Lehre

Aim and Content of Module

The aim of this module is to introduce students to a wide-range of experimental techniques that are used to study psychiatric disorders from the bench to the bedside. The wide variety of translational projects that students can participate in include cell culture techniques to functionally evaluate gene candidates identified from studies in large cohorts of patients, the assessment of the effect of drug targeted, viral vector targeted or knockout mice in behavioural tests relevant for psychiatric disorders. After such experiments, a variety of immunohistochemical and histological characterisations are performed. There is also the possibility to gain insight into how neuroimaging methods, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography and magnetoencephalography are used to assess aberrant neural processing and coordination in psychiatric disorders.

Module Objectives

Students will receive training in a range of molecular and behavioural techniques commonly used to study psychiatric disorders and design experiments using the knowledge gained. They will also receive basic knowledge about the disorders, particularly mood and anxiety disorders, schizophrenia and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, in a series of seminars and journal clubs (including the option to participate in case presentations).

Times module is offered

As many different researchers offer projects (for a list of offered projects click here), interested students should contact Prof. David Slattery at least two weeks in advance to express their interest.  He will then determine if the desired project(s) can be offered at the requested time as not every project is available for all time slots.

Course assessment

Students will present their experimental results in one seminar, present one article in a journal club, and write a graded protocol in the form of a scientific manuscript.

For more information regarding assessment, please see the INS homepage.