51茶馆

About the course

Many adolescents experience positive mental health, but an estimated 49.5 percent of adolescents have had a mental health disorder at some point in their lives. The consequences of failing to address adolescent mental health conditions extend to adulthood, impairing both physical and mental health and limiting opportunities to lead fulfilling lives as adults. (Source: WHO)

It is important to develop social and emotional habits important for mental well-being. But what is the science and psychology behind mental well-being? How does our brain trigger emotions and influence our mental well-being? If you feel curious about these questions, then embrace yourself to manage your own emotions better by learning the science behind it.

Neuroscience of Well-Being is a live practice-based course that will make you dive into the intricate world of the brain from the microscopic level to the complexities of human behaviour and explore the relationship between neuroscience, psychology, and emotional well-being. Through a blend of theoretical insights and hands-on activities, students will examine the structure and function of neurons, the development and anatomy of the brain, and the various methodologies employed in neuroscience research.

The course will help you gain a deeper understanding of what influences our emotional states and how to cultivate lasting well-being. You will also examine the interplay between emotional health and physical symptoms in individuals and how it connects with conditions such as depression and trauma, through real-life case studies. Through tinkering and building, you will uncover the science behind our emotional experiences, unravel the complexities of neurocircuitry, deepen your understanding of how emotions shape our physical condition and learn tools and strategies for fostering resilience and well-being in the face of adversity!

The course will culminate with a capstone project, where you will work on a research project in groups. This will entail researching many of the topics covered throughout the course and undertaking tasks such as creating the model of a neuron and a developing brain, building circuits in an online software, creating visualisations of muscle contractions and conducting a class experiment on emotion modulation.

What鈥檚 more? Top students will also achieve an extended opportunity for an observership into Professor Simantini鈥檚 research work. Select students will get to participate in real-life trauma research sessions as observers and work with PhD students to reflect on their learnings.

“This course went beyond my expectations. One of the most interesting topics for me was neurotransmitters鈥攍ike dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. Learning how they influence mood, motivation, and relationships helped me understand my own emotional patterns.”

– Falaknaaz, Grade 11, Poona College of Arts, Science and Commerce

Eligibility

• High school students from India and across the world are eligible to apply.
• Students should be entering or in grades 9-12 as on the programme commencement date.
• Students should be comfortable with written & spoken English, which will be the medium of instruction for the courses.
• Students should have consistent access to the Internet and a computer that aligns with the
• Students should have a good and consistent academic record.

Who is this course for?

This course is for high schoolers studying Psychology or considering it for higher education. It is also for students interested in interdisciplinary fields of biology and health sciences. It is ideal for those keen on delving deeper into human behaviour and its intricacies.

Prerequisites: High proficiency in written & spoken English. You will be required to submit your latest mark sheet in the application form.聽

 

What do I take away?

By the end of the programme, you will:

1. Understand the building blocks of the brain by creating micro models and integrating them into tissues and structures
2. Investigate the role of聽 brain structures and chemicals聽 involved in the experience of happiness and mood.
3. Build circuits that stimulate muscle twitches by understanding the biology of action potentials.
4. Explore the intricate world of neurocircuitry and its profound impact on our emotions.
5. Analyze the portrayal of neuroscience in popular media, identifying myths and inaccuracies.
6. Practice with specific case studies that illustrate the physical manifestations of depression and trauma.

