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Teaching Fellows – Harvard Graduate Students
Teaching Assistants – Postdocs, Staff, or non-Harvard Graduate Students
Undergraduate Student Employment
MCB Course Guide for Student Workers
Neuro 80 (MCB 80) – NEUROBIOLOGY OF BEHAVIOR
Course Description
Neuro/MCB 80 aims to provide an in-depth introduction into the fundamentals of the brain and neuroscience. The teaching staff, lead by Professor Jeff Lichtman, aims to provide a biologically inspired conceptual framework for thinking about how the brain works. The course begins by taking a close look at the nuts and bolts of neurons and signaling and then moves on to explore a few networks including sensory systems and motor systems before finishing with neurodevelopment, and “higher” cognitive topics.
We will be largely keeping the structure of the course and applying what we have learned the past several years. This year the course will be a hybrid or partially “flipped” format. Students will be responsible to watch 2 asynchronous lectures (or lecture equivalents) each week online. Then throughout the semester, Tuesday in class “lectures” will feature demonstrations, guest lectures and activities that apply the concepts discussed in the video lectures. Thursdays in class “lectures” will be a review workshop and an opportunity for the students to ask questions to the course leaders. The weekly discussion sections will be lead by you the TF, where students will discuss the material, work in small groups, practice problems, and try small neuroscience labs and demos.
There are no pre-requisites for the class and it is the foundational course for students who plan to concentrate in Neuroscience.
Expectations
- Watch/review video lectures and understand the material
- Prepare and lead a weekly 75 min discussion section (in person) on either Thursdays or Fridays for ~16 students
- Grade assignments for those ~16 students including weekly problem sets
- Prepare for and attend weekly staff meetings: Tuesdays, 9-10:15 am.
- Hold weekly or biweekly office hours
- Answer emails, help monitor the online chat boards/answer student questions
- Help prepare exam questions, monitor/check Canvas
- Help with the Neuroscience Activity Fair: Tuesday, September 12th
- Proctor Exams – Midterm 10/17 10:30-11:45, Final TBA
- Optional: Attend in person guest lectures and review sessions T, Th 10:30-11:45
- There will be 1 training session in August: tentatively 8/3 9-3pm
- Class runs 9/5 – 12/5. Final will be held during exam period: 12/11-12/20
Total commitment ~10-15 hrs/week
To Apply or for questions
Contact Neuroscience Curriculum and Pedagogy Manager: Katie (Kathleen) Quast (kquast@fas.harvard.edu)
Compensation (2023): Senior rate: $12,770; Junior rate (G2s): $11,380
Life Sciences 1a: An Integrated Introduction to the Life Sciences: Chemistry, Molecular Biology, and Cell Biology
Course description:
Life Sciences 1a is a fall-semester survey course that integrates general chemistry, organic chemistry, cell biology, and molecular biology at the introductory level. The course is large (typically about 300 students), with the majority of students being freshmen. The focus is on the fundamental features of living systems, with topics including intermolecular interactions, thermodynamics, acidity, (first-order) kinetics, the central dogma, cell signaling, enzyme catalysis, and transport across membranes. These concepts are then applied to consider drug design and discovery.
All classes are held in person in the Science Center (Harvard Cambridge Campus)
Dates:
- Lectures: 09/03/2024 – 12/03/2024 (Tue & Thu, 1.30pm)
- Section: 09/11/2024 – 12/06/2024 (Wed, Thu or Fri, varying times)
Responsibilities:
- Attend lectures
- Attend staff meetings (1 hour/week)
- Prepare and lead one discussion & laboratory section (~3 hours) per week (12 sections/semester; size: ~12-16 students)
- Grade and return assignments (i.e. problem sets, lab assignments)
- Hold office hours (1 hour/week/section)
- Fulfill one exam duty for every midterm and final (i.e. proctoring, pre-running assessments, or staff help rooms)
- Be available by email to answer student questions throughout the semester
- Attend two days of TF training in August (dates TBD, 9-5pm)
Total time commitment is 0.4 FTE
Compensation for teaching one section (0.4FTE):
Junior rate TFs: $11,720 total ($1,116.19 bi-weekly)
Senior rate (G3 or above): $13,150 total ($1252.38 bi-weekly for TFs or $2,630 monthly for TAs)
To apply:
Please email lsci1a@fas.harvard.edu and include your CV. We will be conducting interviews and hiring primarily in the months of April, May and June. Final hiring is contingent on student enrollment.