Updated for SCEP, 3/13/06

February 24, 2006

TO: Robert Mrtek, Chair

Senate Committee on Educational Policy

FROM: Margaret Grosch

Director, Programs and Academic Assessment

I am submitting for review and action by the Senate Committee on Educational Policy the attached Revision of the Interdepartmental Graduate Concentration in Neuroscience.

The proposal was approved by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Graduate Program in Neuroscience on February 13, 2006 and by the Graduate College Executive Committee on February 24, 2006. Also included are endorsements from new and existing participating units.

Attachment

Cc: C. Hulse

J. Unnerstall

T. Silva


Nature of Request:

Revision of the Interdepartmental Concentration in Neuroscience, Graduate College, University of Illinois at Chicago

Sponsor:

Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Graduate College, University of Illinois at Chicago

Description and Justification of Changes:

The Graduate Program in Neuroscience grew out of the efforts of faculty from several Colleges across campus to identify Neuroscience as an identifiable source at UIC. The Committee on Neuroscience was established in 1982. This Committee established the Interdepartmental Concentration in Neurosciences, thereby providing an opportunity for Doctoral degree candidates in participating Graduate Programs to be recognized for their academic and research achievements in the field of Neuroscience. This program specified required and elective courses in the Neurosciences for the student, and further required that the dissertation of the candidate focus on some aspect of Neuroscience. This Program was administered by the now-defunct Committee on Neuroscience.

The M.S. and Ph.D. in Neuroscience were approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education on February 7, 2006. This multidisciplinary Program will offer both Masters and Doctoral degrees in Neuroscience. This Program is administered directly by the Graduate College, independent of individual Departmental programs. While this Program provides a significant and new opportunity for present and future students of this University, the Graduate College recognizes that there are many students who, for numerous reasons, will matriculate into traditional Departmental programs while concentrating their academic and research efforts in the field of Neuroscience. The Graduate College wishes to continue to recognize these students for their efforts and contributions to the field of Neuroscience.

The newly formed Graduate Studies Committee is responsible for the administration of the newly approved Ph.D and M.S in Neuroscience. This Committee, which is the successor of the Committee on Neuroscience, will now administer the Interdepartmental Concentration in Neuroscience. The Graduate Studies Committee of the Program (members of the Graduate Studies Committee are listed with their credentials in Appendix I) will take primary responsibility for processing and approving applications for the Interdepartmental Concentration by defining required courses, approving elective courses and certifying the relevance of dissertations to the field of Neuroscience. Moreover, since the Graduate Program in Neuroscience now represents several Departments that were not originally participants in the Interdepartmental Concentration and whose faculty work in the field of Neuroscience, it is important to include them under the Interdepartmental Concentration of Neuroscience.

Courses –

Two courses, NEUS 580 and NEUS 583 (which were two of the three courses originally required for certification in the Interdepartmental Concentration) are no longer offered and are not listed in the Graduate Catalog. A third required course, NEUS 582 Methods in Modern Neuroscience, is still listed in the catalog but is not offered on a yearly basis. On the other hand, Neuroscience is a multidisciplinary field, and as the result of the collaborative efforts of Neuroscientists across the Campus, a comprehensive new curriculum has been developed for the Graduate Program in Neuroscience that mirrors the multidisciplinary and collaborative nature of the science. Thus, new courses that provide the integrated foundation in the fundamentals of Neuroscience that is essential for all students of the science are now in the catalog and are being offered on a yearly basis. These new courses, NEUS 501 and NEUS 502 Foundations of Neuroscience I and II, and alternately, BIOS/PHIL/PSCH 484 and 485 Neuroscience I and II, survey recent advances in the cellular, systems and behavioral aspects of Neuroscience and are required for all Masters and Doctoral candidates in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience. The catalog descriptions of these courses are included in Appendix II.

A variety of other Graduate level courses of relevance to the study of Neuroscience are offered by the participating Departments. A listing of these courses is also included in Appendix II. However, no listing can be comprehensive, and new courses are added regularly which reflect the developing interests of the University’s faculty. The Graduate Studies Committee of the Graduate Program in Neuroscience has been charged to monitor courses that are offered and coordinate efforts across Departments to insure that courses that are important to the training of our Graduate students in the field of Neuroscience are offered on a regular and timely basis and are evaluated for quality and relevance. Thus, the list of courses included in Appendix II can serve as a guideline to students with respect to appropriate electives. The Graduate Studies Committee will evaluate each application to the Concentration on an individual basis to guarantee the appropriateness of elective courses declared by the student.

