" Outline of mammalian functional neuroanatomy, aided by studies of comparative neuroanatomy and evolution, and of brain development. Topics include early steps to a central nervous system, basic patterns of brain and spinal cord connections, regional development and differentiation, regeneration, motor and sensory pathways and structures, systems underlying motivations, innate action patterns, formation of habits, and various cognitive functions. Lab techniques reviewed. Optional brain dissections."

Lectures plus guided readings and discussion with project reports, covering major CNS structures, with emphasis on systems being used as models for experimental studies of development and plasticity. Topics include: basic patterns of connections in CNS; review of lab techniques (anatomy, tissue culture); embryogenesis; PNS anatomy and development; process outgrowth and synaptogenesis; growth factors and cell survival; spinal and hindbrain anatomy; development of regional specificity with introduction to comparative anatomy and CNS evolution; trigeminal system; retinotectal system development, plasticity, regeneration; neocortex anatomy and development; olfactory system; corpus striatum; brain transplants; limbic system and hippocampal anatomy and plasticity.

Subject covers all major areas of cellular and molecular neurobiology including excitable cells and membranes, ion channels and receptors, synaptic transmission, cell type determination, axon guidance and targeting, neuronal cell biology, synapse formation and plasticity. Includes lectures and exams, and involves presentation and discussion of primary literature. Focus on major concepts and recent advances in experimental neuroscience.

This course is designed to provide an understanding of how the human brain works in health and disease, and is intended for both the Brain and Cognitive Science major and the non-Brain and Cognitive Science major. Knowledge of how the human brain works is important for all citizens, and the lessons to be learned have enormous implications for public policy makers and educators. The course will cover the regional anatomy of the brain and provide an introduction to the cellular function of neurons, synapses and neurotransmitters. Commonly used drugs that alter brain function can be understood through a knowledge of neurotransmitters. Along similar lines, common diseases that illustrate normal brain function will be discussed. Experimental animal studies that reveal how the brain works will be reviewed. Throughout the seminar we will discuss clinical cases from Dr. Byrne's experience that illustrate brain function; in addition, articles from the scientific literature will be discussed at each class.

16.225 is a graduate level course on Computational Mechanics of Materials. The primary focus of this course is on the teaching of state-of-the-art numerical methods for the analysis of the nonlinear continuum response of materials. The range of material behavior considered in this course will include: linear and finite deformation elasticity, inelasticity and dynamics. Numerical formulation and algorithms will include: Variational formulation and variational constitutive updates, finite element discretization, error estimation, constrained problems, time integration algorithms and convergence analysis. There will be a strong emphasis on the (parallel) computer implementation of algorithms in programming assignments. At the beginning of the course, the students will be given the source of a base code with all the elements of a finite element program which constitute overhead and do not contribute to the learning objectives of this course (assembly and equation-solving methods, etc.). Each assignment will consist of formulating and implementing on this basic platform, the increasingly complex algorithms resulting from the theory given in class, as well as in using the code to numerically solve specific problems. The application to real engineering applications and problems in engineering science will be stressed throughout.

Electrical, optical, magnetic, and mechanical properties of metals, semiconductors, ceramics and polymers. Discussion of roles of bonding, structure (crystalline, defect, energy band and microstructure) and composition in influencing and controlling physical properties. Case studies drawn from a variety of applications including semiconductor diodes, optical detectors, sensors, thin films, biomaterials, composites, and cellular materials.

" Here we will learn about the mechanical behavior of structures and materials, from the continuum description of properties to the atomistic and molecular mechanisms that confer those properties to all materials. We will cover elastic and plastic deformation, creep, fracture and fatigue of materials including crystalline and amorphous metals, semiconductors, ceramics, and (bio)polymers, and will focus on the design and processing of materials from the atomic to the macroscale to achieve desired mechanical behavior. We will cover special topics in mechanical behavior for material systems of your choice, with reference to current research and publications."

