Group AMPAApprentices: Edwin Garcia, Donya Guyton, Javan Hamilton, Keyera Lee
Mentors: Katie Ward (1-2, 3-4), Georgia Lagoudas and Andrew Wu (2-3)
15 Worthing High School Apprentices visit Rice each Wednesday from 1-4pm to study neuroscience with University students and professors in a customized curriculum featuring theory, experiment and computation designed by the head mentors and faculty sponsors.
Kathryn Ward (grad student, Comp. & Appl. Math.)
Jessica Joyce (undergraduate, Bioengineering)
Steve Cox (professor, Comp. & Appl. Math.)
Giridhar Kalamangalam (professor, Neurology, UTH)
To get involved send mail to Steve Cox
Important Dates:
Sep. 9, 6-8pm, WRAP BBQ at Worthing High School
Sep. 12, 3-5pm, WRAP Mixer at Brown House
Sep. 22, 1-4pm, WRAP begins at Brown House
Group EEG
Group AMPA
Apprentices: Edwin Garcia, Donya Guyton, Javan Hamilton, Keyera Lee
Mentors: Katie Ward (1-2, 3-4), Georgia Lagoudas and Andrew Wu (2-3)
Group GABA
Apprentices: Simone Holloway, Loyce James, Tanisha Manning, Chassidy Oakley
Mentors: Illya Hicks (1-2), Jami Tullius (1-2:30), Jennifer Young (2-4), Shirin (3-4)
Group MEG
Apprentices: Tiara Manning, Ty'Shonique Mayes, Naam McClinton, Sade Picquett
Mentors: Ryan George (1-2, 3-4), Toni Tullius (2-4)
Group MRI
Apprentices: Sane Picquett, Princess Rolle, Alicia Smith, Crystal Stanford-Wallace
Mentors: Kareem Ayoub (1-3) and Jesssica Joyce (2-4)
Group VNS
Apprentices: Amanda Revis, Darren Teamer, Jairus Warren, Kendre Watson
Mentors: Andy Putman and Sailesh (1-2), Zack Rubenstein (2-4)
Content:
++ Introduction to Neuroscience with focus on Epilepsy. We will read this
book
++ Introduction to
Octave with focus on
Computational Models of Epilepsy
and analysis and visualization of neural signals.
++ Lab visits at Rice and the Texas Medical Center.
++ Fall research proposals for Spring research projects.
Expectations: Mentors need not be experts, just patient advanced learners curious about the brain and eager to share their curiosity with urban High School Students. The minimal commitment is one hour per week.
History: WRAP is starting its 8th year, with generous funding from Terrence and Terry Gee and the National Science Foundation.
(A) The neurobiology of epilepsy: molecules, cells and networks.
(B) The nature of the EEG (electroencephalogram): its recording,
analysis and biological genesis.
(C) Computational models of epilepsy: molecules, cells and networks.
We will spend the majority of the fall semester covering the basic material, visiting laboratories at Rice University, Baylor College of Medicine and University of Texas at Houston, and meeting key experts. By the end of the fall semester each of our 6 groups of four will have generated a research proposal. Two groups will pursue area (A), two more groups in area (B), and the final two in area (C). These groups will then conduct their proposed research throughout the spring semester. All students and mentors will receive a course packet containing all of the notes and required reading prior to our first class.
We meet every Wednesday at Brown College at Rice: H = House, PDR = Private Dining Room, C = Commons.
September 22
1-1:30, H, Mixer/Snacks
1:30-1:50, PDR, Overview of WRAP program, projects and expectations
2-2:50, PDR
a) Electroencephalography measures and
examines electrical signals between electrodes typically placed on the scalp,
b) these signals are complex waves that resemble sound waves. we may analyze the latter
with this cool Frequency Analyzer,
c) these signals can be used to control real and imaginary objects,
d) to understand the math behind this analysis we need the sine function and a wave maker.
3-End, C, Book Talk, Chapters 1-3
Homework: Read book chapters 4-5 and make waves.
September 29
1:00-1:50, Waves in Octave experiment with last week's code in small groups
2-End, EEG experiment in Ryon B22 for all except 4 EEG circuit builders at House.
Homework: Octave Work, Vocab Work
October 6
1-2, C, The Trapezoid Rule in Octave. Our goal
is to build up to a place where we may understand the Fourier Decomposition of
a complex wave (like the EEG). This will require us to evaluate the area under
products of simple sine waves. We begin this in earnest in
wave2.
2-2:50, PDR, Vagus Nerve Stimulation is a
minimally invasive treatment for those patients that do not respond well to
drug treatment. To understand how VNS works we first discuss
the associated Neuroanatomy. In particular, electrical stimulation of the
Vagus Nerve excites the
Locus Coeruleus which in turn bathes the
Hippocampus with the hormone called
Norepinephrine which is believed to soothe
overexcited networks.
3-End, C, Book Talk
Homework, Octave Work, Vocab Work
October 13
PSAT.
October 20
1-1:25, H, Mixer/Snacks
1:30-1:50, small groups, VNS Worksheet
2-End, small groups, Octave Work, mysum,
trapsin1, trapsin2,
trapsin
Homework, Octave/EEGLAB Work, Vocab Work, VNS reading
October 27
1-2pm, VNS worksheet
2-3pm, Octave wave code
3-4pm, Chapter 4 worksheet
November 3
1-2pm, Octave Wave code, old and this new frequency analyzer (this might be best split into a few pieces, and would probably benefit
from making/assigning a program that demonstrates that the area under a product
of unequal sines is zero)
2-2:30pm, in PDR, Brain Cell Circuit Model and
code
2:30-3:30, Run code in small groups.
November 10
1-3pm, Cell Model Tutorial, part 2-3
3-4pm, EEGLAB Tutorial, part 4
Homework, Read MATLAB Tutorial and EEGLAB tutorial, solve MATLAB problems
November 17
1-2pm, Cell Model Tutorial, part 4
2-4pm, Work on Research proposals
Homework, project based
November 24 Thanksgiving Break
December 1
1-2pm, Cell Model Tutorial, part 4
2-4pm, Work on Research proposals
Homework, project based
December 8
1-4pm, Present Research Proposals