Proposed Requirements for the Interdepartmental Concentration in Neuroscience -

Thus, it is proposed that students pursuing a concentration in neuroscience must take NEUS 501 and 502 and at least 12 additional hours of Neuroscience courses at the 400 or 500 level or BIOS/PHIL/PSYC 484 and 485 and at least 10 additional hours of Neuroscience courses at the 400 or 500 level. Neuroscience electives will be assessed and approved by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Graduate Program in Neuroscience. Research, Departmental seminars (journal clubs) and independent study cannot be included in these 10 -12 hours of course credit. Of these 10 - 12 hours, at least 50% must be outside the student’s major department and must be divided among at least 2 other departments. Students must submit the topic of their doctoral dissertation and a list of the courses in neuroscience that they have successfully completed (a grade of “B” or better) to the Graduate Studies Committee of the Program in Neuroscience for approval no later than the time of the preliminary examination.


Participating Programs –

Graduate Programs participating in the Interdepartmental Concentration in Neuroscience are listed below. Departments newly added to the concentration are in bold. Copies of emails from the Directors of Graduate Studies of each of these programs, indicating their acceptance of these changes and their continued willingness to participate in the concentration, are attached in Appendix III.

Graduate Program / Level
Anatomy and Cell Biology / Ph.D.
Bioengineering / Ph.D.
Biological Sciences / Ph.D.
Biopharmaceutical Science / Ph.D.
Chemistry / Ph.D.
Nursing Science / Ph.D.
Philosophy / Ph.D.
Physiology and Biophysics / Ph.D.
Psychology / Ph.D.

Justification of Changes (summarized):

  1. The Committee on Neuroscience, which previously administered the Concentration in Neuroscience, no longer exists. The newly approved Graduate Program in Neuroscience now assumes the functions of the Committee on Neuroscience and will now administer the Concentration in Neuroscience.
  1. New courses that have been developed as core courses for the new Graduate Neuroscience Program that provide a comprehensive and integrated overview of the science will now serve as the core requirements for the Concentration in Neuroscience, replacing courses that are no longer offered.
  1. Five additional departments with significant Neuroscience teaching and research programs will now participate in the Concentration in Neuroscience.

Catalog Statement:

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Old Catalog Description

Interdepartmental Concentration in Neuroscience

The Committee on Neuroscience offers work leading to a graduate Interdepartmental Concentration in Neuroscience. Students in the following graduate programs may be eligible to complete the Interdepartmental Concentration in Neuroscience:

Graduate Program / Level
Anatomy and Cell Biology / Ph.D.
Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics / Ph.D.
Biological Sciences / Ph.D.
Pharmacology / Ph.D.
Physiology and Biophysics / Ph.D.
Psychology / Ph.D.
Concentration Requirements

Students earning a graduate degree in the programs listed above may complement their courses by enrolling for a concentration in Neuroscience.

Students pursuing a specialization in neuroscience must take NEUS 580, 582, 583, and at least 8 additional hours of approved neuroscience courses other than research and independent study. Of these hours, at least 5 must be outside the student’s major department and must be divided among at least 2 other departments. Students must submit the topic of their dissertation to the Curriculum Subcommittee of the Committee on Neuroscience for approval no later than the time of the preliminary examination.

New Catalog Description

Interdepartmental Concentration in Neuroscience

Mailing Address: James R. Unnerstall, Ph.D.
Director of Graduate Studies
Graduate Program in Neuroscience

University of Illinois at Chicago
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology MC512
808 S Wood Street

Chicago, IL. 60612-7308

Campus Location: 304 CSN

Telephone: 312-996-7513

E-mail:

Web Site: http://www.uic.edu/depts/neurosci/

The Graduate Program in Neuroscience offers work leading to a graduate Interdepartmental Concentration in Neuroscience. Students in the following graduate programs may be eligible to complete the Interdepartmental Concentration in Neuroscience:

Graduate Program / Level
Anatomy and Cell Biology / Ph.D.
Bioengineering / Ph.D.
Biological Sciences / Ph.D.
Biopharmaceutical Science / Ph.D.
Chemistry / Ph.D.
Nursing Science / Ph.D.
Philosophy / Ph.D.
Physiology and Biophysics / Ph.D.
Psychology / Ph.D.
Concentration Requirements

Students earning a graduate degree in the programs listed above may complement their courses by enrolling for a concentration in Neuroscience.

