EEL 5811
Neural Signals, Systems and Technology
1. Catalog Description – (3 credits) Biophysical principles of neural signaling, characterization
of neural circuits and systems, technology design principles for interfacing with biological
neural systems, overview of clinical applications and industrial opportunities for
neurotechnology.
2. Pre-requisites – Graduate standing in engineering and/or neuroscience or undergraduate
senior standing with consent of instructor.
3. Course Objectives – The student will be able to describe the techniques for characterization
of neural circuits and systems, and explain the principles of neurotechnology for interfacing
with biological and neural systems.
4. Contribution of course to meeting the professional component (ABET only – undergraduate
courses) - NA
5. Relationship of course to program outcomes: Skills student will develop in this course
(ABET only undergraduate courses) - NA
6. Instructor – Dr. Karim Oweiss
a. Office location: 457 NEB
b. Telephone: 352-294-1898
c. E-mail address: koweiss@ufl.edu
d. Class Web site: eLearning Canvas
e. Office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
7. Teaching Assistant - None
8. Meeting Times and Location – Tuesdays 8:30 a.m.-10:25 a.m., Thursdays 9:35 a.m.-10:25
a.m., 415 Black Hall
9. Class/laboratory schedule - 3 class periods each week consisting of 50 minutes each
10. Material and Supply Fees - None
11. Textbooks and Software Required – Review articles provided by instructor
12. Recommended Reading a. Title: Statistical Signal Processing for Neuroscience & Neurotechnology
b. Author: Oweiss
c. Publication date and edition: 1st edition, 2010
d. ISBN number:
a. Title: Principles of Neural Science
b. Author: Kandel, Schwartz, Jessel, Siegelbaum, and Hudspeth
c. Publication date and edition: 5th edition, 2013, McGraw Hill
d. ISBN number:
13. Course Outline (provide topics covered by week or by class period) –
Part I: Neural Signaling - 6 classes
1) Fundamentals of Nerve Cell Physiology
a) Neurons, glia, ion channels, receptors, neurotransmitters, cell types, gap
junctions, synapses.
2) Deterministic Neural Models
a) Action Potentials, Linear Systems (transfer functions)
3)Probabilistic Neural Models
a) Spike Trains, Field Potentials, Receptive Fields, Information Coding
Part II: Neural Systems – 8 classes
1) Sensory systems (auditory, visual, somatosensory)
2) Motor systems (cortex, basal ganglia, prelimbic system)
3) Cognitive systems (short term and long term memory function)
Part III: Neurotechnology – 14 classes
1) Technology for measuring neural activity
a) Non-invasive (macrocircuits): Neuroimaging (PET, SPECT, MRI, fMRI)
b) Invasive (microcircuits): micro- and nanoelectrode technology, optical imaging,
multiphoton microscopy
c) Neural Decoding (linear and nonlinear filters
2) Technology for controlling neural activity
a) Non-invasive (macrocircuits): electric, magnetic, ultrasonic, pharmacological
b) Invasive (microcircuits): deep brain stimulation, optogenetics
c) Neural control (neurostimulation, neuromodulation, open and close loop control)
3) Applications
a) Sensory and motor prosthesis (cochlear, retinal, vestibular, motor, etc.)
b) Neurology/Neuropsychiatry (Parkinson’s, Epilepsy, major depression, etc.)
c) Neurotechnology ventures and commercialization opportunities
14. Attendance and Expectations - Attendance is required as a considerable portion of your
grade depends on class participation and discussion. Because the class covers a multidisciplinary topic, questions and discussions during class are strongly encouraged. You will
need to notify me ahead of time if you will not attend class and provide a reasonable written
explanation of your absence. I will record attendance randomly throughout the semester. You
need 75% attendance to PASS the class.
Cell phones and other electronic devices are to be silenced. No text messaging during class or
exams.
Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments, and other work in this
course are consistent with university policies that can be found in the online catalog at:
https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/attendance.aspx
Essay and Homework Guidelines
There will be four homework assignments distributed evenly throughout the semester. These
will make substantial use of MATLAB. The majority of the workload will be reading
assignments that will be used towards your essays. You will be required to write a 1-page
summary weekly (excluding homework assignment weeks) for one of the papers you read
and deposit this summary into your designated folder on the Canvas system. Completing
these summaries will earn you 5% of your 15% essay grade. These will be useful to prepare
for writing your essay. It is essential that your summary be concise and well written for broad
audience as well as for knowledgeable people in the area. You SHOULD NOT copy and
paste from the article’s abstract and conclusion sections. I will post sample summaries for
you to follow later in the semester.
