Departments
The following are departments associated with the UNP:
In practice, the department of Biology can provide either a general survey of the biological sciences or a path into various subsidiary areas of specialization. Faculty members currently work in the fields of molecular, cellular, and developmental marine science, ecology, systematics, and behavior. Evolution, a major organizing theme in biology, permeates the department's research and teaching. The department provides many of the basic courses that a well rounded neuroscientist needs. A neuroscientist must be proficient in many biological theories and techniques, and a sound biological background assures that he or she will be able to relate neurobiological studies to the new and exciting breakthroughs in other areas.
Current research topics in the area of neurobiology include the cell adhesive interactions of neural retina cells, the photobehavior and photophysiology of marine invertebrates, and the neural basis for bird song.
Cell biology is concerned with the structure and function of cells. Specific
areas of investigation include: membrane structure; extracellular matrix;
cell adhesion; cell motility; cytoskeletal elements; chromosome structure
and movement; genetics and molecular biology of contractile proteins;
muscle ultrastructure; molecular and structural biology of photoreceptors;
membrane transport and electrophysiology; and theoretical studies and
computer modeling of physiological processes.
The word "neurobiology" was first coined in the 1950's to imply a distinct discipline in medical school curricula concerned with the study of the nervous system in a basic science (as opposed to a clinical) setting. The rise of modern neurobiology has been based on three technical approaches: anatomical, electrophysiological, and biochemical. Perhaps the most striking progress in the field has been enabled by the advent of electrical recording from nerve cells in the 1920's and 30's, a technique which has now been so refined that single ion channels can be monitored on the surface of an individual neuron. At the same time, a wealth of increasingly sophisticated light and electron microscopical techniques have been applied to understanding the structure of nerve cells and to tracing the connections between them. Finally, biochemical methods, and more recently the techniques of molecular biology, have been used to define the molecular bases of many of the most important events in the nervous system, in particular nerve signaling and synaptic transmission.
In spite of the advances made possible by our present technical sophistication, many of the most interesting problems for us as human beings remain unsolved. Thus, neurobiologists have little clear idea of how learning and memory occurs, of how it is that we human beings develop individual personalities, or why it is that the nervous system, unlike many other tissues, is not very good at repair following injury (thus leading to the dismal prognosis for victims of stroke and many other neurological disorders). These and a host of other fascinating questions continue to make neurobiology one of the fastest growing and most active disciplines in the biomedical sciences. In 1988 Duke University recognized the importance of participating in this growth by forming a Department of Neurobiology in the Medical Center. The department is housed in the newly completed Bryan Building for Research in Neurobiology.
The courses taught by the department include a set of core courses given to the graduate students as part of their initiation into the field (these courses are open to undergraduates having the appropriate prerequisites). The core includes semester long courses on cellular neurobiology, molecular neurobiology, systems neurobiology, and neural development. There are, in addition, a variety of special courses taught by department members that range from modeling neural circuits to the basis of learning and memory. The department also offers a general introduction to the brain (Fundamental issues in the study of the Brain, Psychology 133) geared specifically for undergraduate students and intended to follow the two Core Courses.
Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine dealing with the study of the structure, function, and diseases of the visual system. The visual system is extremely complex and begins with the eye which is an elaborate sensory organ. As such, a significant portion of brain function is devoted to either processing visual information from the retina or positioning, focusing, or adapting the eye to receive this information. The internal structure of the eye itself is extremely complex and its main function is to convert light energy to neuronal information which can be processed by the brain. This information is transferred to the occipital cortex by an elaborate network of neurons. Once processed by the occipital cortex, adjacent areas then interpret, store and integrate this information and execute the appropriate responses. This entire process is what we term "vision". The second part of the visual system has to do with the control of the eye movement. This is governed by intricate connections in the brain stem with input from both the frontal, occipital and cortical areas. Multiple inputs into the system occur from other sensory systems as well. The study of malfunctions of the visual system such as seen in disease and trauma have provided an enormous amount of information about the integrity and functioning of the normal brain. Studying abnormalities such as strabismus (crossed eyes) and amblyopia (lazy eyes) gives insight into the complex changes that the visual system must undergo from birth until it reaches maturity. Malfunctions secondary to degeneration, stroke, or seizures help elucidate where various functions are distributed in the cerebral cortex. Close cooperation between clinical and basic science investigators is necessary to provide a complete understanding of this most important sensory system.
Pharmacology
and Cancer Biology
Neuropharmacology may be broadly defined as the study of the interaction of chemicals with the nervous system. The domain of neuropharmacology thus includes psychotropic drugs which affect mood and behavior, anesthetics, sedatives, narcotics, convulsants, anticonvulsants, environmental neurotoxicants, antihypertensive agents, hormones and variety of other toxins and drugs. An inherently multidisciplinary field, neuropharmacology draws upon the factual knowledge, concepts and techniques of neurochemistry, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology and physiological psychology. Several pharmacology courses are offered by Pharmacology Department to undergraduates and are cross listed with Psychology.
As a clinical science, psychiatry is concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. As a preclinical neuroscience, psychiatric research has evolved to encompass many and diverse subdisciplines of neuroscience including neurochemistry, neuropharmacology, neuroanatomy, neuroendocrinology, and the behavioral sciences. Animal models play an important role in elucidating the neuroanatomical and neurochemical substrates of the etiology and treatment of mental disorders. Neuroscientists in the Department of Psychiatry reflect a diversity of clinical and animal experimental approaches.
Behavioral neuroscience is concerned with the broad question of how the nervous system produces behavior and involves the interface of biology and psychology. It includes the study of the neural bases of perception, motivation, emotion, movement, learning, cognition, and other aspects of whole organism behavior. Behavioral neuroscientists are trained in and use the methods of neuroscience, such as neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neurochemistry and neural modeling, as well as the behavioral techniques of experimental psychology.
Other Departments
In addition to those departments specifically noted, neuroscience-related research goes on in a number of individual labs in other departments, including:
Biological Anthropology
and Anatomy
Computer Science
Mathematics
Physics