Courses
Want to take your interest in brain and mind wellness to the next level? Each quarter, we highlight courses related to the mission of MindWell. Read more about courses we support. And see the table below for an extended list of courses related to mental health.
Personal Brain Management (Neuroscience 161/Psychiatry 182)
Have we entered the next stage of human evolution now that we know enough about the brain to change its function? What does the future hold for those who want to enhance cognitive functions or prevent the onset of brain disorders? What can you do today to change habits, leveraging knowledge of neuroplasticity? This course engages students in learning about the current state of neuroscience knowledge regarding: cognitive training, habit formation and change, “happiness” and positive psychology interventions, self-monitoring and the quantitative self, time management, executive function management, mindfulness, and creativity. The course includes practical application of knowledge acquired via class and readings.
Instructor: Robert Bilder
Summer Session A | Tuesdays & Thursdays, 10am-12:30pm
Mindfulness Practice & Theory (Psychiatry 175)
Join in this 6-week class to study the practice and theory of mindfulness, including sitting and moving meditation, ways to deepen positive emotions like gratitude or joy, relational mindfulness, and methods for integrating awareness and creativity into ordinary activities. We will examine the science of mindfulness for mental and physical health, including reduced stress, improved attention, and greater mind-body awareness.
Instrutor: Marvin Belzer
Summer Session A | Mondays & Wednesdays, 7pm-9:30pm
Title | Number | Department | Schedule | Instructor | School | Description | Pod | Flyer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Positive Neuroscience: Skills for Improving Productivity and Wellbeing | 79 | Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences | MW 3-4:20 Fall 2017 | Korb, A. | L&S | Intrapersonal, interpersonal, and extrapersonal contributions to wellbeing, and how activity and chemistry of key brain regions contribute to each, e.g. influences of mindfulness on prefrontal cortex activity, or how oxytocin system is altered by social interaction. Students learn to recognize relationship between cognitive, social, and emotional competence for healthy development, and how to apply it to their own lives. Through neuroscientific context, introduction to multidisciplinary perspectives on variety of topics that are widely considered significant maturational tasks for young adults, including emotion regulation, managing social relationships, enhancing productivity, and identity development. | MindWell | |
| Women Healers, Ritual, and Transformation.(Same as World Arts and Cultures CM240.) | CM243 | Woman Studies | Examination of role of women healers, historically and within contemporary culture-specific contexts. Exploration of psychological functions served by rites of passage and healing rituals and of role of arts in healing troubled communities. Concurrently scheduled with course CM143. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Arts of Identity: Survey of Expressive Cultures. | C223 | WAC | Introduction to study of arts, performance, and creativity in cultural context. Special attention to relationship between arts and identity and to role of artists in cultural survival and transformation. Concurrently scheduled with course C123. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Health Professions. | M249A. (Same as Community Health Sciences M274.) | Sociology | Sociological examination of concepts “health” and “illness” and role of various health professionals, especially physicians. Attention to meaning of professionalization and professional/client relationships within range of organizational settings. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Self and Society. | 220 | Sociology | Examination of social and cultural processes shaping definition and experience of the self, embodied interactional practices through which the self is constructed in everyday and institutional contexts, formation and transformation of self during life course, and construction of collective identity. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Sociology of Interpersonal Conflict. | C229A | Sociology | Origins, development, and outcomes of interpersonal conflicts and troubles that arise in close relationships, households, workplaces, and public places in contemporary societies. Concurrently scheduled with course C146. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Sociology of Emotions. | 247 | Sociology | Sociological theories of emotional expression; experiential approaches to emotions: motivational, cognitive, psychophysiological, and behavioral; repression, social oppression, and emotions; creativity and expressed affect; thought, sensations, and emotions; specific emotions; cultural differences in emotional expression; measurement of emotions. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Sociology of Health. | 250 | Sociology | Exploration of literature of human health as product of society. Macro focus and micro focus used to examine relevance of macro organizational features of national society (culture, economy, politics) while maintaining awareness of micro pathways that link these wider influences to personal experience (mind, body, emotion). Main focus on modern industrial societies and organized around many leading issues in sociology of health. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Topics in Mental Health and Illness. | 284 | Sociology | (no description) S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Mental Health Policy | M213 | Public Policy | Examination of evolution of social policy and services for mentally ill, with emphasis on political, economic, ideological, and sociological factors that affect views of mentally ill and services they are provided. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Psychoneuroimmunology. | 216B | Psychology | Introduction to field of psychoneuroimmunology to help students develop conceptual and methodological skills necessary for interpreting research in this area. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Psychology of Women’s Health. | 216C | Psychology | Examination of theoretical and empirical advances in psychology of women’s health. Socioenvironmental context of women’s health, stress and depression in women, psychological aspects of gynecological health, major causes of morbidity and mortality for women, and women’s health-related behaviors. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Families, Emotions, and Health. | 216E | Psychology | Discussion of theory and research on biological, emotional, social, and behavioral processes that link childhood family social environments to long-term mental and physical health. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| 222A. Interpersonal Relations. | Psychology | Critical review of theory and research on interpersonal relations, with emphasis on friendship, dating, and marriage. | MindWell | |||||
| Interdisciplinary Relationship Science. | M236. (Formerly numbered 236.) (Same as Anthropology M295S, Education M297, and Sociology M270.) | Psychology | Limited to graduate students. Diverse approaches to relationship science in fields of anthropology, education, psychology, and sociology. Focus on theme of understanding biological, behavioral, and cultural aspects of relationships through diverse theoretical and methodological approaches. Use of broad definition of interpersonal relationships, including relationships such as parent-child, teacher-student, sibling, peer, kin, romantic relationships, marriages, and friendships. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Developmental Psychobiology. | 240C | Psychology | Introduction to emerging field of developmental psychobiology, including cognitive and affective neuroscience. Consideration of major topics and concepts, key theories, latest methods, and research findings. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Adolescent Development. | M242G. (Same as Education M217F.) | Psychology | Review of recent research on physical, cognitive, social, and psychological development during second decade of life. Topics include pubertal development, changes in parent/adolescent relationships, role of peers, identity development, high-risk behaviors, stress and coping, and school adjustment. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Human Learning and Memory. | 262 | Psychology | Contemporary theory and research in human verbal learning and memory; verbal and nonverbal learning and memory processes, structure and organization of short- and long-term memory. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Foundations of Clinical Psychology. | 270A-270B-270C | Psychology | 270A. Analysis of phenomenological, theoretical, and research issues regarding etiology and mediating mechanisms in neurotic, affective, schizophrenic spectrum, and other personality disturbances. 270B. Principles and methods of psychological assessment and evaluation. 270C. Principles and methods of psychological intervention in individuals, families, and community settings. | MindWell | ||||