During reading discussion sessions, each student will discuss his/her essay in class during a
10-minute period and answer questions by other students. You will choose essay topics that
best match your background. I encourage, but do not require, you to select papers relevant to
the topic that you are researching independently for your proposal/term paper. Your essay
grade will be based on the quality of your essays, your performance and management of the
discussion during the Reading Discussion sessions.
Final Project Guidelines
1) The Pre-proposal: Write a brief description of the research topic that you plan to pursue
for your project/term paper, as well as the specific problems or questions you plan to address
in your proposal. Limit: 2 pages, 12-pt font size, 1.5-line spacing (no references), font type:
Arial, one-inch margins.
2) The Proposal: Based on the feedback I give you on your pre-proposal, write a proposal
that should attract “funding” (aka a good grade) from your “sponsor” (instructor). Your
proposal should include:
a) Background and Significance
b) Preliminary studies (if any) or relevant work
c) Research Design and Methods
d) Timeline: You should introduce the area of investigation, explain the “big picture” or
significance of the specific problem that you will tackle, provide a list of the particular
questions you intend to address in your experiments/simulation, and the methods you will
use to conduct these experiments/simulation. Limit: 5 pages (not including references),
Single spacing, one-inch margins, 12-pt font size Arial font.
3) The Final report: Based on the feedback as well as additional research you do or ideas you
develop, re-write your proposal and include your experimental findings in the form of a final
report. Limit: 10 pages (not including references or figures), Single spacing, one-inch
margins, 12-pt Arial font.
15. Grading –
20%
30%
10%
40%
4 homework assignments (5% each)
2 essays (15% each)
Class participation, discussion & presentations
Final project/term paper
16. Grading Scale –
A
93-100
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
E
90-92 87-89 83-86 80-82 77-79 73-76 70-72 67-69 63-66 60-62 0-59
“Undergraduate students, in order to graduate, must have an overall GPA and an upperdivision GPA of 2.0 or better (C or better). Note: a C- average is equivalent to a GPA of
1.67, and therefore, it does not satisfy this graduation requirement. Graduate students, in
order to graduate, must have an overall GPA of 3.0 or better (B or better).” Note: a Baverage is equivalent to a GPA of 2.67, and therefore, it does not satisfy this graduation
requirement. For more information on grades and grading policies, please visit:
https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/grades.aspx
17. Make-Up Exam Policy - If you have a University-approved excuse and arrange for it in
advance, or in case of documented emergency, a make-up exam will be allowed and
arrangements can be made for making up missed work. University attendance policies can be
found at:
https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/attendance.aspx
Otherwise, make-up exams will be considered only in extraordinary cases, and must be taken
before the scheduled exam. The student must submit a written petition to the instructor two
weeks prior to the scheduled exam and the instructor must approve the petition.
18. Honesty Policy – UF students are bound by The Honor Pledge which states, “We, the members
of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest
standards of honor and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code. On all work submitted for credit
by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: “On
my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment.” The
Honor Code (http://www.dso.ufl.edu/sccr/process/student-conduct-honor-code/) specifies a
number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions. Furthermore,
you are obligated to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate
personnel. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with the instructor or TAs in this
class.
19. Accommodation for Students with Disabilities – Students requesting classroom
accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. That office will provide
documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the course
instructor when requesting accommodation.
20. UF Counseling Services – Resources are available on-campus for students having personal
problems or lacking clear career and academic goals. The resources include:
·
UF Counseling & Wellness Center, psychological and psychiatric services, 3190
Radio Rd, 392-1575, online: http://www.counseling.ufl.edu/cwc/Default.aspx,
·
Career Resource Center, Reitz Union, career and job search services, 392-1601.
·
University Police Department, 392-1111 or 911 for emergencies
21. Software Use – All faculty, staff and student of the University are required and expected to
obey the laws and legal agreements governing software use. Failure to do so can lead to
monetary damages and/or criminal penalties for the individual violator. Because such
violations are also against University policies and rules, disciplinary action will be taken as
appropriate. We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to uphold
ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity.
22. Course Evaluation – Students are expected to provide feedback on the quality of instruction
in this course based on 10 criteria. These evaluations are conducted online at:
https://evaluations.ufl.edu. Evaluations are typically open during the last two or three weeks
of the semester, but students will be given specific times when they are open. Summary
results of these assessments are available to students at: https://evaluations.ufl.edu/results.