papers and class participation. The seminars offered by the MBB program, listed in the catalog as Mind, Brain, and Behavior 980 courses, explore questions in mind/brain/behavior whose answers will require the perspectives and findings of several fields. Their enrollments are limited to 15, unless otherwise noted, with enrollment priority given to juniors in MBB tracks or in the MBB secondary field. Trento summer MBB seminars are exceptions, as they have a separate application process. In addition to the MBB 980 courses, some departmental courses also qualify. If you are interested in any of the Neurobiology 101hf seminars, you may want to attend the Neurobiology Tutorial Fair on Tuesday, September 2nd from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the Bauer Laboratory lobby. Note that these neurobiology tutorials are year-long half courses and cannot be joined in the spring. Neurobiology tutorials will be sectioned online through 11 p.m. on Monday, September 8th. Additional information on tutorial selection is available at [Pollen.Daniel@umassmemorial.org](/>http://lifesciences.fas.harvard.edu/files/lifesci/files/tutorial_sectioning_2014.pdf.
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%20In%20choosing%20from%20the%20following%20set%20of%20seminars%20that%20will%20be%20offered%20this%20year,%20some%20students%20will%20select%20a%20seminar%20closely%20allied%20to%20their%20interests%20to%20allow%20them%20to%20deepen%20their%20specialized%20knowledge,%20and%20others%20will%20take%20one%20in%20a%20more%20distant%20area%20to%20gain%20an%20appreciation%20of%20the%20varying%20perspectives%20and%20methodologies%20within%20MBB.%20Students%20in%20the%20neurobiology%20and%20psychology%20tracks%20should%20check%20with%20their%20concentration%20to%20determine%20which%20courses%20from%20the%20junior%20seminar%20list%20are%20approved%20for%20them.

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MIND/BRAIN/BEHAVIOR%20SEMINARS

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Art,%20Mind,%20and%20the%20Brain:%20Study%20Abroad%20in%20Trento,%20Italy%20(summer%202014,%20through%20Harvard%20Summer%20School)

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David%20Melcher%20/%20University%20of%20Trento%20&%20Francesca%20Bacci%20/%20Museum%20of%20Modern%20and%20Contemporary%20Art%20of%20Trento%20and%20Rovereto

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*Mind/Brain/Behavior%20S-91

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The%20ability%20to%20create%20and%20appreciate%20artworks%20is%20one%20of%20the%20unique%20hallmarks%20of%20the%20human%20brain.%20This%20course%20will%20take%20advantage%20of%20the%20rich%20artistic%20heritage%20of%20Northern%20Italy%20by%20exploring%20the%20mind/brain%20through%20the%20arts.%20In%20particular,%20we%20will%20investigate%20visual%20art,%20from%20antiquity%20to%20contemporary%20with%20a%20special%20emphasis%20on%20medieval,%20Renaissance,%20and%20modern%20painting%20and%20sculpture.%20The%20course%20will%20involve%20a%20series%20of%20visits%20to%20local%20museums%20and%20historic%20sites.%20In%20addition,%20there%20are%20in-class%20lectures%20and%20discussions%20and%20hands-on%20activities%20in%20the%20education%20department%20of%20the%20MART%20museum.%20The%20overall%20aim%20is%20to%20use%20artworks%20as%20case%20studies%20that%20illustrate%20fundamental%20principles%20of%20the%20mind%20and%20brain.%20Limited%20enrollment.%20(catalog%20#%2032961)

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Conscious%20Perceptual%20Experience:%20Image,%20Space,%20and%20the%20Attentive%20Self%20(spring%20term)

