Lecture

Cellular Mechanisms of Brain Function

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In course

BIO-482: Neuroscience: cellular and circuit mechanisms

This course focuses on the biophysical mechanisms of mammalian brain function. We will describe how neurons communicate through synaptic transmission in order to process sensory information ultimately leading to motor behavior. ...

Description

This lecture introduces the course 'Neuroscience: Cellular' and its structure, including a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) and a mini-project focusing on neuronal function. Topics covered include cell membrane, ion channels, membrane potential, cable properties, synaptic transmission, glutamatergic excitation, GABAergic inhibition, brain function, and behavior. The course aims to link biophysical mechanisms with behaviors studied in mice, emphasizing the brain's information processing through neuron activity.

Instructors (3)

Carl Petersen

Carl Petersen studied physics as a bachelor student in Oxford (1989-1992). During his PhD studies under the supervision of Prof. Sir Michael Berridge in Cambridge (1992-1996), he investigated cellular and molecular mechanisms of calcium signalling. In his first postdoctoral period (1996-1998), he joined the laboratory of Prof. Roger Nicoll at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) to investigate synaptic transmission and plasticity in the hippocampus. During a second postdoctoral period, in the laboratory of Prof. Bert Sakmann at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg (1999-2003), he began working on the primary somatosensory barrel cortex, investigating cortical circuits and sensory processing. Carl Petersen joined the Brain Mind Institute of the Faculty of Life Sciences at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) in 2003, setting up the Laboratory of Sensory Processing to investigate the functional operation of neuronal circuits in awake mice during quantified behavior. In 2019, Carl Petersen became the Director of the EPFL Brain Mind Institute, with the goal to promote quantitative multidisciplinary research into neural structure, function, dysfunction, computation and therapy through technological advances.

Sylvain Crochet

Teaching & PhD Courses Neuroscience: cellular and circuit mechanisms BIO-482 This course focuses on the biophysical mechanisms of mammalian brain function. We will describe how neurons communicate through synaptic transmission in order to process sensory information ultimately leading to motor behavior.

Ralf Schneggenburger

Teaching & PhD PhD Students Nishant Jana, Runzhong Zhang, Jinyun Wu, Elena Mombelli Past EPFL PhD Students Le Xiao, Yunyun Han, Özgür Genç, Elin Kronander, Enida Gjoni, Wei Tang, Ayah Khubieh, Aiste Baleisyte, Shriya Palchaudhuri, Denys Osypenko, Bei-Xuan Lin Courses Neural circuits of motivated behaviors BIO-499 Motivated behaviors fulfil the basic physiological needs of animals and enable their safety. In this course, you will learn about the neuronal circuits that sense and regulate int

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Biology

Cell biology: Neurotransmission

Related concepts (32)

UCL Neuroscience

UCL Neuroscience is a research domain that encompasses the breadth of neuroscience research activity across University College London's (UCL) School of Life and Medical Sciences. The domain was established in January 2008, to coordinate neuroscience activity across the many UCL departments and institutes in which neuroscience research takes place. In 2014, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to the UCL neuroscientist John O'Keefe.

Neuroscience

Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions and disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, developmental biology, cytology, psychology, physics, computer science, chemistry, medicine, statistics, and mathematical modeling to understand the fundamental and emergent properties of neurons, glia and neural circuits.

Behavior

Behavior (American English) or behaviour (British English) is the range of actions and mannerisms made by individuals, organisms, systems or artificial entities in some environment. These systems can include other systems or organisms as well as the inanimate physical environment. It is the computed response of the system or organism to various stimuli or inputs, whether internal or external, conscious or subconscious, overt or covert, and voluntary or involuntary.

Neurotransmission

Neurotransmission (Latin: transmissio "passage, crossing" from transmittere "send, let through") is the process by which signaling molecules called neurotransmitters are released by the axon terminal of a neuron (the presynaptic neuron), and bind to and react with the receptors on the dendrites of another neuron (the postsynaptic neuron) a short distance away. A similar process occurs in retrograde neurotransmission, where the dendrites of the postsynaptic neuron release retrograde neurotransmitters (e.g.

Brain

A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in a vertebrate's body. In a human, the cerebral cortex contains approximately 14–16 billion neurons, and the estimated number of neurons in the cerebellum is 55–70 billion. Each neuron is connected by synapses to several thousand other neurons.

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Brain function and behavior MOOC: Cellular Mechanisms of Brain Function

Investigates the causal mechanisms of behavior through brain function at the neuronal level.

Introduction into the module MOOC: Simulation Neurocience

Introduces nerve cells' electrical activity, focusing on spikes and synaptic potentials.

Understanding Synaptic Transmission

Explores synaptic transmission, neurotransmitters, and neural plasticity principles.

Introduction to Systems Neuroscience: Memory Systems Overview

Introduces systems neuroscience, focusing on neural circuits, memory systems, and course logistics.

Modeling the electrical activity of the neuron MOOC: Simulation Neurocience