In this course, you will learn how to read a paper critically and understand its content. We will examine published papers and discuss which conclusions can be justified and which require some wishful thinking. We will dissect papers in the field of 'Developmental Neurobiology', focusing in particular on a molecular and cellular perspective, discussing recent research, as well as classic landmarks. The subareas you will learn about include 'Patterning and Gene Regulation', 'Lineages and Tracing', "Migration and Synaptogenesis", "Single-cell analyses and computation", and "Human development and in vitro models".
In part I (8-9 weeks), after two introductory lectures, each week, we will evaluate in class papers: few of the participants will be asked to lead the discussion (in the form of an oral presentation, i.e., a journal club), while the rest of the class will be expected to participate in the discussion, producing a summary of the main findings in the proper context, and an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the paper. This will require studying background material so that your presentation places the paper in context.
In part II (5-6 weeks), students will work in small groups and perform mini-projects where they will reproduce/extend analyses of key papers. The projects will be orally presented by the teams during the last week.
The assessment will be based on your oral presentations, written submissions and participation in the discussions throughout the course during the semester.
- Professor: Gioele La Manno
- Teacher: Alessandro Valente
