Brain on Fire: A Holistic Exploration of Neuroinflammation

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Inflammation is a fundamental biological phenomenon - whether it preserves or destroys is often a matter of context. In this course, we focus specifically on neuroinflammation - i.e., inflammation as it relates to the central (and peripheral) nervous system. We begin with the founding principles of molecular and cellular immunology in the context of the human nervous system. Next, we will explore the biological, environmental, and human components of (neuro)inflammatory disease through clinical case studies and representations in literature and media. Finally, we ask: how do medical, healthcare, and pharmaceutical constructs define the sociocultural experience of disease? Thus in this class, we integrate the scientific and the social: How do humans, how does humanity at large, deal with (neuro)inflammation? Can we firefight our collective future? This course is open to all majors. Strongly recommended prerequisites: Biology I: Big Questions (BIOS10171) OR Neuroscience and Behavior (BIOS20450) OR Cell Biology (BIOS30341) OR Cellular Biology: Stem Cells to Disease (BIOS30410)