Human Neuroscience Seminar Fall 2023
Psych 555B (Seminar in Cognition & Perception)
Fall Qtr WED 11-11.50
The focus will be on human neuroscience technologies and how they can be used to answer questions in neuroscience, with the hope of bringing together both basic and clinical human neuroscientists. The class will be in person and Zoom.
In Fall 2023 we will focus on Learning and Plasticity, and we will explore it for the entire quarter …
The plan is to choose papers on that topic (spanning basic and clinical science) that use a variety of human neuroscience methodologies (e.g. EEG, MEG, MR imaging) in interesting ways. We’ll discuss the methodologies in depth, including how the experimental design is matched to the experimental question. This will allow us to discuss how these different methodologies allow us to link neuroscience to human behavior in different ways.
To join, please email ionefine@uw.edu
Communication
Critical information about the class will be sent on email.
You will also receive an invitation to a slack channel where you can ask questions about papers or discuss things more generally. Joining the slack is optional (important info will also be provided on email) but is recommended for undergraduate/junior graduate students since this is where you should post questions about the paper as you are reading it (e.g. I don’t understand what ‘decoding’ means in this paper?).
Course requirements
- All students should read the paper(s) before the paper discussion
- The day before the journal club all participants will be expected to post one question/discussion comment/refection about the paper – this should be submitted here by 8pm Monday.
- Each week one student will act as discussion leader (this is generally pretty minimal)
Speaker Schedule
Sept 27 (ZOOM). Brief introductory meeting. Should only be 15 min but please try to attend.
October 4th (ZOOM) Ella Striem-Amit
Evidence for an effector-independent action system from people born without hands. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020
October 11th (ZOOM) Matt Dye, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, USA
Perceptual optimization of language: Evidence from American Sign Language Cognition, 2022
October 18th (ZOOM) Keith Schneider, University of Delaware
Dyslexia linked to profound impairment in the magnocellular medial geniculate nucleus, Biorxiv 2023
October 25th (In person) Ezgi Yucel practices her thesis defense!
Nov 1 (In Person) Society for Neuroscience: What’s the latest? A review of abstracts that look cool at SFN
Nov 8 (ZOOM) David Weissman, Harvard University
State-level macro-economic factors moderate the association of low income with brain structure and mental health in U.S. children. Nature Communications 2023
Nov 15 No Class (Society for Neuroscience)
Nov 22 No Class (Thanksgiving)
Nov 29 (ZOOM) Paola Binda, University of Pisa
Active vision gates ocular dominance plasticity in human adults. Current Biology, In Press
********************************************************************************
Diversity and Inclusivity
The ethics of Human Neuroscience are complex and can involve sensitive discussions that include, for example, societal perceptions of diversity and disability, and inequities in access to medical care.
My goal is to foster an environment where a variety of viewpoints can flourish. For us to learn from each other it is important that opinions can be expressed freely. College is supposed to challenge assumptions and provide new and sometimes uncomfortable ways of looking at issues. Within that context, I expect everyone in the classroom to be thoughtful and respectful about how we discuss these matters.
While our intention may not be to cause discomfort or offense, the impact of what happens throughout the course is something that I consider to be very important and deserving of attention. If you have any concerns about anything I said as an instructor or something that a student said in class, I’d encourage you to please voice your concern during or after class or during office hours, email me, or ask for a private conversation. You won’t be the first, and I can promise I will genuinely welcome the feedback.
COMING SOON …. CONFIRMED SPEAKERS FOR NEXT QUARTER (DATES TBD)
Lofti Merabet LB. Harvard
Steve Engel, Minnesota
Berkeley Fahrenthold, UR