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Daniel%20Pollen%20/%20Psychology%20/%20 \*Mind, Brain, and Behavior 980a (formerly Mind, Brain, and Behavior 93), Tuesdays 3-5 p.m., William James Hall 6 (basement seminar room) Focuses on waking, sleeping, and dreaming as examples of conscious states in both humans and animals. Original papers and Antonio Damasio's book The Feeling of What Happens form the background for discussions of waking, sleeping, and dreaming from the perspectives of neurology, physiology, psychology, and cognitive neurosciences. Discusses various approaches to understanding the functions of sleep and wake (consciousness) and reviews several theories on the topic. Enrollment: Limited to 12. (catalog # 5017) **Creativity Research: Madmen, Geniuses, and Harvard Students (fall term)** Shelley Carson / Psychology, \*Mind, Brain, and Behavior 980f (formerly Mind, Brain, and Behavior 99z), Tuesdays 1-3 p.m., William James Hall 6 (basement seminar room) Examines human creativity from three perspectives: a) empirical research sources, b) case studies of eminent creative achievers, and c) ourselves as creative subjects. Topics include the definition and measurement of creativity, the creative process, the neuroscience of creativity, the creative personality, the role of family life and culture in creativity, the relationship of creativity to IQ, gender differences, and the relationship of creativity to psychopathology. (catalog # 40379) **The Evolutionary and Developmental Origins of Cognition (summer 2015, through Harvard Summer School)** Sang Ah Lee / University of Trento How much of our cognitive capacities do we share with other animals? What representations do we possess early in life and how do we begin to build more complex concepts from them? This course will provide an introduction to evolutionary and developmental approaches to studying cognitive processes and their neural correlates. We will begin with an overview of several domains of specific representations, and then focus in on the domain of spatial navigation, for a more in-depth study of its behavioral, cognitive, and neural underpinnings in both humans and various nonhuman animals. Prerequisite: MBB S-101 or equivalent. **Fighting Cancer with the Mind (spring term)** William F. Pirl / Medical School / [wpirl@partners.org](/%E2%80%9Dmailto:wpirl@partners.org%E2%80%9D) \*Mind, Brain, and Behavior 980k, Wednesdays 1-3 p.m., William James 401 Using contemporary mind-body practices as context, examines evidence (or lack of evidence) linking psychological practices with cancer survival. We will (1) review theoretical foundations for these links including psychoanalysis, psychoneuroimmunology, and cognitive-behavioral therapy; (2) analyze legitimation of mind-body practices for cancer in popular media; (3) interview mind-body medicine practitioners; and (4) examine published scientific data. Students will choose one mind-body practice for in-depth study, analyzing its underlying theories, scientific evidence, and appeal to patients. (catalog # 86866) **Music, Mind, and Brain (spring term)** Peter Anthony Cariani / Medical School / [peter\_cariani@meei.harvard.edu](mailto:peter_cariani@meei.harvard.edu) \*Mind, Brain, and Behavior 980e (formerly Mind, Brain, and Behavior 91z), Mondays 3-5 p.m., William James 401 Survey of neuropsychology of music. Examines psychological and neural substrates of music perception and cognition (pitch and consonance, melody and harmony, timbre, rhythm and meter, Gestaltist grouping processes). Then considers affective psychology (emotion, meaning, pleasure), music therapy, music and language, and developmental, comparative, and evolutionary perspectives. (catalog #91901) **The Origins and Evolution of Cognition: A Comparative Study of Human and Nonhuman Abilities (spring term)** Irene Pepperberg / Psychology / and Guven Guzeldere / Philosophy and Psychology / [guven\_guzeldere@wjh.harvard.edu](/%E2%80%9Dmailto:guven_guzeldere@wjh.harvard.edu%E2%80%9D) \*Mind, Brain, and Behavior 980g, Tuesdays 2-4 p.m., William James 4 (basement) Most scientists agree cognition is widespread in nature and involves an organism processing information to solve problems (like avoiding predators, finding prey, attracting a mate, achieving shelter), and in humans higher-level reasoning and conceptualizing. Less clear are the origins and evolutionary basis of cognition-what evolutionary pressures were exerted that selected for such processing? Explores possible ways to answer this question with research in anthropology, neurobiology, philosophy, psychology, genetics, sociality, and