BCSC 243: Syllabus
Fall 2025
Time & Location
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10:25-11:15am in Morey 502
Personnel
Professor: Renee Miller, Ph.D.
TA: Estephanie Balbuena
Course Intent
This course is intended to introduce you to the field of neurochemistry. We will work through sequential units on the chemicals of the brain, the effector mechanisms of chemicals including receptors and signal transduction pathways, how chemicals interact with proteins, metabolism, and lipids. The discipline of behavioral neurochemistry includes topics that range from the study of the neurochemical mechanisms that underlie normal behavior to behavioral sequellae that result from severe neurochemical dysfunction. Students will cover these issues in the final quarter of the course in a unit designated as applied neurochemistry. However, throughout the course, the functional aspects of all neurochemical mechanisms will be presented. An introductory knowledge of biochemistry will be helpful in understanding the material presented. NSCI 201/BCSC 240 is a prerequisite.
Text
Basic Neurochemistry, Eighth Edition. Brady, G.J, Albers, R.W., Brady, S.T., Price, D.L. (Eds.), Elsevier Academic Press, 2012. This is an edited book with each chapter written by different authors. There is a copy on reserve in Carlson library as well as an online version.
Credit Hours
Class attendance is essential. We meet as a large group three times a week in a lecture format. There are two workshops and several journal clubs during the semester in normal class time. To make up the additional class time required by a national accreditation rule, students will ‘attend’ a virtual (2) or in-person (2) research talks four times during the semester and write a one-page summary of this research talk – ideally within three days of attending. Each student must hand in their own write up, but if multiple students attend the same talk, they may meet to discuss the research as a small group as long as everyone does their own work. This is a great way to meet your classmates and form regular study groups. The expectation is that everyone contributes to these meetings if you choose to work with others. The summaries should clearly define the scope of the problem being studied, the questions being asked by the speaker, the methods used, and the results of the experiments, as well as their or your own interpretation of those results. It’s hard to be concise enough to pack this all into one page, but this is your goal (if you go over by a sentence or two, no big deal). If you write 1.5-2 pages, you will be penalized.
Due Dates for Seminar Writeups
- Sept. 26, 2025
- Oct. 24, 2025
- Nov. 21, 2025
- Dec. 8, 2025
Any seminar summary may be turned in early, but you will see a score of zero in blackboard if you miss these deadlines. This should serve as a strong reminder to complete the assignment ASAP.
Evaluation
The course is arranged into four units. An in-class exam will be given at the end of each of the first three units. The in-class exams involve data analysis and interpretation and test your ability to apply the knowledge you’ve gained. Each exam will account for 15% of your final grade. There is no cumulative final exam. There will be several in-class quizzes comprised of short answer questions testing your direct recall of recent lecture material. Quizzes will count for 15% of your grade. Two problem-based workshops will be held during the semester. These workshops will give you experience in working with and interpreting data, and attendance is mandatory. In addition, a portion of some classes will be spent on ‘skills’—discussing primary research papers, analyzing data, scientific writing, etc. Your participation in these activities will influence your final grade in the course, especially if your average is near a threshold. The write-ups of research talks will count for 12% of your grade and you must observe the deadlines given above. The fourth unit focuses on applying your understanding of basic neurochemistry to specific issues of function or neuropathology. Each topic in this unit will be covered mini-symposium style with each student responsible for organizing and presenting relevant information about a specific topic. Each individual participant will be responsible for a 10-15 minute oral presentation and an 8-10 page paper covering their topic. The presentation, paper and overall symposium will account for 28% of the class grade.
- 3 exams: 45% (15% each)
- 5 quizzes: 15% (3% each)
- 4 write-ups of research talks: 12% (3% each)
- Final paper: 16%
- Oral presentation: 12%
Letter grades are assigned as follows:
- A 90-100
- A- 88-89
- B+ 87
- B 80-86
- B- 78-79
- C+ 77
- C 70-76
- C- 68-69
- D+ 67
- D 60-66
- E <p;60
Extra Credit
Attendance at four hours of yoga or meditation, led by a professional ideally on River Campus, will result in four points added to your final average. This can be documented by uploading selfies of you at the classes along with your registration confirmation. More information and class schedules. This offer is all or none – no partial credit will be given. It is recommended that you start early in the semester to find a practice that works for you that you can attend regularly to help prevent feelings of anxiety and overwhelm that inevitably occur as the semester gets busier.