Splash Biography



CLAUDIA NGUYEN, ESP Teacher




Major: Neurobiology

College/Employer: UCLA

Year of Graduation: G

Picture of Claudia Nguyen

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Not Available.



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

S245: Brain Organoids: Stem Cell Models for Your Thinker in Splash Spring 2022 (Apr. 23, 2022)
Our brains are the core of who we are - from our sense of self to how we interact with the world. But how does something so complex come into existence? In this course we will learn about how the human brain develops from a bunch of cells into a powerful organ with the ability to think, feel and learn. Traditionally, the study of the brain has relied on multiple models such as the rat or the fruit fly. However, as scientists have attempted to understand the human brain such models have lacked the specificity required to answer questions about human brain development. In this course we will cover how scientists are using "mini brains", or organoids to understand the function and development of the human brain. Together, we will learn how brains are built and how we can use brain models experimentally in order to understand basic neuroscience questions. Students will have the opportunity to design experiments and understand the building blocks of the human brain.