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Neurons, Brains and Behavior

Course Overview

Did you know that our eyes are constantly moving and cannot stop? If they did, we would go blind.
Have you ever dissected a brain to see its different parts? Studied an x-ray of a human brain? And, what do our senses have to do with neuroscience?
 
This course will review the basic principles of neuroscience and behavior. It will cover how specific properties of neurons allow them to communicate through action potentials and chemical messengers (like dopamine and serotonin), how neurons function together to form circuits, and how these circuits take information from the environment, process it, and generate an appropriate behavior.
 
Specifically, we will discuss how each of our five senses are transformed into signals our brain understands, visit an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) lab to examine a human brain, and participate in hands-on brain dissection. You will learn these principles through a combination of lectures, group discussions, and in-class activities.
 
 

Course Information

Credit:
Noncredit
Grading:
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Categories:
  • Sciences
Prerequisite:
Biology
Lab Requirement:
Additional lab fee: $25; Closed-toe shoes required for a lab class

Program Information

Pre-College Program

The Emory Pre-College Program offers students an opportunity to experience many aspects of college life.

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Course Dates and Details

ProgramCourse DatesClass TimeFormatStatus
Pre-College ProgramSession A:
Sun, Jun 15 - Sat, Jun 28, 2025
  • M-F 9:00-11:30 a.m.
on-campusopen

Instructors

Andrea Roeser

Andrea began her academic career at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, majoring in Biology and Mathematical Sciences and mastering in Biology. During this time, she conducted research on weakly electric fish and their capacity for multisensory integration.

Andrea then moved to Cornell University where she earned a PhD in Neurobiology and Behavior. Here, Dr. Roeser investigated the neural mechanisms underlying song learning in zebra finches and communication in parrots. Her thesis work on dynamic dopamine tuning in the striatum was notably published on the cover of Nature in the November 2023 issue. In combination with her research efforts, she instructed undergraduate classes in writing and neuroscience.

Learn More About Andrea Roeser