The Human Brain
Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology at Aalborg University
This course provides an integrated, research-oriented examination of human brain anatomy, progressing from fundamental structural concepts to advanced anatomical organization underlying cognition, behavior, perception, and neurological disease. The content of the course is designed to accommodate students entering neuroscience from different disciplinary backgrounds while developing the analytical depth expected at the PhD level.
The course begins with the gross anatomy of the central nervous system, introducing the cerebral hemispheres, diencephalon, brainstem, cerebellum, spinal cord, ventricular system, meninges, and major vascular territories. Students learn or repeat the anatomical terminology and three-dimensional relationships required to interpret neuroanatomical specimens and modern imaging data. Particular attention is given to cortical and subcortical organization of the forebrain, including basal ganglia, hippocampal formation, and amygdala.
At the microscopic level, the course examines neuronal and glial organization, cortical lamination, cytoarchitecture, nuclear organization, and the structural principles governing grey- and white-matter architecture. Major ascending and descending pathways are analyzed in terms of their origins, trajectories, targets, functional significance, and clinical consequences of disruption. Students are introduced to contemporary concepts of connectomics, network organization, and the relationship between anatomical connectivity and functional brain systems.
The course also integrates neuroanatomical methods, including histology, tract tracing, immunohistochemistry, stereology, diffusion MRI, functional neuroimaging, and computational approaches to structural connectivity. Students critically assess the strengths, limitations, resolution, and inferential assumptions of these methods.
Throughout the course, anatomy is connected to neurology and neuroscience research. Lesion studies, neurodegenerative disorders, developmental abnormalities, vascular pathology, and brain tumours provide clinically relevant contexts for understanding structure–function relationships.
For additional information, updates, and registration, please refer to AAU PhDMoodle via the link provided on the right side of this page.