| Affective Disorders. | M280. (Same as Psychiatry M234.) | Psychology | General topics related to primary affective disorders (depression, manic depressive illness), including diagnosis, pharmacology, epidemiology, psychology, phenomenology, biology, and treatment. Students enrolled for 4 units are assigned a more intensive reading list and required to make a presentation or prepare a research paper. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Principles of Behavioral Pharmacology. | 291 | Psychology | Intensive analysis of drug, brain, and behavior relationships. Discussion of nature and source of drugs, general aspects of pharmacology, neurotransmitters and basic neuropharmacology, principles of behavioral pharmacology, categories of psychopharmacological agents, and pharmacological approaches to study of drug addiction, schizophrenia, and other behavioral processes, both normal and pathological. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Biobehavioral Mechanisms of Stress and Disease. | 292 | Psychology | Behavior/physiology interactions of some major bodily systems: nervous, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and endocrine systems. Usual and altered states of these systems (e.g., stress) as these can promote permanent tissue injuries, disease, or improved bodily function, health enhancement. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Behavioral and Psychophysiological Problems of Alcoholism. | 293 | Psychology | Behavioral and psychophysiological characteristics of alcoholism, along with theories concerning their etiology and treatment. Experimental approaches. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Health Psychology. | 215A. (Formerly numbered 227.) | Psychology | Psychological and social factors involved in etiology of illness, treatment and course of illness, long-term care and adjustment of chronically ill or disabled, and practice of institutional healthcare and self-care. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Psychology of Diversity. | 295 | Psychology | Introduction to research and theory on group differences and psychology of diversity. Topics include social identity, intergroup relations, development across lifespan and across social and cultural contexts, and group disparities in health and mental health. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Psychology of Eating | 19, Seminar 1 | Psychology | Think about the last time you had a cookie. Why did you eat it? Were you stressed? Were people around you eating? Were you watching TV? Research from the psychology of eating shows that hunger--the most obvious reason that probably came to mind--is actually one of the least important influences on why we eat. Introduction to key findings from the science of eating, pulling from multiple disciplines such as psychology, public health, biology, and physiology. Through intensive class discussion, students evaluate the quality of that evidence. A. Janet Tomiyama is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at UCLA. She received her Ph.D. in Psychology in 2009, also at UCLA. Her research interests include eating, dieting, stress, obesity, and aging. More information on her work can be found at http://www.dishlab.org | MindWell | ||||
| Psychobiology of Stress Resilience | 19, Seminar 2 | Psychology | Feeling stressed, fatigued, a bit anxious? Not sleeping well? Suffering from decreased libido? Have your eating habits changed--eating too much (hyperphagia) or too little (anorexia)? These are all symptoms of psychological stress and are common in college students during midterms and finals, and in face of other challenges. Long-term effects of stress, particularly chronic stress, can be physically damaging. Recent research, however, suggests that you can use life's small stresses to increase your stress resilience, or ability to resist and recover from stress. Brain, endocrine, and autonomic nervous system mediators of stress resilience and recovery. How rest, exercise, and psychological attitude influence hardiness and feelings of well-being. Class meets on April 5, 19, May 3, 17, and 31 in 6461 Franz Hall. Dr. Minor is a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience. He is a leading researcher on brain and endocrine mechanisms of psychological trauma, stress resilience, and stress recovery. Dr. Minor also works with the Army, Department of Homeland Security, and US Marines to develop training programs that increase stress resilience in first-responders, EOC, and military personnel. | MindWell | ||||
| Advanced Seminar: Medical Anthropology. | M273. (Same as Anthropology M263Q, Community Health Sciences M244, and Nursing M273.) | Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences | Limited to 15 students. Examination of interrelationships between society, culture, ecology, health, and illness. Bases for written critical analysis and class discussion provided through key theoretical works. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Transcultural Psychiatry. | M222. (Same as Anthropology M234P.) | Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences | Consideration of psychiatric topics in cross-cultural perspective, such as studies of drug use, deviance, suicide, homicide, behavioral disorders, “culture specific” syndromes, non-Western psychiatries, and questions of “sick” societies. May be repeated for credit. | MindWell | ||||
| Affective Disorders. | M234.(Same as Psychology M280.) | Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences | General topics related to primary affective disorders (depression, manic depressive illness), including diagnosis, pharmacology, epidemiology, psychology, phenomenology, biology, and treatment. Students enrolled for 4 units are assigned a more intensive reading list and required to make a presentation or prepare a research paper. | MindWell | ||||
| Seminar: Behavioral Neuroimmunology. | 237 | Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences | Series of lectures presented the second Wednesday of each month throughout academic year by invited speakers. S/U grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Health and Mental Health Disparities from Psychosocial and Cultural Perspectives. | 264 | Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences | Survey course to introduce students to health disparities that exist for ethnic minorities and factors that may contribute to disproportionate prevalence rates. Review and discussion of research literature, with focus on specific diseases such as HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, depression, and breast and prostate cancer. Discussion of stereotypes and myths about healthcare of ethnic populations. Examination of psychosocial and cultural contexts as potential or contributing factors. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Research Seminar: Psychoneuroimmunology. | 274A-274B-274C | Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences | Research foundations for basic and clinical psychoneuroimmunology and clinical implications of relationship between brain, behavior, and immunity. S/U grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Anthropological Perspectives on Human Body. | M282. (Same as Anthropology M234T.) | Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences | Exploration of how sociocultural and political dynamics shape perceptions of and understandings about human body, and how, reciprocally, those perceptions and understandings influence social processes. Includes materials from both non-Western and Western societies. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Small Group Cognitive/Behavioral Interventions. | 287 | Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences | Presentation of brief therapeutic interventions for adults and children at risk for suicide, depression, conduct problems, and HIV, with didactic and experiential techniques. | MindWell | ||||
