Research(Laboratory(in(Madrid(

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1 ResearchLaboratoryinMadrid COURSEDESIGNATORMAD4901 LANGUAGEOFINSTRUCTIONENGLISH NUMBEROFCREDITS3credits CONTACTHOURS 45 COURSEDESCRIPTION INSTRUCTOR/COORDINATORKsenijaJovanovic,PhD. DESCRIPTION TheResearchLaboratoryinMadridCourseaimstoofferanintroductiontoNeuroscienceresearchinits different branches, with the opportunity to work oneaonaone with psychologists and scientists in a 6A weekalongresearchprogramduringthesummer.thecoursehasbeendesignedtoberesearchandtheory orientedinordertoprovideacomprehensivefoundationforstudyingbasicneuroscienceconceptsand phenomena. COURSEOBJECTIVES ToteachstudentshowtoperformhypothesisAdrivenresearch Tosearchandreviewscientificliterature Tolearnhowtocollectclinicaldatafromhealthinformationrecords Toanalyzeandinterpretresults Toimprovescientificwritingandcommunicationskills METHODOLOGY Wewillcombinetheresearchinternshipwithoneclasssessionperweek.Classsessionswillinclude analysis and reviews of scientific articles, lectures, power point presentations and discussions of requiredreadings.sessionswillbeconductedinenglish,butasthecourseprogresses,theinstructor will gradually introduce some useful scientific vocabulary in Spanish. The students are expected to have read the required material before class and to be prepared to participate in integrative and meaningful discussions. Students may be tested on all material covered in lectures and in research labs, as well as on additional required readings that may not be covered in class. All indicated assignmentsaretobecompletedintimelyfashionandrespectingdeadlines.

2 REQUIREDREADING/MATERIALS CourseMaterial: Thereadingsrequiredforthecoursewillbeassignedthroughoutthecourse, postedonthemoodle platformoreamailedbytheinstructorbeforetheclass. GRADING Eachstudentwillbegradedindividuallyaccordingtothefollowingcriteria: Participation 15% Classdiscussion 15% Individualclasspresentation 20% Researchinternship 50% Participation All classes including lectures, activities, etc) require the student s active participation. In order to receive a high grade the student must be prepared in advance and make meaningful observations, commentsorquestionsthatprovehis/hercomprehensionandinterestinthesubject. CRITERIAFORGRADINGANDGRADINGSTANDARDS A GradingRubric Achievementthatisoutstandingrelativetothelevelnecessarytomeetcourserequirements. A B Achievementthatissignificantlyabovethelevelnecessarytomeetcourserequirements. B B C Achievementthatmeetsthecourserequirementsineveryrespect. C C D Achievementthatisworthyofcrediteventhoughitfailstomeetfullythecourserequirements. D F 0-59 Representsfailureornocredit)andsignifiesthattheworkwaseither1)completedbutatalevel ofachievementthatisnotworthyofcreditor2)wasnotcompletedandtherewasnoagreement betweentheinstructorandthestudentthatthestudentwouldbeawardedani. IndividualResearchProject&ClassPresentation The final evaluation of the course will consist of a power point presentation about the research internshipthestudentscarriedout.anabstractneedstobesendbyeamailtotheinstructorbeforethe presentation and handed in to the rest of the students at the moment of the presentation. The presentationsshouldbetenminuteslongandstudentsmayuseanykindofavailablesupport. PAGE 2

3 Presentationstructure: 1. Abstract 2. Hypothesis 3. Introduction 4. Material&Methods 5. Discussion 6. Conclusions 7. Bibliography ThewrittenabstractmustbesubmittedonMondaythe16 th ofjuly. OnFriday20 st Julyeachstudentwillpresenttotheclassasummaryofthemainconclusionsofhis/her research. IMPORTANT.Nopapersorrequirementswillbeacceptedafterduedates. CLASSATTENDANCE Regularattendanceandpunctualityaremandatoryinordertoearnfullmarks.Nevertheless,students areallowedoneunjustifiedabsence.fromthatoneon,eachabsencewilldecrease5pointsthefinal grade[e.g.:from92aa)to87b+)].instructormaydenytheaccesstotheclassroomifthestudent arrivesmorethan10minutesaftertheclasshasstarted.in the case of absences, it is the student s responsibilitytofindoutwhatinformationwasgiveninclassincludinganyannouncementsmade. CLASSSCHEDULENote:Thisscheduleissubjecttochange) Week1ANeuroscience:basicconceptsandneuroanatomy Week2ANewandoldtechniquesinmodernneuroscience Week3ANeuron,actionpotentialandsynaptictransmission Week4APlasticityofthecentralnervoussystem,developmentandbehavior Week5ADatacollectionandanalysis Week6AScientificcommunication:presentations,articlesandprojects PAGE 3

