New Visual Neuroscience Course Upholds a Bright History at MBL
After a ten-year pause in vision courses at MBL, a new hands-on research course in Visual Neuroscience made its debut in August.
Course co-director, professor of Neuroscience at University of California-Berkeley, first came to the MBL as an undergraduate in 1977 and learned from some of the biggest names in vision research.
Among them was of Harvard University, who co-founded three ƬƬ courses: Neurobiology in 1970, Fundamental Issues in Vision Research (1992), and Zebrafish Development and Genetics (1998).
“I love it here, and I loved all the neuroscience that was happening at the time,” says Kramer.
After his first visit, Kramer returned over many years to the MBL as a faculty member in Neurobiology, as a Grass Faculty Fellow and as a Whitman Fellow.
However, the Vision Research course ended in the mid-2010s. And “For at least the past 10 years, I have been obsessed with the idea of starting a hands-on summer course on visual neuroscience at MBL,” Kramer says.
Finally, the stars and the funding aligned to fulfill his dream. Kramer teamed up with, professor of Ophthalmology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, to co-direct the new course.
“There is no other course on the planet where people do hands-on, practical experimentation on the visual system,” Kramer says.
A Distinguished History
The ƬƬ has a long history of breaking ground in vision science. Among the highlights:
· Haldan Keffer Hartline and George Wald were co-recipients of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1967 for their fundamental research on physiological and chemical processes in the eye --- much of which they conducted at the MBL.
· Stephen Kuffler, considered the “Father of Modern Neuroscience,” established the first experimental lab classes on the nervous system at the MBL in 1963.
· In 1981, David Hubel and Torsten Wiesel received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries on processing of visual information in the brain. Both served on the faculty of the MBL Neurobiology course in the 1970s and/or 1980s, and Wiesel later became an MBL Trustee.
· It’s a testament to John Dowling’s major contributions to MBL research and education that the Neurobiology and Zebrafish courses he co-founded are still going strong today, and the vision research course he co-founded has inspired a contemporary revival.
Unparalleled Connections
As one of ƬƬ Advanced Research Training Courses, Visual Neuroscience is designed for advanced graduate and post-graduate researchers. Admission is selective for researchers who have a demonstrated interest in vision science --- whether from previous work on the retina, the visual cortex, or other aspects of vision systems across the animal kingdom.
“We want students who know they want to work on vision,” Kramer says.
This summer, the course’s first cohort learned from renowned experts in vision science. There is a focus on understanding the retina and visual centers of the brain and how they work, but the course reaches into other topics in the broad field of vision, including the evolution of vision, comparative visual systems across different animals, and behavioral analysis of visual perception.
Using sophisticated equipment available at MBL, students learn to conduct anatomical investigations of vision systems using electron microscopy, electrophysiological studies, functional imaging, and behavioral studies.
Along with furthering the ƬƬ distinguished legacy in vision science, this new course continues the rich tradition of fostering collaborations that withstand decades.
“When I started applying for faculty positions, my connections from the MBL got me interviews I wouldn’t have had otherwise,” said Kramer. “This place -- not just this course -- is unparalleled in terms of people getting to know you. So instead of being just a name on an application [for an academic position], some of those faculty already know you --- you’ve had dinner with them, you’ve been sitting at an [electrophysiology] rig all day with them. And that makes a big difference.”
For the next two renditions of the course in 2027 and 2029, Kramer and Schwartz look forward to welcoming students who come with their own research ideas, and who will eagerly learn from experts and each other.
“Enough people have taken ƬƬ courses that word has gotten out,” said Kramer. “You’re going to be working hard, and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”