| Trauma and Sexual Abuse Research Seminar. | 405 | Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences | Introduction to DSM-IV TR diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as biopsychosocial sequela. Examination and discussion of child and adult sexual abuse in context of being causative precursors of acute and chronic causes of PTSD. Evaluation of allostatic load, among other biologic variables, within context of physiological markers for PTSD. Review of current modes of treatment, including therapeutic and pharmacological interventions. Discussion of research methods particularly important for trauma research. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Personal Brain Management | 182 | Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences | This course introduces the science and practice of techniques designed to promote brain function and enhance behavioral health. Starting with an overview of brain function, the course considers “management” methods that exist already, and what the future may hold, including methods for predicting our own futures based on individual genetic background and other elements of personal history and environmental exposures. The science of behavior change is introduced and the importance of behavior for health is emphasized. Other topics include: enhancement of well-being through of stress management, mapping long-term goals onto immediate actions, meditation, neurofeedback, and time management. The course emphasizes critical appraisal of existing tools, and how to identify scientifically validated. The course ends with an emphasis on creative cognition and the concept of “flow," focusing on what this may mean in terms of brain function. | MindWell | ||||
| Mindfulness Practice and Theory | 175 | Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences | This course is an introduction to mindfulness, teaching (a) basic mindfulness meditation practices, (b) ways to deepen positive emotions like gratitude, kindness, and joy, and (c) methods for integrating more awareness and creativity into ordinary activities. The course covers various meditative traditions with some discussion of the emerging science on the beneficial effects of mindfulness practice for mental and physical health (which include reduced stress, improved attention, reduced emotional reactivity, and greater mind-body awareness). We also will discuss theoretical frameworks for understanding what happens as one practices more mindfulness. Students also will learn and develop practical skills of relational mindfulness in interactions with others. This experiential course is designed for beginners; no prior experience with meditation is necessary. | MindWell | ||||
| Issues in Human Physiology: Diet and Exercise | 5 | Physiological Science | Basic introduction to principles of human biology, with special emphasis on roles that exercise and nutrition play in health, and prevention and management of such illnesses as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. P/NP or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Exercise Physiology | 133 | Physiological Science | Physiological responses and adaptations to acute and chronic exercise. Letter grading | MindWell | ||||
| Principles of Pharmacology. | 211A-211B | Pharmacology | Systematic consideration of principles governing interaction between drugs and biological systems and of principal groups of drugs used in therapeutics. Particular attention on modes of action, pharmacokinetics, and disposition to provide a scientific basis for their rational use in medicine. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Health-Related Family Theory. | 212 | Nursing | Overview of conceptual frameworks related to contemporary family structure and functioning, with particular emphasis on health. Family is defined broadly to include nontraditional families; consideration of cross-cultural views of families as well. Identification of limitations of current theory and research related to family study and applicability of current knowledge to various problems encountered in care of families. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Mental Health Nursing. | 461 | Nursing | Knowledge and skill assessment to promote mental health of individuals and communities. Exploration of research underlying assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of individuals with psychiatric disorders and pharmacotherapeutic and psychological treatment of individuals. Application of theory in clinical practice involves interpretation of assessment and diagnostic data for purpose of planning, implementing, and evaluating course of care for patients, both as individuals and cohorts. Beginning-level assessment, health maintenance, and management of symptomatology across lifespan. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Biological Bases of Psychiatric Disorders. | M130.(Same as Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology M181, Physiological Science M181, Psychiatry M181, and Psychology M117J.) | Neuroscience | Underlying brain systems involved in psychiatric symptoms and neurological disorders, including schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive/compulsive disorder. Provides basic understanding of brain dysfunctions that contribute to disorders and rationales for pharmacological treatments. P/NP or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Biological Clocks. | C226 | Neuroscience | Most organisms, including humans, exhibit daily rhythms in physiology and behavior. In many cases these rhythms are generated from within organisms and are called circadian rhythms. Biological basis of these daily rhythms or circadian oscillations. Exploration of molecular, cellular, and system-level organization of these timing systems. Temporal role of these variations in maintaining homeostatic mechanisms of body and impact on nervous system. Concurrently scheduled with course C126. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Phenotypic Measurement of Complex Traits. | 240 | Neuroscience | Integrative approach to understanding gene to behavior pathways by examination of levels of phenotype expression across systems (cell, brain, organism), across species (invertebrate, fly, mouse, human), and throughout development across varying environmental milieus. Using examples from human disorders such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease, linking of these diverse approaches in genetic research to map out integrative system of understanding basis of complex human behavior. Emphasis on basic understanding of methods used at each level of phenotype analysis, along with major resources that can be accessed to gain insight to gene-behavioral links. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Mechanisms and Relief of Pain. | M233. (Same as Oral Biology M204.) | Neuroscience | Advanced treatment of neuroanatomical, neurophysiological, and biochemical bases of pain perception. Topics include classical pain theories, pain receptors and pathways, endogenous mechanisms of pain modulation, and pharmacological basis for treatment of pain disorders. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Functional Organization of Behavior. | 255 | Neuroscience | Changes in neuronal properties supporting changes in learned behavior. Different types of learning. Role of neurotransmitters and second messengers in changing ion channels of neurons to support associative learning versus long-term potentiation of neurotransmission. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Neural Development and Repair. | 250 | Neuroscience | Specific training in neural development and repair. Each module offers different research topic and provides perspective on its relevance to human diseases, treatments, and unmet needs for future research. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Regulatory, Behavioral, and Cognitive Neurobiology. | 200E | Neurobiology | Topics include hypothalamus, cardiovascular system, breathing, food intake and metabolism, water intake and body fluids, neuroendocrine systems, circadian timing, sleep and dreaming, psychosexual development, motivation, reward and addiction, cognitive development, object, face, and spatial recognition, learning and memory, language and communication, and thinking and problem solving. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Integrative Medicine: Current Topics in Complementary and Alternative Medicine | 19, Seminar 1 | Neurobiology | Emphasis on evidence-based approaches. Includes discussions of ancient and modern practices and analyses focusing on Ayurveda (India), TCM (traditional Chinese medicine), Kampo (Japan), TKM (traditional Korean medicine) (Korea), TAIM (traditional Arabic and Islamic medicine) (Middle East), and Native American medicine (North America). Class meets on April 2, 16, 23, May 7, and 14 in 17-323 CHS. Edwin Cooper received his PhD (Biology) from Brown University in 1963. He became assistant professor (1964) and Vice Chairman (1989-1993) of Anatomy (now Department of Neurobiology) and full professor 1973. He is the author/editor of more than 25 books and several hundred other publications dealing with comparative immunology, invertebrate immune systems and evolution of neuroimmune systems. His current research interests include antimicrobial peptides and CAM mechanisms with applications to biomedicine. | MindWell | ||||
