Neuroendocrinology
Teaching hours and weekly schedule
Co-ordinators
- Fotini Stylianopoulou
Professor Emeritus of Biology, Faculty of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
- Efthymia Kitraki
Professor of Biology, School of Dentistry, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
About this course
This is an intensive 2-week course focused on Neuroendocrinology that includes lectures and students’ presentations. All material will focus primarily on the neuroendocrine axes that control reproduction, metabolism, stress and pain responses , water & electrolyte balance and sleep-awakening rhythms. The impact of genetic and epigenetic factors on axes’ function and their interactions will be also addressed. The course aims to provide a comprehensive canvas on the mechanisms of hormonal control of the nervous system function in health and disease. Students’ presentations on selected topics will enhance understanding through active learning.
Overview
The course covers the general principles of hormone actions in the central nervous system by providing the underlying mechanisms and the different levels of regulation. More specifically, lectures and students’ presentations will enable to:
- Understand the central and peripheral centres participating in the neuroendocrine control
- Understand the positive and negative feedback loops participating in the neuroendocrine axes' regulation
- Understand the molecular mechanisms of neuroendocrine control
- Understand the interactions among different neuroendocrine axes
- Understand the role of genetic and epigenetic factors in the modification of neuroendocrine function
- Understand how deregulation of neuroendocrine function is linked to disease
Skills and Learning outcomes
Describe the function of the major neuroendocrine axes in mammals
Describe the possible interactions among the different neuroendocrine axes
Describe the genetic and epigenetic impact on axes' function
Relate the neuroendocrine axes' dysfunction with health outcomes
Titles of lectures and names of the lecturers
| Neuroendocrinology | Lecturers |
| Co-ordinators: Fotini Stylianopoulou, Efthymia Kitraki | |
| Basic principles and overview of the course | Fotini Stylianopoulou |
| The hypothalamic- pituitary- adrenal axis and the regulation of the stress response | Efthymia Kitraki |
| The hypothalamic-pituitary- gonadal axis and the regulation of reproduction | George Mastorakos |
| Neuroendocrine control of growth | Melpomeni Peppa |
| Hormones in sexual differentiation of the brain | Efthymia Kitraki |
| Circadian rhythms | Anastasia Repouskou |
| Neuroendocrine control of pain | Antonios Stamatakis |
| Neuroendocrine control of water and ion balance | Antonios Stamatakis |
| Neuroendocrine control of food intake | Constantinos Tsigos |
| Interactions of the neuroendocrine axes | Fotini Stylianopoulou |
| Epigenetics in neuroendocrine functions | Fotini Stylianopoulou |
