Teaching Successfully Neurobiology and Behavior by Employment of an Integrative and

Interdisciplinary Approach

Gnther K.H. Zupanc

Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02466, U.S.A.

Abstract: The option Neurobiology and Behaviour of the IB Biology curriculum is commonly
met with great interest by the students, but due to the complexity of the subject and the
interdisciplinary nature of the underlying scientific disciplines it is one of the most challenging
topics to teach. The learning purpose of this workshop is to equip the participants with the
knowledge and skills required to successfully manage this challenge by integrating theory,
teacher demonstrations, lab sessions, and student presentations. Furthermore, together with
the instructor the participants will explore ways of how to cross-link neurobiological and
neuroethological concepts with some of the core ideas of other IB curricula, particularly those of
physics; and how to capitalize on some of the exciting discoveries made in the neurosciences to
develop suitable Theory of Knowledge topics. The format of the workshop will include short
lectures, hands-on experiments, and group discussions. In addition, the participants will receive
handouts and access to PowerPoint slides for the teaching of the Neurobiology and Behaviour
module, which will enable them to apply immediately what they have learned as part of the
workshop to the teaching of their own classes.

Instructor Biosketch: Gnther K.H. Zupanc is Professor of Biology at Northeastern University,

Boston, Massachusetts (U.S.A.).He graduated in Biology and Physics from the University of
Regensburg (Germany). He received his Ph.D. in Neurosciences from the University of
California, San Diego (U.S.A.) and his Habilitation (Dr. rer nat. habil.) in Animal Physiology from
the University of Tbingen (Germany). After working as a Research Biologist at the Scripps
Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, Zupanc headed a Junior Research Group at
the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tbingen, Germany, and he was on the
faculty of the University of Manchester (U.K.) and of the International University Bremen
(Germany). His research focuses on neural plasticity in the adult brain, and on its relevance to
plastic changes in behaviour. Professor Zupanc has taught lecture and laboratory courses at
both the undergraduate and the graduate level to numerous students in the U.S.A. and in
Europe. His book Behavioral Neurobiology: Integrative Approach (Oxford University Press) is
currently the most frequently adopted text for teaching behavioral neurobiology classes in the
world. In recognition of his research and teaching, and of his contributions to the public
understanding of science, he has received many awards.