other disciplines. Faculty from a variety of departments attend discussions in their areas of expertise and assist students in coming to their own conclusions. (catalog # 59755) **The Social Brain: Study Abroad in Trento, Italy (summer 2014 and summer 2015, through Harvard Summer School)** Paul E. Downing / Bangor University & Marius V. Peelen / University of Trento \*Mind/Brain/Behavior S-96 Human beings are social creatures. We spend much of our time in the company of other people, whose behaviour is complex, often unpredictable, and highly relevant to our own daily lives. Making sense of all of this places strong demands on the "social brain," a set of interwoven systems that continuously (and often unconsciously) seeks answers to questions like: Is anyone there? Who is there? What are they doing? What are they looking at? What are they feeling? In this course, students learn about the brain systems that ask and answer these questions, with a focus on findings from human neuroimaging studies. The course consists of lectures, reading research articles, and a large practical part in which students learn the basics of performing a neuroimaging experiment on social vision. Limited enrollment. Prerequisite: MBB S-101. (catalog #33107) **What Disease Teaches about Cognition (spring term)** William Milberg / Medical School / [wmilberg@hms.harvard.edu](/%E2%80%9Dmailto:wmilberg@hms.harvard.edu%E2%80%9D) and Michael Alexander / Medical School / [malexand@bidmc.harvard.edu](/%E2%80%9Dmailto:malexand@bidmc.harvard.edu%E2%80%9D) \*Mind, Brain, and Behavior 980h, Tuesdays 5-7 p.m., William James 1305 Seeks to reconcile the complicated and messy problems of patients with brain disease with the concise analysis of precisely defined cognitive functions in normal subjects. Students will learn to overlap cognitive functions on to the brain in disease - at the gross dissection and imaging levels - and to understand some of the complex interactions of individual cognitive operations in disease. Includes dissection of a human brain, mapping on to imaging, dissection of multi-dimensional clinical disorders into their component functional parts. (catalog # 20291) **DEPARTMENTAL SEMINARS** **Animal Cognition (fall term)** Irene Pepperberg / Psychology / [impepper@media.mit.edu](/%E2%80%9Dmailto:impepper@media.mit.edu%E2%80%9D) \*Psychology 980f, Wednesdays 2-4 p.m., William James 1408 This course is an introduction to the study of animal cognition and thought processes. Topics include categorization, memory, number concepts, insight, and language-like behavior. The course requires reading and critiquing original journal articles. Note: Not open to students who have taken PSY 1351. Prerequisite: Science of Living Systems 20 and at least one course from PSY 13, PSY 14, PSY 15, PSY 18, or SLS15. Enrollment: Limited to 16. (catalog # 89069) **Brain Damage as a Window into the Mind: Cognitive Neuropsychology (fall term)** Alfonso Caramazza / Psychology / [caramazz@fas.harvard.edu](/%E2%80%9Dmailto:caramazz@fas.harvard.edu%E2%80%9D) Psychology 1304, Tuesdays 1:30-4 p.m., William James 4 (basement seminar room) Examines the patterns of perceptual, motor, cognitive, and linguistic impairments resulting from brain damage. The focus is on the implications of the various types of neuropsychological deficits (such as visual neglect, dyslexia, and aphasia) for theories of the mind and the functional organization of the brain. Prerequisite: Science of Living Systems 20 and Psych13, Psych 14, or MCB 80. (catalog # 2419) **Brain Rhythms in Cognition, Mental Health, and Epilepsy (half course throughout the year)** Omar Ahmed / Medical School / [ojamed@partners.org](/%E2%80%9Dojamed@partners.org%E2%80%9D) \*Neurobiology 101hfj, Wednesdays 7-8:30 p.m., Robinson 105 "Everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances." - Maya Angelou. The brain, too, dances. Its rhythms are the result of millions of neurons coordinating each other’s activity. This course will explore how these rhythms are generated, how they relate to our perception and cognition, and how they can be used to better