Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, any references to assessment tasks and on-campus delivery may no longer be up-to-date on this page.
Students should consult iLearn for revised unit information.
Find out more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and potential impacts on staff and students
Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Simon McMullan
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Credit points |
Credit points
10
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MRes and ((MEDI204 or MEDI2300) or (BIOL257 or BIOL2230) or (PSY354 or PSYU3354))
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit will introduce students to contemporary approaches to the investigation of brain structure and function. You will focus on applying rapidly developing technologies to unravel the complex organisation of the brain circuits that underlie movement, sensation and homeostatic function. You will be introduced to strategies and tools, including the genetic, optical, electronic and analytical tools neuroscientists use to probe the workings of the brain. You will also be introduced to the obstacles that will need to be overcome if future scientists are to explain the most complex structure in the known universe.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Assessment details are no longer provided here as a result of changes due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Students should consult iLearn for revised unit information.
Find out more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and potential impacts on staff and students
Grade descriptors and other information concerning grading are contained in Schedule 1 of the Macquarie University Assessment Policy, which is available at: https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/assessment.
Further details for each assessment task will be available on iLearn.
All final grades in the Masters of Research are determined by a grading committee and are not the sole responsibility of the Unit Convenor.
Students will be awarded a final grade plus a Standardised Numerical Grade (SNG). The SNG is not necessarily a summation of the individual assessment components. The final grade and SNG that are awarded reflect the corresponding grade descriptor in the Grading Policy.
To pass this unit, students must demonstrate sufficient evidence of achievement of the learning outcomes, attempt all assessment tasks, meet any ungraded requirements including professionalism and achieve an SNG of 50 or better.
In the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, professionalism is a key capability embedded in all our courses. As part of developing professionalism, students are expected to attend all small group interactive sessions including tutorials, as well as clinical- and laboratory-based practical sessions.
Furthermore, lectures and seminars are key learning activities that you are expected to attend throughout completion of the Masters of Research. While audio recordings and lecture slides may be made available following these large group sessions, it is important to recognise that such resources are a study aid and should not be considered an alternative to lecture or seminar attendance.
Students are required to attend a minimum of 80% of all small group interactive sessions. Students that do not meet this requirement may be deemed unable to meet expectations regarding professionalism and may be referred for disciplinary action (which may include exclusion from assessments and unit failure).
Similarly, as part of developing professionalism, students are expected to submit all work by the due date. Applications for assessment task extensions must be supported by appropriate evidence and submitted via www.ask.mq.edu.au. For further details please refer to the Special Consideration Policy available at https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration.
All assignments that are officially received after the due date, and where no extension or special consideration has been granted, will incur a deduction of 5% per day, including weekends and public holidays and the actual day received. This will continue up until 10 days after due date, after which the assignment if submitted will be awarded a mark of zero. For example:
Due date |
Received |
Days late |
Deduction |
Raw mark |
Final mark |
Friday 14th |
Monday 17th |
3 |
15% |
75% |
60% |
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Any references to on-campus delivery below may no longer be relevant due to COVID-19.
Please check here for updated delivery information: https://ask.mq.edu.au/account/pub/display/unit_status
The weekly format of MEDI7004 will be:
2x 1-hour lectures: Mondays at 12 pm, 17WW-238 and Fridays at 12 pm, 25aWW-113
1x 1-hour tutorial: Tuesdays at 10 am, 11WW-180 (this will usually be a student-led journal club)
1x 1-hour workshop: Tuesday at 11 am, 11WW-180
One of the teaching activities in this unit is a human brain anatomy workshop, in which students will have an opportunity to examine and touch human post-mortem brain samples. Students are required to wear closed shoes and a lab coat/gown to attend practical classes. Some students may find examination of human post-mortem tissue confronting; students are encouraged to discuss their concerns with the unit convenor in advance.
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Jonas, E., & Kording, K. P. (2017). Could a Neuroscientist Understand a Microprocessor? PLoS Comput Biol, 13(1), e1005268. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005268 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5230747/pdf/pcbi.1005268.pdf
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Nassi, J. J., Cepko, C. L., Born, R. T., & Beier, K. T. (2015). Neuroanatomy goes viral! Front Neuroanat, 9, 80. doi:10.3389/fnana.2015.00080 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4486834/pdf/fnana-09-00080.pdf
Oh, S. W., Harris, J. A., Ng, L., Winslow, B., Cain, N., Mihalas, S., . . . Zeng, H. (2014). A mesoscale connectome of the mouse brain. Nature, 508(7495), 207-214. doi:10.1038/nature13186 http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v508/n7495/pdf/nature13186.pdf
Pollock, J. D., Wu, D.-Y., & Satterlee, J. S. (2014). Molecular neuroanatomy: a generation of progress. Trends in Neurosciences, 37(2), 106-123. doi:10.1016/j.tins.2013.11.001 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2013.11.001
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Active participation in learning activities throughout the unit will generally require students to have access to a tablet, laptop or similar device. Students who do not own their own laptop computer may borrow one from the university library.
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.