The Brain: Development, Plasticity and Disease

Harvard FAS

This course focuses on our understanding of how the brain develops, adapts to its environment, and enters pathological states. Topics include cell birth and death; neural identity; axon guidance and synaptic specificity, adult neurogenesis. The topics are considered in relation to the onset of neuronal pathology and diseases such as Autism and Alzheimer's Disease. Course assignments emphasize critical evaluation of the literature, experimental design, and scientific writing.