Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Teaching hours and weekly schedule
Teaching hours and weekly schedule. This is a 1st semester course of about 2.5 weeks that corresponds to 5 ECTs and 39 total hours of lectures including student presentations.
Co-ordinators
- Dimitra Mangoura, Professor-Investigator A, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens
- Zafiroula–Iro Georgoussi, Research Director, National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Athens
Description:
This course is designed to introduce graduate students to major processes, principles, and mechanisms associated with Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology. Therefore the material will range from the mechanistic details of neuronal signaling and cellular function to how such properties utilized during normal brain function and neuropathology or substance abuse. The Course involves a series of overview lectures by leading researchers in the field, a total of fifteen Instructors from Greece and across Europe, and opportunities of presenting primary research or literature review papers by students.
More specifically, this Course will include the following major topics: overview of the neuron as the fundamental unit; cell biology of neurons and glia; ion channels and electrical signaling; synaptic transmission, integration, and chemical systems of the brain; molecular properties of neurotransmitters and their receptors; and sensory systems, from transduction to perception. Students will emerge with a great awareness of how individual nerve cells function, and neurons communicate with other cells, and of the ways that neurotransmission can provide insight into basic scientific questions, all in preparation for students own contributions as neuroscientists and biologists.
Course Overview
This is a comprehensive introductory course in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience. Basic principles of organization and function of the nervous system will be discussed and frequent reference will be made to pathophysiology of neurological and other disorders.
- General principles of Nervous System
- Synaptic Transmission, Neurotransmitters and their Receptors
- Molecular Aspects of Neuronal Cells
Skills & Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to know the fundamental principles on:
- Neural cell biology
- Synapse formation and neural plasticity
- Intracellular trafficking and cytoskeleton-related processes
- Interconnections to form nerve circuits for the passage of electric signals
- Small molecules coupling to their cognate membrane receptors to regulate intracellular responses and biological outcomes
- Major intracellular signalling pathways
- Molecular biology of the sensory systems
- Energy brain metabolism
- Titles of lectures and names of the lecturers
Titles of lectures and names of the lecturers
A/A | Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology | Lecturer |
1 | Overview of the Nervous System | Mimika Mangoura |
2 | Cell Membrane Structures and Functions | Mimika Mangoura |
3 | The cytoskeleton of neural cells | Mimika Mangoura |
4 | Intracellular Trafficking | Mimika Mangoura |
5 | Axonal transport | Mimika Mangoura |
6 | Protein synthesis and posttranslational modifications | Mimika Mangoura |
Synaptic Transmission and Signalling | ||
7 | Neurotransmitters, Receptors, G proteins | Iro Georgoussi |
8 | Effectors, signaling intermediates, drug design | Iro Georgoussi |
9 | Neurobiology of addiction | Katia Befort, France |
10 | Neurotransmitters II: Gas neurotransmitters | Spiros Efthimiopoulos |
11 | Neurotransmitters I: Cannabinoid receptors | Ismael Galve-Roperh, Spain |
12 | Phosphoinositides | George Leondaritis |
12 | Neurotransmitters III: GABA | Haralambos Lambrakakis |
12 | Neurotransmitters V: Peptide neurotransmitters | Iro Georgoussi |
13 | Neurotransmitters IV: Acetylcholine | Marios Zouridakis |
13 | Neurotransmitters V: Glutamate | Kostas Pallikaras |
17 | Neurotransmitters VI: Catecholamines | Kostas Vekrellis |
17 | Ca2+ signaling and Homeostasis | Panagiota Papazafiri |