understand and diagnose psychiatric and neurological disorders. (catalog # 94358) **Building Babies: Developmental Trajectories from Conception to Weaning (spring term)** Katherine Kinde / Human Evolutionary Biology / [khinde@fas.harvard.edu](/%E2%80%9Dmailto:khinde@fas.harvard.edu%E2%80%9D) Human Evolutionary Biology 1500, Thursdays 2:30-5:30 p.m., University Museum 103a (Geological Museum 103a) Research on human and non-human primate developmental trajectories has grown exponentially among numerous disciplines including evolutionary anthropology, psychobiology, nutrition, behavioral biology, and neuroscience. The seminar will cover the mechanisms, function, and evolution of human and non-human primate development from conception through pregnancy and lactation. Areas of development to be included will be somatic growth, immunology, behavioral/social interactions, neurobiology/cognition/learning, and metabolic processes. Enrollment: Limited to 8. (catalog # 93737) **Building Blocks of Neural Networks: Synapses and Circuits in Health and Psychiatric Disease (half course throughout the year)** Abhishek Banerjee / MIT / [abhi.synap@gmail.com](/%E2%80%9Dmailto:abhi.synap@gmail.com%E2%80%9D) \*Neurobiology 101hfl, Thursdays 7-8:30 p.m., Robinson 105 The synapse is a fundamental information-processing unit of the nervous system. In this course, we will first explore the biology of excitatory and inhibitory synapses, developmental origins of neuronal subtypes and mechanisms that govern their circuit integration. Then we will address the basic design principles, wiring and functional plasticity of neuronal circuits that are altered in a plethora of neuropsychiatric disorders. We will also discuss how this knowledge can be used to better understand, diagnose and design therapeutics for neuropsychiatric disorders. Prerequisite: LS 1a, MCB 80, and permission of the instructor. (catalog # 85872) **Cell Biology of Neurons in Development, Function, and Disease (half course throughout the year)** Ashwini Jambhekar / Medical School / [jambhekar@gmail.com](/%E2%80%9Dmailto:jambhekar@gmail.com%E2%80%9D) \*Neurobiology 101hfk, Tuesdays 7-8:30 p.m., Robinson 106 Neurons are amongst the most specialized cells in the body, displaying unique structures and extending long distances with spatial and temporal precision. This course will investigate how neuronal structures form and respond to internal and external cues to execute functions such as migration, synapsis, and internal protein/organelle transport. Misregulation of these processes in human disease will also be explored. Prerequisite: LS 1a, MCB 80, and permission of the instructor; MCB 60 or MCB 54 is preferred but not required. (catalog # 71006) **Dopamine (half course throughout year)** S. Barak Caine / Medical School / \*Neurobiology 101hfb (formerly Neurobiology 95hfh), Mondays, 4-5:30 p.m., Sever 104 Phase I: Instructor’s lectures with open discussion will orient students to tools from multiple traditional disciplines (behavioral neuroscience, pharmacology, neuroanatomy, and psychiatry). Phase II: Instructor’s lectures on important and controversial disease states (Parkinson’s Disease, Schizophrenia, Drug Addiction). Phase III: Instructor assigns original articles for Socratic debate. Overall emphasis is on how the brain creates behavior via neurotransmitters and circuits. Prerequisites: Life and Physical Sciences A or Life Sciences 1a, MCB 80, and permission of the instructor. (catalog #2579) **Endocrinology and Behavior: Research Seminar (fall term)** Susan Lipson / Human Evolutionary Biology / \*Human Evolutionary Biology 1418, Mondays, Wednesdays, and (Fridays) at 11 a.m. and a weekly laboratory either Monday or Wednesdays 2-5 p.m., Peabody Museum 56C An introduction to laboratory techniques and research design in behavioral endocrinology. Students conduct pilot research projects. Note: Preference given to Human Evolutionary Biology concentrators. Lab safety training required (after enrollment). Enrollment: Limited to 8. Prerequisite: Human Evolutionary Biology 1310 or Life Sciences 2 or with permission of instructor. (catalog # 1437) **Evolution and Cognition (fall term)** Max Krasnow / Psychology/FAS / [krasnow@fas.harvard.edu](/%E2%80%9Dmailto:krasnow@fas.harvard.edu%E2%80%9D) Psychology 1305, Mondays and Wednesdays at 11, William James 4 (basement seminar room) The goal of this course is for students to master the foundational logic and theory of evolutionary psychology. Students are exposed to and consider topics covering the range of human experience, including cooperation, mating, friendship, aggression, warfare, collective action, kinship, parenting, social learning, dietary choice, spatial cognition, reasoning, emotions, morality, personality and individual differences, predator avoidance, hazard management, and culture. Prerequisite: Science of Living Systems 20 and at least one course from PSY 13, PSY 14, PSY 15, PSY 18, or SLS15. (catalog # 70479) [ ](/%E2%80%9Dmailto:krasnow@fas.harvard.edu%E2%80%9D) **Freud: Clinicial and Cultural Theorist (spring term)** Elizabeth Lunbeck / History of Science/FAS / [lunbeck@fas.harvard.edu](/%E2%80%9Dmailto:lunbeck@fas.harvard.edu%E2%80%9D) History of Science 178v, Wednesdays 4-6 p.m., Science Center 252 An in-depth examination of Freud’s major clinical and sociological-historical writings as well as of their fate within and beyond analysis, from the 1880s to the present. The course will treat Freud and psychoanalysis both as a form of clinical practice and as a body of still-influential thought. Topics include major analytic concepts and types: hysteria, trauma, sexuality, couch, transference, unconscious, character disorders, aggression, identity, and love. (catalog # 28007) **Fundamentals of Computational Neuroscience (half course throughout the year)** Alexander Mathis / Molecular and Cellular Biology/FAS / [amathis@fas.harvard.edu](/%E2%80%9Dmailto:amathis@fas.harvard.edu%E2%80%9D) & Ashesh Dhawale / Organismic and Cellular Biology/FAS / [dhawale@fas.harvard.edu](/%E2%80%9Dmailto:dhawale@fas.harvard.edu%E2%80%9D) \*Neurobiology 101hfm, Thursdays 7-8:30 p.m., Sever 212 The brain is an extremely complex computing device. Computational neuroscience seeks to understand brain function by constructing mathematical models of the nervous system to summarize our knowledge and gain new insights into how neurons perform basic tasks, e.g., encode stimuli, form memories, or generate movements. This course presents computational techniques for investigating, modeling, and understanding the function of neurons, neuronal networks, and systems. Prerequisite: LS 1a, MCB 80, one of Math 19a/21a/21b or above, or permission of the instructor. (catalog # 62858) **Mating Strategies (spring term)** Stephanie Meredith / Human Evolutionary Biology/FAS / Human Evolutionary Biology 1366, Wednesdays 2-5 p.m., University Museum 105 (Daly Seminar Room) In this advanced seminar, we will examine the selection pressures that drive animals (including the human animal) to make particular mating decisions. We will engage in a broad, comparative exploration of the diversity of mating strategies across the animal kingdom, paying particular attention to primates, in order to ground our understanding of human mating strategies in an evolutionary perspective. Topics to be covered include the evolution of: sex, paternal care, sex-role reversal, social monogamy versus sexual monogamy, sexual coercion, homosexual behavior, and frequency dependent mating strategies. Note: Human Evolutionary Biology concentrators will have priority, if space is limited. Prerequisite: Human Evolutionary Biology 97 or Human Evolutionary Biology 1330 or Organismic and Evolutionary Biology 57 or permission of instructor. (catalog # 62507) **The Neurobiology of Drug Addiction (half course throughout the year)** Johanna Gutlerner / Medical School / [Joanna\_Gutlerner@hms.harvard.edu](/%E2%80%9Dmailto:Johanna_Gutlerner@hms.harvard.edu%E2%80%9D) \*Neurobiology 101hfi, Wednesdays 4-5:30 p.m., Robinson 107 Students will examine primary literature to understand the acute and chronic action of drugs of abuse, including opioids, cannabinoids, psychostimulants, nicotine, and ethanol. The course will