Program Overview

Marquette University College of Health Sciences

The College of Health Sciences at Marquette University offers a range of academic programs in the field of health sciences.

Undergraduate Majors

• Biomedical Sciences
• Exercise Physiology
• Medical Laboratory Science
• Speech Pathology and Audiology

Advanced Degrees

• Master of Athletic Training
• Master of Physician Assistant Studies
• Master of Speech-Language Pathology
• Doctoral Program in Occupational Therapy
• Doctoral Program in Physical Therapy
• Ph.D. in Neuroscience
• M.S. in Biomedical Sciences
• M.S./Ph.D. in Exercise & Rehabilitation Science
• M.S. in Sports & Exercise Data Analytics
• Pre-Dental Post Baccalaureate Program
• Medical Laboratory Science Certificate Program

Neuroanatomical Dissection Course: Human Brain and Spinal Cord

Course Description

This course consists of an exciting three-day anatomical dissection of the brain and spinal cord, as well as a compelling review of recent advances in functional neuroscience.

Course Objectives

• Locate and discuss all major gyri and sulci of the cerebral cortex; explain functional specializations of the primary visual, somatosensory, motor, auditory, speech and olfactory cortices
• List blood vessels forming the Circle of Willis on a human brain specimen and locate common sites of cerebrovascular accident
• Identify and explain the three-dimensional organization of major cerebral association, commissural and projection fiber systems
• Locate and identify the ventricular system in three dimensions and explain route of CSF circulation
• Explain the different elements comprising the meninges, including specializations that serve protective and vascular functions
• Explain the origins and functions of the 12 pairs of cranial nerves, including foramina that transmit them to the neurocranium
• Explain the major structural and functional subdivisions of the cerebellum, including major afferent and efferent pathways linking it to the brain stem
• Explain the chemical neuroanatomy of selected neuronal systems, including ascending monoamergic systems involved in mood, reward, attention and arousal
• Understand and explain the functional implications of lesions and pathologies within the neuraxis
• Identify and discuss major specializations of primary and association cortices
• Define the major parallel circuits through components of the basal ganglia, and understand the 3-dimensional relationships of the caudate nucleus, putamen, globus pallidus, subthalamic nucleus, substantia nigra and thalamus, as well as fibers coursing through the contiguous internal capsule
• Explain major elements of the limbic system, including the hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus and thalamus, including interconnecting fiber pathways
• Explain major ascending spinal cord pathways, tracing them from the periphery to the somatosensory cortex
• List the brain origins of major descending motor systems, including corticospinal, rubrospinal, reticulospinal and vestibulospinal pathways
• List and explain origins of major chemical neurotransmitter systems, including the basal forebrain cholinergic and histaminergic systems, as well as brainstem origins of monoaminergenic pathways
• Discuss recent findings from the field of neuroscience of particular relevance to practicing clinicians, including advances in our understanding of addiction, neuronal plasticity, stroke, spinal cord injury, schizophrenia, depression and other neurological dysfunctions

Who Should Attend

This provocative neuroanatomical dissection experience will prove invaluable to anyone seeking a better three-dimensional understanding of the organization of the nervous system.

Course Schedule and Content

• Thursday, July 23: Morning Lecture Session and Afternoon Dissection Session
• Friday, July 24: Morning Lecture Session and Afternoon Dissection Session
• Saturday, July 25: Morning Lecture Session, Functional Neuroscience Breakout Sessions, and Afternoon Dissection Session

Faculty

• William E. Cullinan, Ph.D., Course Director
• James P. Herman, Ph.D., Lecturer and Laboratory Faculty Member
• Robert C. Thompson, Ph.D., Lecturer and Laboratory Instructor
• Additional faculty experts to be announced

Course Details

• Registration is open
• Fees: Regular enrollment fee is $950 per person, with discounted course fees for post-doctoral fellows and Marquette alumni ($750) and current graduate students ($650)
• The fee includes all breaks and lunches, as well as course materials, including handouts, use of dissection tools, aprons, cadaver, and anatomy and dissection texts.