Selvstudium i nevrovitenskap 1

The course is meant to deepen the student’s knowledge of a particular topic pertaining to the biological foundation of behavior and cognition, and to strengthen their ability and confidence to present scientific work to a public audience. Students are expected to assemble a list of relevant literature (from ~20 sources, including scientific articles, reviews and/or book chapters) and give an informed lecture on a topic. Topics could range from, but are not limited to, the neural mechanisms of sleep, motivation, learning and memory, language, attention, perception, or emotions. Other topics may include disease themes (e.g. stroke, dementia); a critical review of new developments in neuroscience methodologies (new techniques, etc.); computational themes, e.g. neuroinformatics, applied statistics, network models of brain function. Additional topics are welcome but all topics must approved by the course administrator.

For the exam the student will deliver a 30-minute lecture, leaving 15 minutes for a post-lecture discussion with the examiners. The lecture should not be an open-ended survey of literature, data or facts, but instead evaluate and discuss particular themes or debates within a sub-field of current neuroscience.

Knowledge

After completing the course the student will:

1. Have first-hand knowledge of what it is like to formulate a scientific question, and how to search for, locate and organize relevant literature in appropriate sub-themes related to a central topic.
2. Understand scientific papers in neuroscience, be critical and constructive, and be able to suggest alternative experiments.
3. Have sufficient knowledge to answer broader questions in neuroscience without reading books or papers first.

Skills

After completing the course the student will be able to:

1. Locate and organize primary scientific literature (journal articles, reviews, books, book chapters) related to a given theme or scientific question.
2. Give an up-to-date oral presentation of any topic in neuroscience by reading relevant literature.
3. Discuss scientific papers in neuroscience, be critical and constructive, and be able to suggest alternative experiments.

General competence

The student will develop the following competencies:

1. How to analyze relevant general issues in neuroscience including field specific theorems and ethical issues.
2. How to decide on animal and human research, and have general insight in ways to diminish research that causes suffering to humans and animals.
3. How to carry out literary research independently and how to formulate and express results and interpretations of the research outcomes.
4. Have better capability to carry out and analyze complex experiments in neuroscience.
5. Competence to summarize, document, report, and reflect on own findings.

Learning methods and activities

The student selects the appropriate reading list (if needed they can do this with their supervisor). Students in the MSc Neuroscience program can gauge the target breadth by referring to lectures given in one of the master’s level courses in the MSc Neuroscience program (NEVR3001, NEVR3002, NEVR3003, NEVR3004). The language of examination is English.

1. The reading list shall contain approximately 20 papers (not less than 18, not more than 21) and must be approved by the course coordinator.
2. In the reading list, the student will include a short (one sentence) statement under each paper describing the relevance of that paper to the topic.
3. The student delivers a 30-minute presentation followed by an open discussion on the topic, usually lasting 15 minutes.

Semester activities

Students are expected to assemble a list of relevant literature (from ~20 sources, including scientific articles, reviews and/or book chapters) and give an informed lecture on a topic. See description above for information on specific research topics.

The milestone activities during the semester are:

1. Defining & attaining approval for the self-study topic
2. Assembling a formatted literature list (template will be provided)
3. Attaining approval of final literature list
4. Presentation / exam

For the exam the student will to deliver a 30-minute lecture, leaving 15 minutes for a post-lecture discussion with the examiners. The lecture should NOT be an open-ended survey of literature, but instead come to discuss a particular theme or debate within a sub-field of current neuroscience.