introduce the models of addiction and examine animal and human research results to build an understanding of how modifications to molecular signaling, cells and neural circuits underlie the development of the addicted brain. (catalog # 57397) **Neuroscience Fiction: An Introduction to Cutting Edge Neuroscience through the Lens of Film and Television (spring term)** George Alvarez / Psychology/FAS / [alvarez@wjh.harvard.edu](/%E2%80%9Dmailto:alvarez@wjh.harvard.edu%E2%80%9D) \*Psychology 1454, Thursdays 2-4:30 plus a one-hour section to be determined, William James 6 (basement) Film and television shows often capture the cutting edge of science, and they sometimes even anticipate future scientific advances. We’ll use examples from film and television as an introduction to several hot topics in the field of neuroscience, such as Mind Control, Mind Reading, Smart Pills, and Brain Machine Interfaces, which are all getting closer to reality. Will neuroscientists ever be able to control a person’s thoughts, or to know what a person is thinking? Can taking a pill really awaken untapped brain power? Will you ever be able to drive a car without touching a steering wheel? In this course, we will cover the state of the art and the future of these exciting areas of neuroscience (and entertainment). Because these are not textbook topics, this is an advanced course that will focus on reading and discussing the primary literature. Prerequisite: SLS-20 plus either PSY 14 or MCB 80 or permission of instructor. (catalog # 64417) **Novel Therapeutics in the Central Nervous System (half course throughout the year)** Catherine Dubreuil / Medical School / [catherine\_dubreuil@hms.harvard.edu](/%E2%80%9Dmailto:catherine_dubreuil@hms.harvard.edu%E2%80%9D) \*Neurobiology 101hfa (formerly \*Neurobiology 95hfd), Wednesdays 4:30-6 p.m., Robinson 106 Recent advances have elucidated new non-traditional molecular signaling pathways involved in many disorders and diseases in the CNS. This tutorial will focus on examining novel therapeutics and ’outside the box’ approaches to treat CNS disorders: Alzheimer’s, Autism, Schizophrenia, Traumatic Injury and Multiple Sclerosis. To do this, we will examine primary and clinical literature and explore drug design strategies. Prerequisite: LS 1a, MCB 80, and permission of the instructor. Intermediate biology courses (MCB 60, MCB 52, MCB 54) are recommended. (catalog # 3437) **Perceiving People (spring term)** Ken Nakayama / Psychology/FAS / [ken@wjh.harvard.edu](/%E2%80%9Dmailto:ken@wjh.harvard.edu%E2%80%9D) \*Psychology 1455, Wednesdays 2-4 p.m., William James 765 Our sensory world is filled with people and other creatures and we learn much about them from observation. Animals do similar things with their conspecifics, their prey and enemies. In this seminar course, we probe the psychological and specialized neural mechanisms that underlie these often hidden and remarkable abilities. Prerequisite: SLS-20 and MCB80 or equivalent. Enrollment: Limited to 15. (catalog # 31518) **Perception and Imagination (fall term)** Justin Junge / Psychology / Psychology 980o, Wednesdays 4-6 p.m., William James Hall 4 (basement seminar room) Perception is required to have a mind like yours. How does perceiving work? How are streams of sensory input processed into rich and useful models of the world around you? This course will converge on the 5 senses from many informative angles, explaining how perception tracks and shapes reality, then gives rise to imagination. Prerequisite: Science of Living Systems 20 one course from PSY 13, PSY 14, PSY 15, PSY 18, or SLS 15. Enrollment: Limited to 16. (catalog #1199) **Psychology of Language (spring term)** Jesse Snedeker / Psychology / [snedeker@wjh.harvard.edu](mailto:snedeker@wjh.harvard.edu%E2%80%9D) and Gennaro Chierchia / Linguistics / [chierch@fas.harvard.edu](/%E2%80%9Dmailto:chierch@fas.harvard.edu%E2%80%9D) Psychology 1605, Tuesdays and Thursdays 1-2:30 p.m., William James 1050 How do children manage to learn the sounds, the words and the grammar of their native language in three years or less? Does the language that we speak