Principles of Neuroengineering

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MIT Course Numbers: MAS.881 ~ 9.422 ~ 20.452
Instructor: E.S. Boyden
Units: H-level ~ 3-0-9 Units
Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:30AM-12PM
Place: E14-493

Description

Covers principles underlying current and future technologies for brain analysis and engineering, for neurology, psychiatry, and neuroscience. Focuses on using biophysical, biochemical, and anatomical models to understand technology design constraints governing ability to observe and alter brain function. Topics include functional magnetic resonance imaging, electromagnetic recording/stimulation, neuropharmacology, optical cellular imaging, and gene/stem-cell therapy. Design projects by student teams. Limited to 28.
 

Schedule

Part I. The Primitives for Engineering the Brain

Thurs 9/8, Overview. Introductions.
Thurs 9/22, Circuit elements of the nervous system. Neurons, glia, blood vessels. Channels, receptors, DNA, RNA.
Tues 9/27, Macroscopic circuits, brain region connectivity and architecture, circuit dynamics.
Thurs 9/29, Microscopic circuits, cell type connectivity, disease, gliocircuits.
Tues 10/4, Paper discussions - Circuit elements of the nervous system.

Part II. Technologies for Readout

Thurs 10/6, Noninvasve macrocircuit readout. fMRI, photoacoustic readout, MEG, EEG.
Tues 10/18, Microcircuit readout. Electrodes, optical imaging, two-photon microscopy.
Tues 11/1, Midterm presentations.
Thurs 11/3, Paper discussions - Macrocircuit and microcircuit readout.

Part III. Technologies for Stimulation and Control

Tues 11/8, Microcircuit stimulation. DBS, infrared optical stimulation, optical sensitizers such as channelrhodopsin-2/halorhodopsin.
Thurs 11/10, Macrocircuit stimulation. TMS, tDCS, ultrasound.
Thurs 11/17, Paper discussions - Microcircuit and macrocircuit stimulation.
Tues 11/22, Gene therapy, stem cells, proteins and biologics.
Tues 11/29, Pharmacology, chemicals, nanoparticles.
Thurs 12/1, Paper discussions - Gene therapy, stem cells, and pharmacology.

Part IV. Final Presentations

Thurs 12/8, first set of teams.
Tues 12/13, last set of teams.