THE IGSIN COURSE - Interdisciplinary Neuroscience (IGSIN913)
Course in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience (6 ECT's) Autumn 2025, 22.september - 03.october (week 39-40). Registration is open and closes 1st of September 2025.
Main content
Course information
Teaching language:
English. If all participants and teachers are native Norwegian speakers, part of the course may be presented in a Scandinavian language.
Organisation:
Approximately thirty hours of lectures, demonstrations and/or laboratory work, concentrated over a two week period.
The course will have a problem-oriented focus and students are expected to participate during the whole teaching period. The course is given once a year.
Note that in-person presence is required at least for 80% of the course to obtain any ECTS points. We discourage from registering for the course if this criterion cannot be met.
Goal:
The course is intended to give the students a basic and integrated understanding of the interplay between neurobiological systems and cognition, affect and behaviour. They will also receive an introduction to basic central methods in neuroscience.
Specific goals:
During the course the students will be introduced to the most important neurobiological systems (neuroanatomical and neurophysiological). They will be introduced to neuromolecular mechanisms and neuropharmacology. Important psychiatric and neuropsychological clinical conditions as well as normal psychological functions will be described and methods for measuring these will be demonstrated.
Student qualification:
The course is obligatory for students accepted by IGSIN. It is expected that students take the course during their first year in the programme. The students at IGSIN will take priority to attend the course. For other applicants relevant qualifications at Master’s level are required. Applicants can have a relevant background in medicine, psychology, biology, information science, linguistics etc.
Student evaluation:
A written essay focused on integrative perspectives on neuro-anatomical, physiological, chemical and psychological aspects of mental diseases and normal behavioral functions.
Recommended literature:
About 400 pages
Bear,M.F., Connors,B.W. Paradiso,M.A. (2015). Neuroscience. Exploring the brain., Baltimore: Lippincott, Williams and Williams. Chapters: 1, 5 - 7, 15, 18, 20-25.
Biologisk og medisinsk psykologi: Milde, AM, Grønli,J., Flaten, A. (2024)
Tentative schedule 2025:
| Date | Time | Location | Theme | Teacher |
| Week 39 | ||||
| 22.09.2025 | 13:00 - 13:45 | Welcome and presentation of the course | Marco Hirnstein (UoB) | |
| 14:00 - 16:00 | Basic genetics | Stephanie Le Hellard (UoB) | ||
| 16:15- … | Mount Ulriken if weather permits | Social activity: Exploring nature and nurture | ||
| 23.09.2025 | 09:15 - 10:00 | Presentation PhD project | Marco Hirnstein (UoB) | |
| 10:15 - 12:30 | Neuropsychiatry: Schizophrenia | Erik Johnsen (UoB/HuH) | ||
| 13:30 - 14:15 | Room 6.2 (6th floor), at Lab.building | Demo. Next Generation Sequencing – Decoding Gene Expression in CNS | Carla P.D. Fernandes (UoB) | |
| 14:30 - 16:15 | Epigenetics in psychiatric disorders | Stephanie Le Hellard (UoB) | ||
| 24.09.2025 | 09:15 - 12:30 | Basic neuroanatomy: "The Human Brain - A Painting and Crafts Course" - Part I | Jelena Mrdalj (UoB) | |
| 13:30 - 16:00 | Basic neuroanatomy: "The Human Brain - A Painting and Crafts Course" - Part II | Jelena Mrdalj (UoB) | ||
| 25.09.2025 | 09:15 - 10:00 | Presentation PhD project | Marco Hirnstein (UoB) | |
| 10:15 - 12:00 | Basic neuroanatomy: "The Human Brain - A Painting and Crafts Course" - Part III | Jelena Mrdalj (UoB) | ||
| 13:00 - 15:00 | Disseksjonssal Posterior (2.floor, BB-building) | Basic neuroanatomy: Dissection of the brain - demo | Jelena Mrdalj (UoB) | |
| 26.09.2025 | 09:15 - 10:00 | Presentation PhD project | Marco Hirnstein (UoB) | |
| 10:15 - 12:45 | Neurotransmission | Jan Haavik (UoB) | ||
| 13:30- 15:30 | Basic Neurophysiology | Clive Bramham (UoB) | ||
| Week 40 | ||||
| 29.09.2025 | 09:15 - 10:00 | Presentation PhD project | Marco Hirnstein (UoB) | |
| 10:15 - 12:45 | Non-invasive brain stimulation: Methods and applications | Marco Hirnstein (UoB) | ||
| 13:30 - 16:15 | Biological rhythms and sleep | Janne Grønli (UoB) | ||
| 30.09.2025 | 09:15 - 12:00 | Clinical neuropsychology | Astri Lundervold (UoB) | |
| 12:45 - 15:30 | Demo: Neuropsychological tests | Eike Wehling/Steinun Adolfsdottir (UoB) | ||
| 01.10.2025 | 09:15 - 10:00 | Presentation PhD project | Marco Hirnstein (UoB) | |
| 10:15 - 12:00 | Human electrophysiology: EEG/ERP | Daniela Pfabigan (UoB) | ||
| 12:45 - 14:00 | LAB | Demo of in vivo reg in the rat/EEG-ERP | Aamra Mahboob/Daniela Pfabigan (UoB) | |
| 14:30 - 16:00 | LAB | Demo of in vivo reg in the rat/EEG-ERP | Aamra Mahboob/Daniela Pfabigan (UoB) | |
| 02.10.2025 | 09:15 - 12:00 | Emotion, affect and the brain | Daniela Pfabigan (UoB) | |
| 12:45 - 15:30 | Brain imaging: fMRI - Methods & Applications | Karsten Specht (UoB) | ||
| 03.10.2025 | 09:15 - 11:00 | Language and Neuroimaging | Karsten Specht (UoB) | |
| 11:15 - 13:00 | MR facilities, hospital | Demonstration MR Scanner | Karsten Specht (UoB) | |
| 13:00 - 14:00 | Cafeteria 4th floor | Evaluation of the IGSIN course & Lunch | Marco Hirnstein (UoB) | |
Deadline for delivery of essay: To be decided during course
Academic questions to: Marco.hirnstein@uib.no
Maximum number participants:15
Deadline for registration: Registration is open until 01.september 2025. Internal students sign up via StudentWeb, external students sign up via email to: vanessa.seeligmann@uib.no