Phenomenology of mechanical behavior of materials at the macroscopic level. Relationship of mechanical behavior to material structure and mechanisms of deformation and failure. Topics include: elasticity, viscoelasticity, plasticity, creep, fracture, and fatigue. Case studies and examples drawn from a variety of classes of materials including: metals, ceramics, polymers, thin films, composites, and cellular materials.

Introduces mechanical behavior of engineering materials, and the use of materials in mechanical design. Emphasizes the fundamentals of mechanical behavior of materials, as well as design with materials. Major topics: elasticity, plasticity, limit analysis, fatigue, fracture, and composites. Materials selection. Laboratory experiments involving projects related to materials in mechanical design. This course provides Mechanical Engineering students with an awareness of various responses exhibited by solid engineering materials when subjected to mechanical and thermal loadings; an introduction to the physical mechanisms associated with design-limiting behavior of engineering materials, especially stiffness, strength, toughness, and durability; an understanding of basic mechanical properties of engineering materials, testing procedures used to quantify these properties, and ways in which these properties characterize material response; quantitative skills to deal with materials-limiting problems in engineering design; and a basis for materials selection in mechanical design.

Introduction to continuum mechanics and material modeling of engineering materials based on first energy principles: deformation and strain; momentum balance, stress and stress states; elasticity and elasticity bounds; plasticity and yield design. Overarching theme is a unified mechanistic language using thermodynamics, which allows understanding, modeling and design of a large range of engineering materials.

This course will consider the degree and nature of the modular organization of the mind and brain. We will focus in detail on the domains of objects, number, places, and people, drawing on evidence from behavioral studies in human infants, children, normal adults, neurological patients, and animals, as well as from studies using neural measures such as functional brain imaging and ERPs. With these domains as examples, we will address broader questions about the role of domain-general and domain-specific processing systems in mature human performance, the innateness vs. plasticity of encapsulated cognitive systems, the nature of the evidence for such systems, and the processes by which people link information flexibly across domains.

Roles of neural plasticity in learning and memory and in development of invertebrates and mammals. An in-depth critical analysis of current literature of molecular, cellular, genetic, electrophysiological, and behavioral studies. Discussion of original papers supplemented by introductory lectures.

Detailed study of soil properties with emphasis on interpretation of field and laboratory test data and their use in soft-ground construction engineering. Includes: consolidation and secondary compression; basic strength principles; stress-strain strength behavior of clays, emphasizing effects of sample disturbance, anisotropy, and strain rate; strength and compression of granular soils; and engineering properties of compacted soils. Some knowledge of field and laboratory testing assumed.

Lectures plus guided readings and discussion with project reports, covering major CNS structures, with emphasis on systems being used as models for experimental studies of development and plasticity. Topics include: basic patterns of connections in CNS; review of lab techniques (anatomy, tissue culture); embryogenesis; PNS anatomy and development; process outgrowth and synaptogenesis; growth factors and cell survival; spinal and hindbrain anatomy; development of regional specificity with introduction to comparative anatomy and CNS evolution; trigeminal system; retinotectal system development, plasticity, regeneration; neocortex anatomy and development; olfactory system; corpus striatum; brain transplants; limbic system and hippocampal anatomy and plasticity.

In this course we will discover how innovative technologies combined with profound hypotheses have given rise to our current understanding of neuroscience. We will study both new and classical primary research papers with a focus on the plasticity between synapses in a brain structure called the hippocampus, which is believed to underlie the ability to create and retrieve certain classes of memories. We will discuss the basic electrical properties of neurons and how they fire. We will see how firing properties can change with experience, and we will study the biochemical basis of these changes. We will learn how molecular biology can be used to specifically change the biochemical properties of brain circuits, and we will see how these circuits form a representation of space giving rise to complex behaviors in living animals. A special emphasis will be given to understanding why specific experiments were done and how to design experiments that will answer the questions you have about the brain. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.