4 DESCRIPTIONOFLABORATORIESPARTICIPATINGINTHECOURSEMADR4901 DevelopmentalNeurobiology,CajalInstitute,CSICZFernandodeCastro,MD,PhD Ourlabisfocusedonthestudyofoligodendrocytes,thecellsthatformthemyelinsheetaroundnerve fibers and facilitate the nerve impulse transmission. These cells die in multiple sclerosis MS) and other demyelinating diseases. We study the basis of myelination and demyelination to identify potentialbiomarkersthatbetterdiagnosemultiplesclerosisthesecondleadingcauseofparaplegia) and to advance the neural repair therapy of the disease. We are especially interested in oligodendrocytes precursors OPCs) in the adult central nervous system CNS), comprising 3A5% of total cells thereof.our experimental work, employing samples from patients with MS and animal models of the disease, addresses different molecular interactions underlying the development of oligodendrocytesandmyelination,aswellasinvitrostudiesofopcsandotherrelevantcelltypes. Studentswillhavetheopportunitytolearnaboutvariousaspectsoftheresearchprocess,including experimental design, implementation and execution, animal or tissue samples handling, data collectionandanalysisandliteraturereview. NeuronalEngineeringHMHospitalZCINAC)ZGuglielmoFoffani,PhD Neuronal activity represents the functional basis of the central nervous system. Modern neurophysiologicaltechniquesallowscientiststorecordneuronalactivitiesofincreasingcomplexity as: populations of single neurons, local field potentials, multichannel EEG and functional imaging. However,thecomplexityofthesesignalsoftenimpedesthecorrectpathophysiologicalinterpretation of the recorded neuronal activities. The overall objective of our research is to develop and apply methodologiesforrecordingandanalyzingsignalsinordertoextractpathophysiologicalinformation fromcomplexneuronalactivities.themainresearchlinesarethefollowing:1)brainreorganization afterspinalcordinjury;2)neuronaloscillationsinneurodegenerativedisorders;3)neuralcodesin thesomatosensorysystem;4)developmentandapplicationofneuromodulationtechniquestotreat neurologicalandneuropsychiatricdisorders. Students will get familiar with specialized software for electrophysiological data recording and gain experienceincomputeranalysisandinterpretationofdifferentpatternsofneuronalactivity. TheLópezZIborClinic,MadridZMaríaJoséLópezIbor,MD,PhD StigmaagainstpeoplewithmentalillnessiscommoninWesternsocieties.Thissocialrejectionandthe discrimination that goes along with it, make life all the more difficult for people with serious psychologicalconditions.tosome,thestigmaissounbearablethattheyavoidseekinghelpfortheir illness.ourclinicisdedicatedtothecomprehensivecareofpeoplesufferingfrommentalillness.in addition,oneofourobjectivesistofightthesocialstigmaanddiscriminationofpeoplesufferingfrom mentalillnessthatnegativelyaffectspatientsandtheirfamiliesalike.besidesconventionaltherapies, ourteamhasextensiveexperienceintheapplicationoftranscranialmagneticstimulationtms)to patientssufferingfrommentalillnessesthathavenotrespondedtoothertreatments,specificallyin casesofresistantdepression,obsessivecompulsivedisorderocd)andsomecasesofschizophrenia. Students will work under supervision, their involvement will be observational and without a direct contactwithpatients.toenrollinthislab,studentsmusthaveamediumatoahighlevelofspanish. PAGE 4