Programme Details

Week	Lecture Module	Project Module
Week 1	Introduction to brain: From molecules to the mind Discover and model brain organization at a microscopic level with neurons as cells, brain development & brain anatomy Apply methods in neuroscience research to analyze cells, model organisms and decode tasks for humans.	Modeling of brain anatomy: neurons and beyond Encourage your creativity by making a neuron and a developing brain using playdough Model a neuron聽 Model a developing brain *You will need some craft supplies and playdough for these activities, whose details will be shared on the first day of the course.
Week 2	Neuroscience and psychology of emotions: Interplay of moods Explore the intricate relationship between neuroscience, psychology, and our emotional well-being by understanding mechanisms such as happiness, unhappiness, reward and mood.聽 Debunk and challenge common myths and the stigma surrounding mental health.	Simulation of action potentials: Interplay of biology and electronics Using online simulation tools to understand the biology behind action potentials聽 Build circuits Make a muscle twitch聽   *You will be asked to install a free software for this activity, whose details will be shared on the first day of the course and the teaching fellow will assist you with its installation.
Week 3	Neurocircuitry and neuro trash: Regulation and disruption of emotion Understand how circuits regulate our emotions and the structure associated with well-being Demystify neuroscience as depicted by popular media.	Experimentation for decoding emotions Participate in a class experiment on emotion modulation, implicit attitudes and learn about the power of positive psychology.
Week 4	Brain & body: Impact of emotions on physical health Investigate the interplay between emotional health and physical symptoms in individuals and how it connects with depression and trauma through real-life case studies. Learn about the phenomenon of post-traumatic growth post traumatic growth and strategies for well-being.聽	Demo day: Present your research You will be divided in groups to research on many of the topics covered throughout the course. All groups will present their research in a learning showcase in front of a guest speaker.
	颁辞耻苍蝉别濒濒颈苍驳:听 Get a chance to ask questions to the faculty and the mentor and get their answers and perspective.聽 You are encouraged to ask questions to the faculty around the following aspects: What are some related fields that can be explored based on this course topic? What are the future trends in the related fields? How can the course learning help the student enhance their college applications?	Mentoring: You are encouraged to ask questions to the mentor around the following aspects: What are some sub-topics to learn/practice beyond the course? What is the scope of the course topic if the student wants to pursue/study it further? What are some personal projects that can be taken up outside of the course based on the knowledge gained in the course?

Capstone Project

You will work on a research project in groups. This will entail researching many of the topics covered throughout the course. Undertake tasks such as creating the model of a neuron and a developing brain, building circuits in an online software and conducting a class experiment on emotion modulation. The project will culminate in a demo day where all groups will present their research in a learning showcase in front of a guest speaker. The presentation can be a video/a podcast/powerpoint/a research paper, etc.

Faculty

Simantini (Simi) Ghosh conducts research on Gender and Mental health. She focuses on gender based violence and studies traumatic stress. She is also interested in studying intergenerational transmission of violence and abuse. A separate strand of research in her lab focuses on exploring the molecular neurobiology of stress in vivo. Her background has evolved from neuroscience to psychology. She studied neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation , traumatic brain injury and chronic and acute traumatic stress in the past. She earned a PhD in Neurobiology and Anatomy at the University of Rochester,NY聽 and pursued her postdoctoral fellowship in Neurology at the Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis, MO prior to joining Ashoka. She enjoys teaching courses that straddle both neuroscience and psychology, as well as research methods courses.

Grading, assessments, certification and much more

Grading, Assessments, Certification and much more

All Ashoka Horizons courses offer a certificate on satisfactory completion of the programme.聽

• Regular assessments through check out cards – 30%
• Final project presentation & submission – 50%
• In-class participation and attendance – 20%

Class participation will be assessed based on your active engagement in live sessions, contributions to discussion forums, and involvement in Teaching Fellow-led activities.聽

Achieve More鈥�with Horizons:

• Successful Course Completion Certificate
• Letters of Academic Achievement to the top 3 students based on exceptional performance聽
• Potential opportunity to get an observership – where students will observe real-life trauma research sessions and reflect on their learnings.*

*For select students, subject to the discretion of the faculty

IT Requirements

This programme is administered through an online platform. Students are expected to have a foundational understanding of computer usage, including but not limited to sending emails and conducting Internet searches. Consistent access to the Internet and a computer that aligns with the are also requisite for participation in the programme.

Have a question about Ashoka Horizons Achievers Programme? Write to us on horizons@ashoka.edu.in