Teaching/ 06

Courses

Courses taught by lab members at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

PSYCH 505 @ UW-MadisonUndergraduate

Neurobiology of Learning and Decision-Making

Spring 2026, Spring 2027

An advanced course examining the neural mechanisms underlying learning, motivation, and decision-making. Topics integrate perspectives from neuroscience, psychology, and computational modeling — spanning reinforcement learning, reward processing, decision-making under uncertainty, addiction, and social learning. Students engage deeply with primary literature and develop skills in critically evaluating experimental and computational neuroscience research.

Topics Covered

Definitions & philosophy of mindNeural mechanisms of learning & plasticityMotivation & dopamineReward processing & reinforcement learningDecision-making under uncertaintyCircuit mechanisms of addictionRisk, impulsivity & causal inferenceMultiple decision-making systems

PSYCH 707 @ UW-MadisonGraduate

Neuroscience Proseminar

Fall 2025, Spring 2026, Fall 2026, Spring 2027

A weekly graduate proseminar in which students present their ongoing research and receive structured feedback from peers and faculty. The course fosters scientific communication skills, critical thinking, and community within the graduate program. Sessions occasionally feature invited outside speakers. Includes the 10-week Brain Talks on the Isthmus seminar series, showcasing cutting-edge neuroscience from early-career scientists.

Topics Covered

Graduate student research presentationsPeer feedback & scientific critiqueInvited outside speakersBrain Talks on the Isthmus (10-week series)Scientific communication & storytelling

PSYCH 711 @ UW-MadisonGraduate

Neurobiology of Learning and Decision-Making

Spring 2025

A graduate seminar exploring computational frameworks for understanding neural function. Covers reinforcement learning theory, Bayesian models of perception, neural network models, and quantitative methods for analyzing large-scale neural data. Includes hands-on programming assignments in Python.

Topics Covered

Neural mechanisms of learning & plasticityMotivation & dopamineReward processing & reinforcement learningDecision-making under uncertaintyCircuit mechanisms of addictionRisk, impulsivity & causal inferenceHierarchical reinforcement learningForaging & optimal decision-makingMultiple decision-making systems