5 FoundationInstituteSpiralZLeandroPalacios,MD,Clinicalpsychologist Ourinstitutionisdedicatedtotreatingchemicaladdictions,alcoholismandmentaldisorders.Similar toalcoholanddrugsabuse,mentaldisordersposearisktotheindividual sphysicalandemotional wellabeingandhaveimportantsocialimpact.weaddressthesedisorderstroughclinicalresearch,up to date clinical programs and the use of the latest advances in psychiatry, psychotherapy and psychology,aswellasthroughpublicoutreachandeducation.inourcenterwecarryoutprograms andtreatmentsfordetoxification,rehabilitation,andsocialinsertion. Studentswillworkunderthesupervision,theirinvolvementwillbeobservationalandwithoutadirect contactwithpatients.toenrollinthislab,studentsmusthaveahighlevelofspanish. MolecularNeuropathologyCentreforMolecularBiologySeveroOchoaZCBMSO)ZMariaDolores Ledesma,PhD IntheCBMSOwefocusourresearchonthestudyofthemolecularbasisofhumandiseaseswiththe goalofprovidingthenecessaryknowledgetodesigntherapies,proceduresanddiagnosticmethods thathelpimprovethelifeexpectancy.specifically,ourlaboratoryiscenteredoninvestigatingtherole oflipidsinneuronalphysiologyandpathologywiththefocusontheirparticipationinsynapsesi.e. contactsformedbetweenneurons).theobservationthatmostlipidosisleadtocognitiveimpairment and mental retardation further supports the relevance of lipids in such process. We focus on the analysisofsphingolipidsandcholesterolbecause,amongotherreasons,theyareparticularlyenriched inneuronsandhavetheabilitytoformsignalingplatforms.asexperimentalmodelsweusemicein which enzymes related to lipid metabolism have been genetically altered allowing in vivo analysis. Thesemicemimichumangeneticdiseases,suchasNiemannpicktypeAanddesmosterolosis,which causeseverementalretardation.sincethelipidicalterationswehavefoundinthesemicearesimilar tothosereportedinagingbrainsourresultsmighthaveimplicationsnotonlyintheestablishmentand maintenanceofsynapsesbutalsointheirfunctionaldecayduringaging. Students will work under the supervision of a graduate student or a postadoc and will have the opportunitytolearnaboutdifferentlaboratoryprocedures,animalhandling,molecularbiologyand geneticmodifications. NeuroregenerativeChemistryNationalHospitalforParaplegics,Toledo)ZErnestoDoncelZPerez,PhD Researchinourlaboratoryfocusesonregenerationandrepairofalesionedcentralnervoussystem CNS).Specifically,weuseratsand/orcellculturestopursuetwolinesofresearch:1)controlofthe glial scar formation and promotion of neural/axonal growth in the lesioned CNS area; and 2) developmentofnewbiomarkersforguillainbarrésyndrome.furthermore,westudybioacompatible and bioadegradable polymers and their potential as vehicles for drug delivery and/or possible substrates for cellular transplants. To accomplish these objectives we employ methodologies stemmingfromorganicchemistry,cellularandmolecularbiology,immunohistochemistry,aswellas animal models of the CNS pathologies especially in spinal cord injury and peripheral neuropathy) perusingthedevelopmentofcompoundsthatmaybetransferredtotheclinicandusedeffectivelyas therapiesinpatientswithspinalcordlesionsandotherpathologiesofthecns. Studentswillhavetheopportunitytoperformdissectionsofneuraltissueandisolationofneuralcells, togrowcellcultures,togetfamiliarwithmolecularandcellularmethodologies,confocalmicroscopy andimagingtechniques,andquantificationofneuralmarkers. PAGE 5

6 SensorymotorFunctionHNP&UniversityofCastillaLaMancha)ZJulianTaylor,PhDandJulioGomezZ Soriano,PhD Spinal cord injury is associated with a significant reduction in quality of life and independence of patients due to the neurological injury and limited recovery of the sensorimotor function system, whichincludesthedevelopmentofdebilitatingsymptomssuchasspasticity,paralysisandpain.our researchactivitieshavetwomainobjectives:i)improvementofearlydiagnosisofspasticityandpain, basedonthemeasurementofpathophysiologicalchangesassociatedwithspinalcordinjury,andii) Developmentofnewsensorystimulationtechniquesfortheneurorehabilitationofspasticity,paralysis andpainwhilstpromotingadaptivesensorimotorneuroplasticityafterspinalcordinjury. Studentswillgainexperienceinbasicclinicalneurophysiologicaltechniqueselectromyography,reflex and startle response), neurological assessment of sensorimotor function isometric and isokinetic muscleforce)andpainpsychophysicsconditionedpainmodulationwithelectroencephalography). ACADEMICBEHAVIOUR TheFundaciónOrtegaAMarañónexpectsallthestudentstocompletecourseworkresponsibilitieswith fairness and honesty. Plagiarizing and cheating on assignments or examinations will be considered scholastic dishonesty. Within this course any student with such behavior can be assigned an F. No cellularphonesmaybeconnectedduringclassesoranyotherprogramactivities. STUDENTSWITHDISABILITIES StudentsinneedofassistancehavetofillaformattheirHomeUniversityinordertohelpusmakethe Fundación facilities suitable to their needs. In the first class, students must inform the instructor in ordertomakeappropriatearrangements. DISCLAIMER Theclassscheduleandmaterialissubjecttochange.Theplacementinoneoftheparticipatinglabswill beavailableonfirstcomefirstservebasis.unlikeattheusuniversities,thelabsarescatteredwithin Madrid smetropolitanareaandsomeoftheminnearbytoledo,sothestudentswillneedtousethe publictransportationtogettothem.thefogmstaffwillprovidestudentswithdetailedinformation aboutthepublictransportationandifnecessaryaccompanythemtotheirlabs. PAGE 6