Introduction to Neuroscience (HMB200H1S)

Winter Session, 2023

In-person course
Class time: Wednesdays, 11 am – 1 pm in NF003
Tutorial time: Fridays at 11 – 12, 12 – 1 or 1 – 2 in various rooms*

Course Summary
An introductory course that explores the development, physiology and continually
changing function of the nervous system as it relates to certain types of human behaviour.
Critical analysis of scientific evidence is used to enrich learning.

Prerequisites: BIO120H1, BIO130H1

Course Team
Instructor
Dr. Paul Whissell ([email protected])
Office hours: Wednesdays, 1 – 3 pm in WE66

Teaching Assistants
• Julia Gallucci ([email protected])
• Nishanth Lakshman ([email protected])
• Kasia Pieczonka ([email protected])
• Bianca Rusu ([email protected])

Recommended Textbook (optional, NOT required)

Principles of Neural Science, Sixth Edition. 2021. Kandel, E., Koester, J.D., Mack, S.H.
and Siegelbaum, S. Publisher: McGraw Hill Education/Medical. ISBN: 1259642232.

HMB200H1S-Winter 2023, Page 1/6

Assessments
Most of your grade comes from three main assessments: two term tests and a final
exam. Term tests will be administered during our scheduled time slot (Wednesdays
from 11 am – 1 pm). As of this writing, all tests are expected to occur in-person.
The final component of your grade will come from three short quizzes. Quizzes are
not time-limited activities. They only have a due date. You can spend any amount of time
on the quizzes (e.g. 10 minutes or 10 hours) and start it at any point (e.g. 6 am or 9 pm)
as long as you submit them on time. Each quiz comes before a test and is designed to
help you prepare for that test.
Before starting any assessments, make sure to review the policies on Academic
Integrity (see Course Policies).

Marking Scheme and Important Dates

− 30% Term Test 1 on Wednesday, February 8 from 11 am – 1 pm in EX100
o Based on Lectures 1 – 4 and associated tutorials
o Combination of multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank and written answer questions
o 110 minutes
− 30% Term Test 2 on Wednesday, March 22 from 11 am – 1 pm in EX100
o Based on Lectures 5 – 8 and associated tutorials
o Combination of multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank and written answer questions
o 110 minutes
− 35% Final Assessment between April 11 - 28 based on Lectures 1 - 10
o Details TBA
− 5% Three Quizzes on Quercus (online only), available for 24 hours
o No time limit, only due date
o Multiple choice questions only
o Quiz 1: February 3, Quiz 2: March 17, Quiz 3: April 5

Study Guide
To assist you in preparing for your assessments, a study guide will be provided on
Quercus. This guide will identify key highlights of lecture content that are likely to be
tested. If you can provide detailed answers to the questions in this guide, it is likely you
will score at least a B grade (70+) on all assessments.

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Course Schedule
This course will involve delivering lectures and completing assessments during a
scheduled time slot (Wednesday, 11 am – 1 pm). You must be available during this time
period. This course should be treated as a synchronous course in all respects. Do not
take this course if you have a conflict with other courses.
Tutorial sections run on most Fridays throughout the year. You can only attend the
tutorial section that you booked while registering for the course. Each tutorial session Is
1 hour long, held in a specific room and accompanied by its own Quercus page. On some
weeks, there will be no tutorial but there will be a quiz (February 3, March 17 and April 5).
All quizzes are offered online and will be available for 24 hours.
This year is an exceptional case as it is difficult to predict how the situation will
develop. Depending upon health and safety regulations, we might transition to remote
learning on a permanent basis. If this occurs, you will be notified as soon as possible.

Dates
Class Activity (Wednesday) Tutorial Activity (Friday)
Class/Tutorial
Jan 11/13 L01: Introduction, Basic Neuroanatomy T1: Genes and Behavior
Jan 18/20 L02: Neurons and Neurotransmission T2: Neurotransmitter Systems

Jan 25/27 L03: Techniques for Studying the Brain T3: Experimental design
Feb 1/3 L04: Perception 1 Quiz 1 (online only)
Feb 8 Test 1 (Lectures 1 – 4 + associated tutorials)

Feb 15/17 L05: Movement T5: Movement disorders

Feb 20 – 24 Study Week, no planned activities
Mar 1/3 L06: Developmental Neuroscience T6: Rehabilitation

Mar 8/10 L07: Neuroscience of Learning/Memory T7: Memory disorders

Mar 15/17 L08: Emotion and Psychological Disorders Quiz 2 (online only)
Mar 22 Test 2 (Lectures 5 – 8 + associated tutorials)

Mar 29/Mar 31 L09: Neuroscience of Language T9: Language disorders

Apr 5/Apr 5* L10: Neuroscience of Consciousness Quiz 3 (online only)
Apr 11 – 28 Final Exam (all lectures, all tutorials)

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Course Policies
Missed Assessments
This course follows the University of Toronto’s Policies on missed tests and assignments
and follows the Human Biology Program’s procedures for missed tests and assignments.
Students are expected to follow these policies and procedure as they will be strictly
enforced. Please note that this policy applies to everything due in this course.
Steps for missed assessments with a valid reason only:

1. Fill out the HMB Missed Assessment Form within 5 business days of the missed
assessment. A copy of this form and its details will be emailed to you and to your
instructor; this is how you notify your course instructor.
2. Self-declare your absence on ACORN. The HMB program office will ONLY contact
you if there is an issue.
3. Review the “missed test accommodations” section below.

