209548 Research Module A: Cognitive Neuroscience (S+Pr) (WiSe 2008/2009)

Students will work on a project in one of the following research areas: (1) Comparision of learning and memory in genetically differing strains of mice (cognitive phenotyping); (2) Episodic-like memory in rats; (3) Rat cognition in virtual reality; (4) Mechanisms of foraging optimization in tropical flower bats; (5) Immunihistochemistry of the hippocampus. Behaviour research is based on automated behaviour analysis systems.

As a part of this module students can take one or two small methods courses, each of which counts 1 LP (30 work hours): i) Statistical behaviour data analysis with R, the public domain statistics software; ii) Project management in research; iii) Behaviour data analysis with EXCEL.

Research Module A can be used as a preparation for the Master¿s thesis research project. The workload corresponding to 10 credit points (300 work hours) must be completed during the module.

Important note: The Supplementary Module and the two Research Modules must be taken in at least two different
departments. Courses accepted as a 'Research Module A' may be taken outside the courses taught by the "Brain and Behaviour" faculty. This includes other university departments ('Fakultäten'). A weekly seminar (Thursday 17:15 - 18:45) for all students of the graduate programme Systems Biology of Brain and Behaviour will be an integral part of the Supplementary and Research Modules. This seminar persues the following goals:

• Scientists from other research institutions will be invited to give talks and to discuss their results with the graduate

students.

• The students of the Graduate Programme will present the project plan and results of their research projects and discuss

these with the other graduate students and the supervisors. Discussions will focus on the projects themselves, but also on
presentation techniques.

• Conceptual, methodological and statistical issues relevant in all research areas participating in the Masters Programme will

be discussed.

• General issues of science management, such as designing scientific projects or writing a grant application, will be trained.