9451791 Budnik A new undergraduate laboratory course in neurosciences will expose students to the fields of neuroanatomy and neural development, and will emphasize recent advances in these two disciplines that have resulted from genetic approaches. Students will be introduced to state-of-the-art technologies that currently play such an important role in neuroscience research. The main idea underlying this course is to develop these techniques around interesting scientific questions that will teach the students about the fundamental organization of the CNS, and about the process of doing science. This course will become one of the focal points for an undergraduate neuroscience and behavior "concentration" within the university. In recent years, the philosophy of life science education at the University of Massachusetts is shifting from a "textbook" science education for undergraduates to a more hands-on approach. The proposed laboratory course will be part of a more extensive research experience for undergraduates. Our long range goal is to create an integrated training curriculum that would attract undergraduates to careers in biology in general and to neuroscience in particular. The requested equipment will serve the formal laboratory in one semester, will serve other courses in the neuroscience concentration, and will be the center of an honors laboratory and Research Experience for Undergraduates during the summer and intersession.
