List of Currently Offered Interdisciplinary Courses
Introduction to Materials Science (APSC 201): An introduction to the chemical and physical aspects of materials. Topics include structural, mechanical, electrical and thermal properties of materials. Applications are stressed.
Medical Imaging (APSC 312): Introduction to the modern clinical non-invasive diagnostic imaging techniques. The course will cover the physical, mathematical and computational principles of x-ray, ultrasound, radionuclide and magnetic resonance imaging techniques.
Introduction to Laser Biomedicine (APSC 327): The course will build a foundation for understanding the use of lasers in biology and medicine. There will be particularly emphasis on laser beam interactions with human tissue for diagnosis, therapy, and surgery, with additional attention to optical coherence tomography, two-photon microscopy, fluorescent imaging, optical tweezers, and refractive surgery. This course requires junior standing in one of the following majors: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geology, Kinesiology, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Physics, Psychology, or consent of instructor.
Applied Cellular Neuroscience (APSC 431): We examine cellular neurophysiology including membrane potentials, ion channels and membrane permeability, electrical signaling and cable properties, synaptic transmission, neuromodulation, and second messenger systems. We apply these concepts to motor control, homeostatic regulation, special senses.
Applied Systems Neuroscience (APSC 432): We explore how behaviors arise due to multiple levels of organization in the nervous system. Topics include: reflexes central pattern generator networks, neural control of breathing, the neural control of appetite, body weight, and obesity, and the neuropharmacology of nicotine addiction.
Cellular Biophysics and Modeling (APSC 451): . An introduction to simulation and modeling of dynamic phenomena in cell biology and neuroscience. Topics covered will include the biophysics of excitable membranes, the gating of voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels, intracellular calcium signaling, and electrical bursting in neurons.
Networks in the Brain and Biology (APSC 452): A survey of networks in the brain and related physiological systems. Topics include mechanisms of cell-cell communication and emergent properties in graph theory and applications in simple neuronal networks in mammals and invertebrates, the heart and the pancreas.
Introductory Bioinformatics (APSC 454): . An introduction to the basic algorithms of computational molecular biology including nucleotide and amino acid sequence comparison, DNA fragment assembly, phylogenetic tree construction, and RNA and protein secondary structure prediction.
Introduction to Biostatistics (BIOL 425): An introduction to statistics and research design, including statistical inference, hypothesis testing, descriptive statistics and commonly used statistical tests. Emphasis is placed on the application of quantitative techniques in the biological sciences and solution methods via use of the computer.
Principles of Biophysical Chemistry (CHEM 341): Principles in physical chemistry developed for and applied to examples from the biological sciences. Topics include thermodynamics, kinetics and spectroscopy. Course may be used for a chemistry or biochemistry minor but not for a concentration in chemistry.
Computational Chemistry (CHEM 408): Principles and applications of computational methods currently used for the determination of molecular structure and energetics. Topics include: ab initio molecular orbital theory, density functional theory, semi-empirical calculations, and molecular force field methods.
Biochemistry (CHEM 414): The molecular basis of living processes; the chemistry of important constituents of living matter, biosynthesis, metabolism, bioenergetics, enzyme kinetics, metabolic control, transport mechanisms. Section 01 primarily for life science majors; 02 for physical science majors. (Cross listed with BIO 414)
Advanced Biochemistry (CHEM 415): A continuation of the study of biological processes on a molecular level begun in Chemistry 414. Biosynthesis, metabolism, bioenergetics, enzyme kinetics, metabolic control, transport mechanisms.
Neurochemistry (CHEM 417): A study of the biochemistry and pharmacology of the nervous system. Topics include excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters, structure and function of receptors, reuptake transporters, and second messengers. The biochemical basis of neuroactive drugs, toxins, and diseases will be covered. Recommended for chemistry, biology, and neuroscience majors, and premedical students.
Artificial Intelligence (CSCI 431): Problem solving techniques including state space searching, hill climbing and/or graphs and game playing. Knowledge representation schemes such as frames, rules and predicate calculus. Perception, natural language understanding and learning.
Paleontology (GEOL 302): The taxonomy of fossil organisms and the role of fossils in the study of organic evolution and the time relations of rock sequences. The laboratory stresses invertebrate morphology and quantitative measurement of local marine fossils.
Calculus I for Life Sciences (MATH 131): Standard functions and their graphs: Linear, polynomial, trigonometric, exponential, logarithmic. Tangents, derivatives, the definite integral and the fundamental theorem. Formulas for differentiation. Applications to biology.
Calculus II for Life Sciences (MATH 132): Methods of integration. Applications of the integral to geometry, physics and economics. Slope fields and the qualitative behavior of solutions to differential equations. Approximations: Taylor series. Applications to biology.
Introduction to Mathematical Biology (MATH 345): An overview of the application of mathematics to biological problems.