This course in Neuropsychopharmacology will take a deep dive into the neurobiological mechanisms, the translational value of different preclinical research models, and the current and emerging treatment strategies (e.g. fast-acting anti-depressants and psychedelics) for major psychiatric disorders, including affective disorders, schizophrenia, addiction and anxiety-related conditions. The lectures will cover the state-of-the art research in this field from experts across neuroscience, pharmacology, medical imaging and psychiatry.
The course is aimed for doctoral students with an interest in clinical/translational and preclinical research of psychiatric disorders.
At the end of the course, the student is expected to be able to:
1) explain the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the major psychiatric disorders and be able to account for different hypotheses in this field.
2) describe the current, emerging and experimental pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for these major psychiatric disorders, including their mechanisms of action and some of the limitations.
3) describe, explain and discuss the differences and translational value of the pre-clinical methods and animal models for studying the effects of drugs on different symptoms of psychiatric diseases.
4) evaluate the use of molecular and functional imaging techniques in the study of e.g. receptor occupancy, and treatment response in psychiatric disorders.
5) interpret and critically evaluate the translational potential of recent preclinical research literature and understand the current outstanding research questions.
No prerequisite courses, or equivalent, demanded for this course.