| Links between Nervous and Immune Systems | 19, Seminar 2 | Neurobiology | Exploration of linkages between nervous system and immune system. Presents information pertaining to various animal models and emphasizes situation in humans. Implications are related to problems of aggression, stress, and perhaps chronic diseases. Class meets on April 2, 16, 23, May 7, and 14 in 17-323 CHS. Edwin Cooper received his PhD (Biology) from Brown University in 1963 and was a postdoctoral fellow at UCLA School of Medicine, in Infectious Diseases (now Microbiology, Immunology, Medical Genetics). He became assistant professor (1964) and Vice Chairman (1989-1993) of Anatomy (now Department of Neurobiology) and full professor 1973. He has taught immunobiology to the first dental class (1964) as chair of the first histology course medical students since 1971. Professor Cooper has lectured extensively in Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East and held visiting research appointment. | MindWell | ||||
| Medical Decision Making. | M255. (Same as Biomedical Engineering M228.) | INFORMATION | Overview of issues related to medical decision making. Introduction to concept of evidence-based medicine and decision processes related to process of care and outcomes. Basic probability and statistics to understand research results and evaluations, and algorithmic methods for decision-making processes (Bayes theorem, decision trees). Study design, hypothesis testing, and estimation. Focus on technical advances in medical decision support systems and expert systems, with review of classic and current research. Introduction to common statistical and decision-making software packages to familiarize students with current tools. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Mental Illness and Movies | 19, Seminar 3 | HONORS PROGRAM | Despite increasing recognition in today's society, mental illness remains stigmatized and misunderstood. Introductory seminar seeks to explore, educate, and demystify some of the major mental illnesses through their portrayal in film. Each class focuses on one movie and topic per week. Interested in abnormal psychology? Like watching movies? Join us! Dr. Taylor is a Staff Psychiatrist at the UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and an Assistant Clinical Professor in the UCLA Department of Psychiatry. He is board certified in psychiatry, forensic psychiatry and addiction medicine. His clinical interests include psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, and the intersection of psychiatry and the law. He also likes movies. | MindWell | ||||
| LGBT is Not a Sandwich: Straight Talk about Gay Issues in America | 19, Seminar 6 | HONORS PROGRAM | Exploration of ways in which American culture is affected by sexual orientation and gender identity issues. Topics include overview of historical perspective; legal, religious, and political issues specifically relating to education; sexual identity development; impact of bullying and harassment in schools and colleges; relationship between sexual orientation discrimination and all other forms of discrimination; how to be an ally; and impact of sexual orientation and gender identity issues on all people regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity. Class meets on April 9, 16, 23, 30, and May 7 in 300 Bradley Hall. | MindWell | ||||
| Buddhism and the Art of Living Mindfully in the Present | 19, Seminar 1 | French | Based on Buddhist tradition, mindful awareness is a science of the soul that has been gaining increasing importance in the West in recent decades. New scientific research shows how this practice improves attention, reduces stress, boosts the immune system, reduces depression, and promotes a general sense of health and well-being. Study combines experiential and intellectual knowledge to introduce basic principles of Buddhist mindfulness. In this practice, we pay attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally, to the unfolding of experience moment-by-moment. By living fully in the present, we allow ourselves to see the world more fully as it is. This very simple practice surprisingly opens us up to the vastness of worlds we already inhabit, but did not appreciate. Each student develops a daily mindfulness practice and reads Buddha's writings. Exploration of how mindfulness helps us cultivate a sharper intellectual, creative, and emotional power in our daily lives. Class meets on April 2, 16, 30, May 14, and 28 in 1323 Public Affairs Building. Sara E. Melzer, Professor of French and Francophone Studies, has been practicing and studying mindfulness for seven years. Her most recent book is Colonizer of Colonized: The Hidden Stories of Early Modern France. She has taught in Women's Studies and in Communication Studies, in addition to French literature and culture. | MindWell | ||||
| Creative Authoring for World Wide Web. | C245 | Film, Television, and Digital Media | Exploration of creative aspects of World Wide Web as medium for personal/collective expression. Students produce Web works and serve them online. Contextualization of medium by looking at its history, embedded ideology, and sociopolitical consequences. May be repeated once for credit. Concurrently scheduled with course C145. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Religion and Music. | 265 | Ethnomusicography | Cross-cultural examination of role of musical expression as spiritual medium and as artistic expression in world’s religions. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Music and Ecstasy. | 267 | Ethnomusicography | Relationship between music and consciousness in different world cultures and role music plays in ecstatic experiences. Phenomena include trance, spirit possession, shamanism, religious ecstasy, mysticism, and artistic inspiration. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Seminar: Psychology of Music. | 273 | Ethnomusicography | Selected topics in psychology of music, including recent findings in brain research, musical perception, learning, cognition, memory, therapy, affect, meaning, and measurement. May be repeated once for credit. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Theater of Images Workshop | 19, Seminar 1 | English | Bonnie Marranca coined phrase "theater of images" to describe exciting work of New York downtown scene of the 70s, which included now-canonical figures such as Richard Foreman, Robert Wilson, Mac Wellman, and Wooster Group. These writers, directors, and performers "broke down traditional parameters of theatrical experience by introducing new approaches to acting, playwriting, and creation of theatrical environments; they reorganized audience and performing space relationships and eliminated dialogue from drama. Collaborative creation became the rule." This theater eschewed trappings of realism--drama familiar to most moviegoers--and opted instead for a total, environmental, even magical theater in which visual, aural, bodily, and conceptual presences dominate over commonplace notions of plot, setting, and character. Students read and view a few classic examples of theater of images, then work in groups to write, cast, and stage their own productions. Writers, performers, musicians, and media creators encouraged. Class meets on April 4, 18, May 2, 16, and 30 in 110 Haines Hall. Brian Kim Stefans is a poet, digital artist and scholar who has published several books of poetry and criticism. His digital art, videos and design can be found at arras.net. He is an assistant professor in the English Department at UCLA. Some short plays of his have been staged informally in New York at St. Mark's Poetry Project and the Little Theater. | MindWell | ||||
