UTHealth Houston Neuroscience Research Center and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
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Director
John Byrne, PhD
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Course Description
This course is an integrated approach to neurological diseases, which includes background information as well the diagnosis, the treatment, and the biological mechanisms of the diseases under study. The topic for Fall 2025 is “Dementia Prevention and Research.” This course will investigate the complex biological, clinical, and societal dimensions of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Through a series of lectures, students will explore the cellular foundations of network abnormalities, covering topics such as functional genomics, autophagy, and proteasome dysfunction, along with the roles of the microbiome, inflammation, and glial cells in neurodegeneration. The course also adopts a clinical perspective by exploring advanced neuroimaging techniques, emerging therapeutic interventions, and the impact of cerebrovascular health in vascular dementia. The curriculum concludes with a focus on caregiving and the behavioral and psychological symptoms associated of dementia.
Lectures will be given by leading experts in the field from UTHealth Houston, Baylor College of Medicine, and Houston Methodist Research Institute. The 2025 NRC Distinguished Lecture Series coincides with the course and will be given by Joshua A. Gordon, MD, PhD, Columbia University, on October 21, 2025.
This course is open to graduate students, medical students, residents and postdoctoral fellows.
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Course Requirements
Attendance
Completion of final essay based on a course lecture. (Postdoctoral fellows are exempt).
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Lecture Time and Location
August 26 through December 9, 2025
Tuesdays, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
McGovern Medical School MSB 7.037