Continuing Education Course Finder: BIOCS03-1a

When the Brain has a Mind of its Own (BIOCS03-1a)

Status: Closed

Fee: $225.00

Timing: 6 sessions from October 6, 2009 - November 10, 2009 on Tuesdays, 7-9PM

Course Description: This course is appropriate for anyone with an interest in conditions which can cause the brain to have a mind of its own. We will explore the world of neuroscience from firsthand accounts written by patients, physicians, and scientists by reading biographical and autobiographical accounts of various brain malfunctions. With each assigned reading, we will delve into the nervous system and explore neuroscience.

Students will step beyond the disease and look closely at the true human experience of Tourette’s Syndrome, Parkinson’s Disease, Autism, Encephalitis lethargica, and Korsakov’s Syndrome. The historical context, social stigma, and cultural impact of these conditions will be discussed in detail. The readings will serve as a scaffold to explore broader concepts in medicine, public health, human behavior, and various diseases/ailments.

Books to be used in this course include:

Twitch and Shout (ISBN-13: 9780816644513)

Awakenings (ISBN-13: 9780375704055)

An Anthropologist on Mars (ISBN-13: 9780679756972)

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (ISBN-13: 978-0-684-85394-9)

Don’t think about Monkeys (ISBN: 1-878267-33-7)

Instructor(s): Sarah England

Instructor(s) Bio: Sarah England, Ph.D. works as Senior Pharmacovigilance Associate in Research and Development (Drug Safety & Risk Management) at Biogen Idec. Dr. England received a B.S. in Molecular Psychobiology from Binghamton University (SUNY), and a Ph.D. in Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology from Brown Univeristy. She has served as a summer instructor for Brown University’s Pre-College Program and has ten years of teaching experience. Dr. England also serves as a mentor to numerous pre-college to post-doctoral students, counseling them on academic processes, career possibilities, internship opportunities, community involvement programs, and healthy problem solving strategies. She embraces the challenges, rigors, and joys of nurturing students throughout transitions from innovative college life to active community participation.