| What's UCLA's Temperature: Examining Campus Climate | 19, Seminar 1 | EDUCATION | Engages students in examining campus climate, including topics of cross-racial interaction, intergroup relations, curricular diversity, and experience with discrimination, particularly as they are experienced on the UCLA campus. Participants review scholarly literature on aspects of campus climate to provide foundational understanding. Then they examine selected results from UCLA's 2011 administration of the Diverse Learning Environments (DLE) survey in those content areas. Discussion centers on students' interpretation of results and thoughts about the implications for the campus. Class meets on April 8, 15, 22, 29, and May 6 in 2120 Moore Hall. | MindWell | ||||
| Measuring the Causal Effect of Graduating from College in a Recession | 19, Seminar 6 | ECONOMICS | There is widespread and ongoing concern that young individuals graduating from college in a recession suffer long-term consequences for their career outcomes. Primary goal is to review statistical methods and data that economists use to answer this question. Review of results of recent studies using these methods and data. The effect of graduating from college on career outcomes is an example of a causal effect of interest to society. However, estimating such causal effects is often difficult in practice. Yet, often in public discourse and media these difficulties are overlooked or downplayed. Review of difficulties that arise and discussion of potential solutions. Students led through steps of developing valid estimates of the long-term effect on earnings and career outcomes from graduating from college in a recession. Class meets on April 3, 17, May 1, 15, and 29 in 2317 Public Affairs Building. | MindWell | ||||
| Art and Science Dialogs | 19, Seminar 1 | DESIGN & MEDIA ARTS | Shows students that creative thinking is essentially the same in any discipline, with focus on artists and scientists. Review and analysis of collaborative art/science projects, as well as meeting and talking to faculty and others engaged in this work. Students required to attend activities on campus and keep a blog diary about what they have learned. Attendance at Leonardo Art Science Rendezvous in integrated into class, giving students a broad sense of possibilities in the realm of experimentation, collaboration, and innovation. | MindWell | ||||
| Tobacco: Prevention, Use, and Public Policy. | M223. (Same as Health Services CM221.) | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Designed for juniors/seniors and graduate students. Study of tobacco use and its health consequences, including interplay of historical, biological, sociocultural, political, and economic forces with knowledge, attitudes, and behavior choices of individuals. Introduction to prevention interventions, cessation interventions, anti-tobacco efforts in U.S., and international trends in tobacco use. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Women’s Health and Well-Being. | 226 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Interdisciplinary perspective critically examining research on women’s health. Overview of scientific inquiry and methods; gender roles; status attainment and medical sociology. Review of current data on women’s health. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Maternal and Child Nutrition. | 231 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Nutrition of mothers, infants, and children in countries at various levels of socioeconomic development; measures for prevention and treatment of protein/calorie malnutrition; relationship between nutrition and mental development; impact of ecological, socioeconomic, and cultural factors on nutrition, nutrition education, and service. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Determinants of Health. (Same as Health Services M242.) | M232 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Critical analysis of models for what determines health and evidence for social, economic, environmental, genetic, health system, and other factors that influence health of populations and defined subgroups. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Influence of Social and Physical Environment on Racial Health Disparities. | 235 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Examination of how community stressors and neighborhood resources may contribute to health disparities. Discussion of multiple factors that contribute to environmental injustice and their potential solutions. Do health disparities arise because minorities and low-income populations live in harmful environments? Is relationship between environment and health disparities merely one of potential exposure to chemical/physical hazards, or are there psychosocial mechanisms at community level that act above or beyond effects of physical environment? Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Evolving Paradigms of Prevention: Interventions in Adolescence. | 238 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Adolescent health and interventions, with focus on sex, alcohol, and drug use. What is normative during this period, what is not, what is associated with these behaviors (e.g., peer influence), and how these behaviors may affect youth during this developmental period (e.g., changes in brain). How to intervene with youth in community-based settings. Building of skills to work with adolescent populations. Several practitioners in field to be guest lecturers. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Women’s Mental Health. | 248 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Prevalence of psychological distress and psychiatric disorder among women, with emphasis on impact of social and cultural factors, including gender roles and socialization, stratification and inequality, work and family roles, diagnosis, help-seeking behavior, and treatment. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Images of Aging and Illness. | 265 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Images of aged that students hold, images that serve various professional and commercial interests in society, and images aged themselves use to make sense out of their experiences. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| 271. Health-Related Behavior Change. | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Unified behavioral science approach to natural determinants of change, as foundation for planned change in health-related behavior at community, group, and individual levels. Letter grading. | MindWell | |||||
| Social Epidemiology of Chronic Disease. | 273 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Relationship between sociological, cultural, and psychosocial factors in etiology, occurrence, and distribution of chronic diseases. Topics include hypertension, coronary heart disease, and cancer. Emphasis on lifestyles and other socioenvironmental factors associated with chronic diseases. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Complementary and Alternative Medicine. | 276 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Analysis of use and acceptance of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by clients and providers. Core beliefs of CAM, relationship of CAM and spirituality, licensure and certification of CAM providers, relationship of CAM and conventional medicine, impact of CAM on client identity. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Work and Health. | M278. (Same as Environmental Health Sciences M270.) | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Exploration of impact of work on physical and psychological health in context of newly emerging discipline. Focus on psychosocial models, measurement (including hands-on experience), contextual factors (gender, ethnicity, social class), and how work stressors can be ameliorated. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Sociocultural Aspects of Mental Health. | 284 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Examination of how society shapes mental health of its members and lives of those who have been identified as mentally ill. Group differences (e.g., gender, ethnicity) in disorder and how it is socially constructed. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Principles and Practice of Preventive Medicine. | 437 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Comprehensive review and evaluation of scientific background and application of principles of preventive medicine, with primary focus on families and disadvantaged. