BCSC 280: Advanced Topics in Cognitive Neuroscience

Offered: Fall
Prerequisites: STAT 212/213 and one of BCSC 153 or NSCI 201/BCSC 240, plus a computationally-oriented higher-level course (may be taken concurrently) such as BCSC/CSC 229, BCSC/NSCI 247, DSCC/CSC 262, or MATH 165.

An interdisciplinary tour of human cognition with a special focus on large-scale neural representations in the human brain. Topics will include categorization, semantics, attention, memory, language, and cognitive control, with an emphasis on cutting-edge research that lies at the intersection of neuroscience, psychology, and computer science. The course will provide introductions to several neuroimaging (e.g., fMRI, MEG, EEG) and neural manipulation methodologies (e.g., TMS, tDCS, neurofeedback) and will involve discussions of advanced machine learning analysis techniques (multivariate pattern recognition algorithms, deep neural networks, Hidden Markov Models). Format: lectures and student-led seminar discussions. Students enrolling in this course are expected to have an introductory background in cognition and familiarity with neural mechanisms, statistical methods, and computation (broadly defined). Students who believe they meet the requirements through courses other than the prerequisites listed below are encouraged to reach out to the instructor.