In The Classroom

Throughout my experience in educating neuroscience trainees, medical students, postdoctoral fellows, and residents, I have learned several important lessons:
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1. It is crucial for our students to gain experience working with various model systems and cutting-edge technologies early on in their studies.

2. In order to fully grasp contemporary neuroscience techniques, students must possess a strong understanding of molecular genetics, as transgenic animals are commonly used in most research labs.

3. Providing students with the opportunity to ask original questions within a laboratory setting is essential for fostering their development as independent thinkers.
Recently, I have been exploring the use of invertebrates as a means to help students comprehend the organization and computational coding of the nervous system, particularly in relation to complex decision making, action selection, and motor output. This approach has proven to be effective in teaching laboratories, as these model systems facilitate genetic and electrophysiological investigations. Students are first taught the fundamentals and are then tasked with developing a series of original experiments utilizing the extensive genetic toolkit available in drosophila. They have access to a fully equipped wet lab and are expected to assess the effects of neurochemical manipulations on motor output in a neurotransmitter system and behavior of their choice. Working in small groups, students collaborate to collect pilot data and ultimately write an NIH-style grant proposal by the end of the semester. This proposal is then subjected to a mock review process, allowing students to gain experience in grant funding.