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Improving Worker Health: Social Movements, Policy Debates, and Public Health. | CM470. (Formerly numbered M470.) (Same as Environmental Health Sciences M471 and Urban Planning M470.) | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Examination of intersection between work, health, and environment, analysis of social causes of health disparities, investigation of historical trends and social movements, interpretation of current policy debates, and development of innovative interventions. Concurrently scheduled with course CM170. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Self-Care and Self-Help in Community Health. | 474 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Review of background, principles, concepts, programs, and research concerning emerging field of self-care in health. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Health Disparities, Health Equity, and Sexual Minority Populations. | 477 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Examination of health disparities affecting sexual minority populations, category that includes lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender (LGBT) persons. Use of Healthy People 2010 Companion Document for LGBT Health to outline key health issues and national recommendations for achieving reductions in each area. Discussion of considerations for providing clinical care and public health practice in this population, unique social and contextual factors influencing LGBT health, and methodological issues for conducting research among LGBT persons. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Life Skills for College Students | 179-3 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Each seminar enrolls 60% or more transfer students, so there is an opportunity for transfers to bond socially in a seminar setting. The course explores college student identity and psychosocial development, providing an opportunity for students to learn about current multi-disciplinary theory and compare it to their own experience. It introduces Public Health, Psychological, Sociological and Higher Ed perspectives on identity development, stress management, and communications skills and relationships. The small class-sizes allow students to get direct feedback on their own introspection from peers and instructors, in a small group setting, where everyone participates. The photos below reflect how the curriculum incorporates many Active Learning techniques. | MindWell | ||||
| Campus/Community Health & Wellness Promotion | 181 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | An undergraduate Public Health minor course, CHS 181 is intended (a) for undergraduate student leaders involved in community health and wellness promotion activities at UCLA, either in service of the campus or larger community; (b) for undergraduate students who wish to learn about community health and wellness promotion; and/or (c) to introduce undergraduate students to the field of public health theory and practice. The course provides foundational training in the theory and practice of community health and wellness promotion and aims to facilitate collaboration between students, their organizations and the campus health/wellness resources. Students will work with classmates in small groups, with guidance from professionals, to develop health/wellness promotion program plans based in theory. | MindWell | ||||
| Community or Corporate Internships in Community Health Sciences | 195 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | CHS 195 is a community internship under the sponsorship of the Student Development Health Education Unit. Students assist in the planning, implementation and evaluation of the “Life Skills Program,” which fosters development of emotional, social, and cultural competencies shown in research to promote academic success of undergraduate students. Students also work as peer mentors for students enrolled in the CHS 179: Life Skills for College Women and Men course. As peer mentors students support the course section leader by fulfilling administrative duties, participating in class discussions and activities, providing feedback on student work, and completing other duties as assigned. In addition, students continually assess their growth and development as it relates to their experience as course leaders. Students meet on a regular basis with a course section leader to review progress and provide periodic reports of their experience in the form of weekly journals and a final summative report. To enroll, students must pass the CHS 179 course and complete a written application. | MindWell | ||||
| Cosmo Says You're Fat? I Ain't Down with That: Nutrition and Body Image Life Skills | 19, Seminar 1 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Examination of personal, social, and environmental factors that influence college students' eating behaviors and body image. Students learn to apply these theories in developing an individualized plan to eat well, be active, and feel good about their bodies. Students also learn practical skills with application to stress management, positive body image, and nutrition as they participate in critical evaluation of popular diets, healthy body weights, sports nutrition, fitness, supplements, muscle builders, media body ideals, and self-destructive thoughts. Eve Lahijani, M.S.,R.D., is a Nutrition Health Educator at the UCLA Bruin Resource Center and a lecturer at the UCLA School of Public Health. Her professional interests include nutritional science, eating behavior, and helping people finally make peace with food. Gia Marson, Ed.D., is the Director of Eating Disorders Programs and Senior Staff Psychologist at UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services and a lecturer at the UCLA School of Public Health. Her professional interests include identifying areas of resilience, utilizing individuals' strengths, and increasing positive coping skills. | MindWell | ||||
| COM HLT 19, Seminar 2. Cosmo Says You're Fat? I Ain't Down with That: Nutrition and Body Image Life Skills | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Examination of personal, social, and environmental factors that influence college students' eating behaviors and body image. Students learn to apply these theories in developing an individualized plan to eat well, be active, and feel good about their bodies. Students also learn practical skills with application to stress management, positive body image, and nutrition as they participate in critical evaluation of popular diets, healthy body weights, sports nutrition, fitness, supplements, muscle builders, media body ideals, and self-destructive thoughts. Eve Lahijani, M.S.,R.D., is a Nutrition Health Educator at the UCLA Bruin Resource Center and a lecturer at the UCLA School of Public Health. Her professional interests include nutritional science, eating behavior, and helping people finally make peace with food. Gia Marson, Ed.D., is the Director of Eating Disorders Programs and Senior Staff Psychologist at UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services and a lecturer at the UCLA School of Public Health. Her professional interests include identifying areas of resilience, utilizing individuals' strengths, and increasing positive coping skills. | MindWell | |||||
| Cinema Therapy: Movies and Mental Health | 19, Seminar 1 | Communication Studies | How does popular American cinema delve into myriad issues of mental health? Students view films that focus on portrayals of psychotherapists, past and present; representations of individuals displaying diagnosable conditions: psychotic disorders, personality disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, etc.; healing, therapeutic power of interpersonal relationships; and catharsis--movies that evoke powerful, psychological responses. Films viewed outside of class. Classroom sessions used to discuss student reactions to films and orienting articles selected by instructor to accompany each film. | MindWell | ||||
| Undocumented Student Experience | 19, Seminar 2 | Chicano Studies | Exploration of the undocumented student experience at UCLA. Through use of presentations, readings, videos, and intergroup dialog, study hopes to raise participants' awareness about the situation of undocumented students. We also hope to create a safe space in which undocumented and documented Bruins can get to know each other. Students from every background are welcome. | MindWell | ||||
| Biostatistical Consulting | 402B | BIOSTATISTICS | Principles and practices of biostatistical consulting. | MindWell | ||||