Students pursuing a specialization in neuroscience must take NEUS 501 and 502 and at least 12 additional hours of Neuroscience courses at the 400 or 500 level or BIOS/PHIL/PSYC 484 and 485 and at least 10 additional hours of Neuroscience courses at the 400 or 500 level. Neuroscience electives will be assessed and approved by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Graduate Program in Neuroscience. Research, Departmental seminars (journal clubs) and independent study cannot be included in these 10 -12 hours of course credit. Of these 10 - 12 hours, at least 50% must be outside the student’s major department and must be divided among at least 2 other departments. Students must submit the topic of their doctoral dissertation and a list of the courses in neuroscience that they have successfully completed (a grade of “B” or better) to the Graduate Studies Committee of the Program in Neuroscience for approval no later than the time of the preliminary examination.

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Minority Impact Statement:

These proposed changes will have no negative impact on minorities attending the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Budgetary and Staff Implications:

These proposed changes will have no impact on budget or staff. All requirements of this program are satisfied by the present academic activities of the University.

Library Resource Implications:

No new library resources are needed for this program.

Space Implications:

No additional space requirements are needed for this program.

These changes were approved by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Graduate Program in Neuroscience on February 13, 2006.

Proposed date for these changes to go into effect – Fall semester, 2006.

Submitted by:

James R. Unnerstall, Ph.D.

Director of Graduate Studies

Graduate Program in Neuroscience


Appendix I: Neuroscience Faculty – Teaching and Graduate Studies Committee

Aixa Alfonso, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Biological Sciences

Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Biological Sciences

Synaptic membrane/protein trafficking in C. elegans neurons

Recent Publications:

·  Ved R, Saha S, Westlund B, Perier C, Burnam LG, Sluder A, Hoener M, Mp Rodrigues C, Alfonso A, Steer C, Liu L, Przedborski S, Wolozin B. Similar patterns of mitochondrial vulnerability and rescue induced by genetic modification of α-synuclein, parkin and DJ-1 in C. elegans. J Biol Chem. 2005

·  Kay AL, Alfonso A, Cline HT, Holgado AM, Sakmann B, Snitsarev VA, Stricker TP, Takahashi M and Wu L-G Imaging synaptic activity in intact brain and slices with FM1-43 in C. elegans, lamprey, and rat. Neuron 1999 24:809-817.

·  Nonet ML, Holgado AM, Brewer F, Serpe CJ, Norbeck BA, Holleran J, Wei L, Hartwieg E, Jorgensen EM and Alfonso A UNC-11, a Caenorhabditis elegans AP180 homologue, regulates the size and composition of synaptic vesicles. Mol Biol Cell 1999 10:2343-2360.

Simon Alford, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Biological Sciences

Co-Director, Neuroscience Program

Receptor-mediated control of neurotransmitter release

Recent Publications:

·  Schwartz EJ, Gerachshenko T, Alford S. 5-HT prolongs ventral root bursting via presynaptic inhibition of synaptic activity during fictive locomotion in lamprey. J Neurophysiol. 2005 Feb;93(2):980-8.

·  Viana di Prisco G, Alford S. Quantitative investigation of calcium signals for locomotor pattern generation in the lamprey spinal cord. J Neurophysiol. 2004 Sep;92(3):1796-806.

·  Alford S, Schwartz E, Viana di Prisco G. The pharmacology of vertebrate spinal central pattern generators. Neuroscientist. 2003 Jun;9(3):217-28.

Mark S. Brodie, Ph.D.

Research Associate Professor

Interactions of neurotransmitters in the central nervous system

Recent Publications:

·  Budygin, E.A., Brodie, M.S., Sotnikova, T.D., Mateo, Y., John, C.E., Cyr, M., Gainetdinov, R.R., Caron, M.G., and Jones, S.R. Dissociation of dopamine transporter-mediated and rewarding properties of amphetamine. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2004 101 (20): 7781-7786.

·  Buck, K.J., Reilly, M.T., Rogers, L.M., Szeliga, K. Grant K., and Brodie, M.S., Serotonin 5-HT2 receptors and alcohol: Reward, withdrawal and discrimination. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 2004 28(2): 211-216.

·  Appel, S.B., Liu, Z.P., McElvain, M.A. and Brodie, M.S. Ethanol excitation of dopaminergic ventral tegmental area neurons is blocked by quinidine. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 2003 306 (2): 437–446.

C. Sue Carter, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychiatry

Co-director, The Brain-Body Center

Assessment and development of translational animal models for understanding the possible role of neuropeptide hormones, including oxytocin, vasopressin and CRF, in human disorders such as autism or anxiety

Recent Publications:

·  Carter, C. S., and Altemus, M..Oxytocin, vasopressin and depression. 2005 In: Current and Future Developments in Psychopharmacology. Eds: J.A. Den Boer, M.S George, G. J. ter Horst. Amsterdam, Benecke N.I. pp. 201-216