“SO WHAT ABOUT COFFEE…… and targets in the brain?”
How do molecular, cellular, physiological and psychological properties of agents acting within the central nervous system affect the brain and behavior?  How can we use that knowledge to pursue treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders? 

A new graduate course in Neuropsychopharmacology addresses these questions with a series of lectures covering topics from neuroanatomy to neutraceuticals.

The first lecture, "So what about coffee... (and targets in the brain)?" by Dr. Ad Ijzerman (Leiden University) Will take place on Tuesday, September 5th, 10 AM – 12 NOON, BB 7-724.Find the complete schedule here

28th Annual Basic and Clinical Neurosciences Postgraduate Review Course
Now available online

The recently established Center for Neuroscience Initiatives (CNI) is developing and implementing new programs and centers that will accelerate the translation of fundamental discoveries of neuroscience research into new therapies for neurological and psychiatric disorders. Recently established centers include the Columbia University Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, the Center for Theoretical Neuroscience and the Gatsby Initiative in Brain Circuitry.

Integral to CNI’s mission will be the establishment of a state-of-the-art science center where Columbia scientists will explore the causal relationship between gene function, brain wiring, and behavior. 

A new initiative in Mind, Brain and Behavior will provide an unparalleled opportunity for linking research in the neurosciences to Columbia’s existing strengths in other disciplines, notably physics, chemistry, engineering, and psychology.  CNI will have a catalytic role in forging closer ties between the brain sciences, the programs of the business and law schools, and the many schools of the humanities. Through exploration of the organization and function of the brain, scientists at the center will aim to clarify the workings of the mind -- the mental processes that that permit us to perceive, act, learn and remember, and that govern the remarkable individuality of human action.  Research conducted within the center will have profound implications for the treatment of brain illness – probing the root causes of neurodegenerative diseases, and decoding disorders of mood and motivation, cognition and behavior.