Contents of module I will include the basis of neuronal excitability, voltage-gated ion channels and generation of signals, properties and interactions of simple circuits, interactions between neurons, synaptic plasticity and regulation of intracellular calcium. Contents of module II include an anatomical overview of the brain and spinal cord, sensory coding and systems organization, reflex and voluntary motor control, sensorimotor integration, higher cognitive functions and learning and memory. Laboratory rotations provide students the opportunity to participate in research projects with different faculty members in the department or in related areas in other departments. Students do at least two rotations, and many start their first rotation the summer preceding their first year. These rotations spark the intellectual curiosity that guides the student into an area of thesis research.
Students give a presentation each semester.
The audience is open to all graduate students in the department and to faculty mentors. Students find it intellectually challenging to polish their presentation skills and learn to critique each other in the process. This course also provides a mechanism by which students learn about current research topics from their peers. Since teaching and effective presentations of research are vital components of a career in Physiology, all students are given instruction in methods of teaching. Graduate students run weekly conference sections for departmental physiology courses by answering questions, explaining challenging concepts and developing and reviewing practice exams.