Role: Graduate Teaching Assistant

Primary Instructor: Dr. Robert Liu

Course Description

Neuroscience is a field that seeks to understand the structure and function of the nervous system. This course is intended for undergraduate students interested in learning basic concepts underlying how the brain functions at the molecular, cellular, and systems levels. The course will provide you with a rigorous understanding of neurophysiology and its application to the biological mechanisms underlying perception, action and learning. The knowledge you gain in this course will prepare you for upper-level classes in NBB or Biology on neural mechanisms of behavior and disease.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of NBB 301/BIO 360, students should be able to:

• Describe the organization of the nervous system as well as its subcellular, cellular and circuit components
• Explain functional properties of neurons in electronic terminology
• Apply quantitative methods to describe signaling within and between neurons
• Describe the molecular and cellular basis of synaptic transmission and predict the effects of toxins or drugs
• Provide experimental evidence for electrochemical neurotransmission
• Interpret data on topics of learning and memory, neurological disorders and CNS injury
• Describe the neural processing of sensory input and movement and its central control
• Apply core concepts to different situations
• Describe some of the assets and strategies scientists have used to help them in their research and careers

My Duties

• Led weekly review sessions for 8–15 undergraduates, reinforcing core neurobiology concepts discussed in class and modeling problem‐solving strategies.
• Graded three midterm/final exams and daily formative assessments, providing timely, constructive feedback to support student learning.
• Developed and delivered a guest lecture, “Motor Circuits and Control,” covering spinal cord organization, sensorimotor integration, the monosynaptic stretch reflex, and reciprocal inhibition.