Brain Programming; Early-life, Epigenetics and Environment

Course manual 2016/2017

Course content

Over the past decades, it has become more and more evident that vulnerability to psychopathology or brain disorders per se, is not only determined by a gene X environment interaction but that it is actually a three way interaction gene X environment X development.

In other words, it is not nature OR nurture, it is how nature interacts with nurture that determines the later risk for psychopathology. Important questions in brain research today are how risk genes and environmental factors can lead to changes in neural development such that relevant circuits are prone to psychopathology? What are the unique developmental mechanisms by which early experiences can, positively and negatively, exert long-term consequences for risk and resilience to brain disorders?

The main aim of this course is to familiarize the students with the most relevant clinical and animal studies in the field, understand some of the underlying mechanisms with a focus on epigenetic mechanisms. Insights in the upcoming and current technical approaches used to study these questions will also be discussed in detail.

Study materials

Literature

• Relevant review papers will be made available beforehand on Blackboard.

Objectives

After finishing this course, the student is able to:

• describe historical and clinical human studies on how early life experience, or e.g. early stress exposure and nutrition, can affect the later vulnerability to develop adult brain disorders and cognitve decline.
• describe some of the most common animal models used to study the underlying (molecular) mechanisms of early life programming.
• describe the current methods to study epigenetic modifications.
• critically judge scientific articles and the data presented in it.
• pitch your grant proposal to a committee of experts.

Teaching methods

• Lecture
• Seminar
• Working independently on e.g. a project or thesis
• Self-study

Learning activities

Attendance

The programme does not have requirements concerning attendance (OER-B).

Additional requirements for this course:

Assessment

Inspection of assessed work

The date, time and location of the inspection moment are in the DataNose timetable.

Assignments

Pitch

• In groups of 5 students, you will give a presentation of your grant proposal.

Onderstaande opdrachten komen aan bod in deze cursus:

•    Naam opdracht 1 : beschrijving 2
•    Naam opdracht 2 : beschrijving 1
•    ....

Fraud and plagiarism

Dit vak hanteert de algemene ‘Fraude- en plagiaatregeling’ van de UvA. Onder plagiaat of fraude wordt verstaan het overschrijven van het werk van een medestudent dan wel het kopiëren van wetenschappelijke bronnen (uit bijvoorbeeld boeken en tijdschriften en van het Internet) zonder daarbij de bron te vermelden. Uiteraard is plagiaat verboden. Hier wordt nauwkeurig op gecontroleerd en streng tegen opgetreden. Bij verdenking van plagiaat wordt de examencommissie van de opleiding ingeschakeld. Wanneer de examencommissie overtuigd is dat er plagiaat gepleegd is dan kan dit maximaal leiden tot een uitsluiting van al het onderwijs van de opleiding voor een heel kalenderjaar. Zie voor meer informatie over het fraude- en plagiaatreglement van de Universiteit van Amsterdam.www.uva.nl/plagiaat

Course structure

Additional information

This course has a Blackboard site.

Course will be taught in English.

Contact information

Coordinator

• dr. A. Korosi