change how we think? What happens in the mind (and brain) that allows us to convert sound into meaning during language comprehension (and meaning into motor movements during language production)? Why are human languages similar to each other in some ways, and what allows them to vary in others? We will explore these questions integrating the perspectives of linguistics, psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Prerequisite: For psychology concentrators, Science of Living Systems 20. For linguistics concentrators: this course may be substituted for Linguistics 83 or Linguistics 101 as a requirement for the concentration. (catalog # 48568) **Readings in Philosophical Psychology (spring term)** Susanna Siegel / Philosophy / [ssiegel@fas.harvard.edu](/%E2%80%9Dmailto:ssiegel@fas.harvard.edu%E2%80%9D) \*Philosophy 160, Thursdays 2-4 p.m., Emerson 310 We will discuss a range of issues related to cognitive architecture. Topics will include some but probably not all of the following: the cognitive underpinnings of implicit bias, Bayesian theories of perceptual processing, the distinctions between perception and sensation, the distinctions between perception and cognition, the perception of agency, and the epistemology of perception. (catalog # 77411) **Seeing Time in the Brain (half course throughout the year)** Patrick Mayo / Medical School / [patrick\_mayo@hms.harvard.edu](mailto:patrick_mayo@hms.harvard.edu) \*Neurobiology 101hff (formerly Neurobiology 95hfy), Mondays 7 – 8:30 p.m., Robinson 107 Time critically shapes our perceptual experience, yet how the brain represents time is poorly understood. This course investigates the experience of time from multiple perspectives, focusing on a systems-level analysis of visual time perception. Topics include illusions of time, perception, neuronal mechanisms of time, the meaning of timescales, models of time perception, and the influence of expectation on neural activity. Prerequisites: LPSA/LS 1a, MCB 80 and permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 12. (catalog # 72995) **Sense and Scientific Sensibility (spring term)** Sophia Roosth / History of Science/FAS / [roosth@fas.harvard.edu](/%E2%80%9Dmailto:roosth@fas.harvard.edu%E2%80%9D) History of Science 164, Wednesdays 2-4 p.m., Science Center 359 Scientific inquiry is often considered an endeavor pursued using one’s sense of vision: scientists peer into microscopes and telescopes, and stare at graphs, diagrams, and computer screens. But on what other senses do scientists rely? How do they gather data using senses of hearing, smell, taste, and touch (or, for that matter, less acknowledged perceptual systems, among them, balance, temperature, movement, pain, and time)? How do researchers evaluate sensory evidence? Further, what is the history of scientific studies of the senses? To address such questions, each week we will explore a different sense (from the canonical five to synaesthesia and ESP) by combining readings in the history of science with classic primary sources. Throughout, we will examine critical questions regarding how the senses are culturally and historically constructed, evaluated, and technologically mediated. (catalog # 35633) **Stress: Research and Presentation Seminar (spring term)** Judith F. Chapman / Human Evolutionary Biology / \*Human Evolutionary Biology 1313, Fridays 2-4 p.m., CGIS South S-040 An examination of stress from a scientific perspective with a focus on stress research in mammals, especially primate and humans. A writing and speaking intensive seminar that will explore the basics of the stress response, physiological effects of the stress and factors that affect stress responsiveness, such as perinatal and early life effects, social support, outlets for frustration and coping skills. The relationship between stress and disease will also be explored. Scientific studies of the effectiveness of modalities of stress reduction will also be discussed. Students will present primary scientific literature that highlights current research on a variety of topics in the field. Enrollment: Limited to 15. (catalog #27108)