Missed Test Accommodations

If you miss a single term assessment (e.g. test 1), you will be offered a grade
reweight wherein the proportion of your grade allocated to the missed assessment (e.g.
30% for test 1) will be reallocated to your other assessments (e.g. 45% for test 2 and 50%
for the final assessment).
If you miss BOTH term assessments (i.e. test 1 AND test 2), you must attend
a make-up assessment. The date of this assessment will be announced after test 2. The
make-up assessment will be similar in format to test 2. The weight of this assessment will
be 45% and the weight of the final assessment will be 50%.
Policies for missed final exams are different. Students who miss an in-person
final exam can petition for a deferred final exam through their College registrar. The
deadline to do this for the winter term will be May 5. The deferred final exam will be written
at a later date, usually in the following term.

Missed Quiz Accommodations

Late quizzes will not be accepted. There are no make-up quizzes. If you miss a quiz, the
weight of the quiz will be transferred to the final exam.

Religious Accommodation
As a student at the University of Toronto, you are part of a diverse community that
welcomes and includes students and faculty from a wide range of backgrounds, cultural
traditions, and spiritual beliefs. For my part, I will make every reasonable effort to avoid

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scheduling tests, examinations, or other compulsory activities on religious holy days not
captured by statutory holidays. Further to University Policy, if you anticipate being absent
from class or missing a major course activity (like a test, or in-class assignment) due to a
religious observance, please let me know as early in the course as possible, and with
sufficient notice (at least two to three weeks), so that we can work together to make
alternate arrangements.

Accessibility Needs
Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. If you have
an acute or ongoing disability issue or accommodation need, you should register with
Accessibility Services (AS) (www.accessibility.utoronto.ca) at the beginning of the
academic year. Without registration, you will not be able to verify your situation with your
instructors, and instructors will not be advised about your accommodation needs. AS will
assess your medical situation, develop an accommodation plan with you, and support
you in requesting accommodation for your course work. Remember that the process of
accommodation is private: AS will not share details of your condition with any instructor,
and your instructors will not reveal that you are registered with AS.

Intellectual Property
Lectures are the intellectual property of the instructors, and the lecture recordings should
be respected thus. Class material is designed specifically for University of Toronto
students enrolled in the course. Under no circumstances should any content be shared
online (e.g. to an information-sharing website such as OneClass, Course Hero or
Youtube) without first obtaining consent from the content creator. As stated in the
Academic Handbook: “It is absolutely forbidden for a student to publish an instructor’s
notes to a website or sell them” (section 4.5)” Any student found violating this rule will be
brought in to the Office of Student Academic Integrity.

Academic Integrity
The University of Toronto treats cases of academic misconduct very seriously. Academic
integrity is a fundamental value of learning and scholarship at the UofT. Participating
honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in this academic community ensures that
your UofT degree is valued and respected as a true signifier of your individual academic
achievement.
The University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters outlines the
behaviours that constitute academic misconduct, the processes for addressing academic

HMB200H1S-Winter 2023, Page 5/6

offences, and the penalties that may be imposed. You are expected to be familiar with
the contents of this document. Potential offences include, but are not limited to:
• Using or possessing any unauthorized aid, including a cell phone.
• Looking at someone else’s answers.
• Letting someone else look at your answers.
• Misrepresenting your identity.
• Submitting an altered test for re-grading.
Any instance of suspected academic dishonesty will be reported to the Office of Student
Academic Integrity. For further information on you may wish to visit
https://www.academicintegrity.utoronto.ca/perils-and-pitfalls/ and
http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice.

Other Support Resources

• Writing Centre for all writing-related help (https://writing.utoronto.ca/writing-
centres/arts-and-science/)
• Study Hubs for weekly goal-oriented study sessions
(https://studentlife.utoronto.ca/program/study-hubs/)
• Recognized Study Groups to connect with fellow students in the same class
(https://sidneysmithcommons.artsci.utoronto.ca/recognized-study-groups/)
• Learning Strategist for one-on-one help to improve learning strategies
(https://studentlife.utoronto.ca/service/learning-strategist-connections/)

Health and Wellness

The university experience can be a challenging one, there is no need to go about it alone.
If you or anyone you know could use someone to talk to (or text with), here are some
resources in addition to your instructors, program coordinators, and TAs:
• Your college registrar and Office of the Deans of Students/Division of
Student Life
• SSP [24/7, talk in 146 languages & text in 35 languages]: available on Apple App
Store and Google Play Store.
• Good 2 Talk Student Helpline [24/7]: 1-866-925-5454
• Gerstein Centre [24/7]: 416-929-5200

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