| Principles of Biostatistical Consulting | 402A | BIOSTATISTICS | Presentation of structural format for statistical consulting. Role of statistician and client. Reviews of actual statistician/client interactions and case studies. | MindWell | ||||
| Medical Decision Making | M228. (Formerly numbered 228.) (Same as Information Studies M255.) | BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING | Overview of issues related to medical decision making. Introduction to concept of evidence-based medicine and decision processes related to process of care and outcomes. Basic probability and statistics to understand research results and evaluations, and algorithmic methods for decision-making processes (Bayes theorem, decision trees). Study design, hypothesis testing, and estimation. Focus on technical advances in medical decision support systems and expert systems, with review of classic and current research. Introduction to common statistical and decision-making software packages to familiarize students with current tools. | MindWell | ||||
| Cellular and Molecular Basis of Disease | M237. (Same as Pathology M237.) | Biology | Discussion of key issues in disease mechanisms, with emphasis on experiments leading to understanding of these mechanisms. Identification of important questions still remaining unanswered. | MindWell | ||||
| Bioinformatics Interdisciplinary Research Seminar | M202. (Same as Chemistry M202.) | Bioinformatics | Concrete examples of how biological questions about genomics data map to and are solved by methodologies from other disciplines, including statistics, computer science, and mathematics. May be repeated for credit. | MindWell | ||||
| Computational Genetics | M224. (Same as Computer Science CM224 and Human Genetics CM224.) | Bioinformatics | Introduction to computational analysis of genetic variation and computational interdisciplinary research in genetics. Topics include introduction to genetics, identification of genes involved in disease, inferring human population history, technologies for obtaining genetic information, and genetic sequencing. Focus on formulating interdisciplinary problems as computational problems and then solving those problems using computational techniques from statistics and computer science. | MindWell | ||||
| Nourishing Emotional Health through Creative Process | 19, Seminar 2 | ART | Giving form to the symbolic images that arise from our thoughts, dreams, and everyday experiences is an important component of the creative process through which a deeper sense of self can develop and ripen into maturity, self-awareness, emotional well-being, and personal fulfillment. Study provides space and time needed for meaningful self-reflection and authentic discovery for all students curious about and interested in developing their unique creative voice and artistic viewpoint. Every human being has potential for creative work, but this must be encouraged and nourished. Variety of techniques, methods, and approaches are presented to assist each student in development of creative process for increased emotional well-being and mental clarity. Barbara Drucker received her MFA from UCLA where she is currently the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Director of Arts Education for the School of the Arts and Architecture and Professor of Painting and Drawing in the Department of Art. From 1996-2001 she was the founder/director of The Living Room, an alternative exhibition space in Santa Monica, California. Her creative work includes painting, mixed media installation, photography and video. It has been exhibited nationally and internationally is also included in numerous public collections. | MindWell | ||||
| Latin America: Traditional Medicine, Shamanism, and Folk Illness. | M264. (Same as Community Health Sciences M264 and Latin American Studies M264.) | Anthropology | Examination of role of traditional medicine and shamanism in Latin America and exploration of how indigenous and mestizo groups diagnose and treat folk illness and Western-defined diseases with variety of health-seeking methods. Examination of art, music, and ritual and case examples of religion and healing practices via lecture, film, and audiotape. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Narrative and Times of Trouble. | 266N | Anthropology | Exploration of how linguistic and psychological/medical anthropology inform each other in relation to narrative and times of trouble. Topics include narrative sense-making in response to illness and misfortune; phenomenology of time; narrative, healing, and experience; remembering through narrative; narrative subjectivity; and narrative and selves in motion. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Culture, Brain, and Development. | M293S. (Same as Applied Linguistics M233, Education M286, and Psychology M247.) | Anthropology | Integration of knowledge across different disciplines to understand interrelations of culture, brain, and development, where development includes both human ontogeny and human phylogeny. | MindWell | ||||
| Anthropology of Genetic Knowledge. | M283. (2 to 4) Same as Anthropology M265.) | Anthropology | Seminar, three hours. Exploration of how sociocultural and political dynamics shape our understandings of genetic discoveries and how genetic information is used to create conceptions of self and society. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Integrative East-West Medicine for Health and Wellness | MED 180 Section 1 | Anthropology | This course is designed to provide an overarching introduction to integrative healthcare, particularly the therapeutic approaches originated from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Students will learn (1) the theoretical underpinnings of integrative medicine and TCM, (2) the management of personal well-being through experiential learning of various therapeutic modalities, and (3) current clinical applications of integrative medicine from practitioners and patients. Topics include: integrative East-West Medicine and its role in prevention and health cultivation; herbs and nutritional supplements; pain management using acupuncture, acupressure, massage and other self-help techniques; as well as maintaining a healthy immune system and reducing inflammation and stress. Hands-on practice and clinical site visits will be incorporated. | MindWell | ||||
| Psychology of Film Music. | C276 | Exploration of music in film, animation, and dance through lens of cognitive psychology, with focus on interpretation of film music relative to model of musical meaning. Concurrently scheduled with course C176. Letter grading. | MindWell | |||||
| Arts Encounters: Exploring Arts Literacy in 21st Century. | 10 | Through series of direct encounters with art and artists across global range of practices, course equips students with kinds of critical skills that enhance their understanding of, and sharpen their appetite for, wide range of artistic practices. Attendance at performance/art events outside normal class schedule is mandatory. P/NP or letter grading. | MindWell | |||||
| Basic Clinical Child Psychopathology. | 256 | Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences | Weekly seminar covering basic clinical aspects of child psychopathology. Readings provided for basis of discussion on topics including interviewing of parents and children, diagnosis, and related syndromes. S/U grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Advanced Seminar: Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology. | 261 | Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences | Use of problem-based teaching methods and critical reviews of medical literature as basis for rational pharmacotherapy in children and adolescents. Major focus on development of a clinical decision-making process, given the limited scientific evidence supporting pharmacological practice in the field. S/U grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Anthropology of Genetic Knowledge. | M283. (Same as Anthropology M265.) | Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences | Exploration of how sociocultural and political dynamics shape our understandings of genetic discoveries and how genetic information is used to create conceptions of self and society. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Advanced Exercise Endocrinology and Metabolism | 134 | Physiological Science | Effects of exercise training, physical inactivity, and aging on various hormone axes and their physiological consequences. Hormonal perturbations that occur in various disease states associated with activity levels, including diabetes, obesity, and sarcopenia. Effects of hormone therapy on physiological function. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Health Promotion and Assessment across Lifespan. | 200 | Nursing | Review and discussion of research, theories, clinical practice guidelines, healthcare systems, and policies that influence assessment of health and health behaviors, health promotion, and screening of disease across lifespan among diverse populations in multiple settings in communities for advanced practice nurse (clinical nurse specialist and nurse practitioner). Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Women’s Roles and Family Health. | 246 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Rapidly changing roles of women throughout world are having important effects on women’s own health and that of their families. Analysis of multidisciplinary research from both developing and industrialized countries to provide basis for in-depth discussion of programmatic and policy implications. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Global Health Problems. | 200 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Overview of health profile of world in the century. Global health problems and methods by which they have been dealt in context of Alma Ata goal of health for all by year 2000. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Immigrant Health. | 205 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Limited to graduate students. Overview of key topics in public health for documented and undocumented immigrants and refugees in U.S. Demographics, health status, behavioral risk factors, and social determinants, health and human rights, and access to healthcare and prevention services. Analysis of public policy across topics. Builds skills necessary to develop integrated approach to health of immigrant populations. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Community Health Sciences. | 210 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Basic concepts, relationships, and policy issues in field of community health, variability in definitions of health and illness, correlates of health and illness behavior, impact of social and community structure on health status, major contemporary approaches to health promotion and health education at community level. Use of comparative international perspective. Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Leadership Development and Empowerment for Health Promotion and Health Education. | 483 | COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES | Development of basic understanding of and competency in leadership development and empowerment support for health promotion in multicultural and distressed communities (e.g., south-central Los Angeles). Letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Health and Culture in Americas. | M266. (Same as Community Health Sciences M260 and Latin American Studies M260.) | Anthropology | Health issues throughout Americas, especially indigenous/Mestizo Latin American populations. Holistic approach covering politics, economics, history, geography, human rights, maternal/child health, culture. | MindWell | ||||
| MARSON, G. LAHIJANI, E.R. | Cosmo Says You're Fat? I Ain't Down with That: Nutrition and Body Image Life Skills | COM HLT 19, Seminar 2 | Examination of personal, social, and environmental factors that influence college students' eating behaviors and body image. Students learn to apply these theories in developing an individualized plan to eat well, be active, and feel good about their bodies. Students also learn practical skills with application to stress management, positive body image, and nutrition as they participate in critical evaluation of popular diets, healthy body weights, sports nutrition, fitness, supplements, muscle builders, media body ideals, and self-destructive thoughts. Eve Lahijani, M.S.,R.D., is a Nutrition Health Educator at the UCLA Bruin Resource Center and a lecturer at the UCLA School of Public Health. Her professional interests include nutritional science, eating behavior, and helping people finally make peace with food. Gia Marson, Ed.D., is the Director of Eating Disorders Programs and Senior Staff Psychologist at UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services and a lecturer at the UCLA School of Public Health. Her professional interests include identifying areas of resilience, utilizing individuals' strengths, and increasing positive coping skills. | MindWell | ||||
| Eating and Our Food Chain | COM HLT 19, Seminar 3 | Experiential and discussion-based examination of forces around us that influence our consumption, from book Mindless Eating to examination of where our food comes from and our food chain. Includes visit to a local farm and to gardens on campus. Meets Thursdays April 4, 18, May 2, 16, 30. Dr. Wendy Slusser is Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at UCLA, Co-Founder and Medical Director of the UCLA Fit for Healthy Weight program, and directs the Venice Family Clinic Pediatric Health and Wellness program. She graduated Cum Laude from Princeton University, received her Medical and Masters Degree in Nutrition from Columbia University. She is a leader in community, school, clinic, and family based programs related to health promotion, and infant and child nutrition. She is a member of an IOM committee and the 2010 recipient of the AJHP Robert F. Allen Symbol of HOPE award. | MindWell | |||||
| Measuring the Causal Effect of Graduating from College in a Recession | ECON 19, Seminar 6 | There is widespread and ongoing concern that young individuals graduating from college in a recession suffer long-term consequences for their career outcomes. Primary goal is to review statistical methods and data that economists use to answer this question. Review of results of recent studies using these methods and data. The effect of graduating from college on career outcomes is an example of a causal effect of interest to society. However, estimating such causal effects is often difficult in practice. Yet, often in public discourse and media these difficulties are overlooked or downplayed. Review of difficulties that arise and discussion of potential solutions. Students led through steps of developing valid estimates of the long-term effect on earnings and career outcomes from graduating from college in a recession. Class meets on April 3, 17, May 1, 15, and 29 in 2317 Public Affairs Building. Professor von Wachter received his Ph.D. in Economics from University of California Berkeley in 2013. His research field is labor economics. His current research interests include: the effects of job displacement, career trajectories of young workers, unemployment. | MindWell | |||||
| What's UCLA's Temperature: Examining Campus Climate | EDUC 19, Seminar 1 | Engages students in examining campus climate, including topics of cross-racial interaction, intergroup relations, curricular diversity, and experience with discrimination, particularly as they are experienced on the UCLA campus. Participants review scholarly literature on aspects of campus climate to provide foundational understanding. Then they examine selected results from UCLA's 2011 administration of the Diverse Learning Environments (DLE) survey in those content areas. Discussion centers on students' interpretation of results and thoughts about the implications for the campus. Class meets on April 8, 15, 22, 29, and May 6 in 2120 Moore Hall. Kristen McKinney, Ph.D. is the Director of the Student Affairs Information and Research Office and holds a lecturer appointment in Community Health Sciences. Kristen has also served as a lecturer in the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, teaching undergraduate courses for the Education minor. Tiffani Garnett, MPH is the Director of the Intergroup Relations Program. Tiffani holds a lecturer appointment in Community Health Sciences and has taught several courses focused on intergroup relations/intergroup dialogue and student development health education. | MindWell | |||||
| Mental Illness and Movies | HNRS 19, Seminar 3 Schedule of Classes | Despite increasing recognition in today's society, mental illness remains stigmatized and misunderstood. Introductory seminar seeks to explore, educate, and demystify some of the major mental illnesses through their portrayal in film. Each class focuses on one movie and topic per week. Interested in abnormal psychology? Like watching movies? Join us! Dr. Taylor is a Staff Psychiatrist at the UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and an Assistant Clinical Professor in the UCLA Department of Psychiatry. He is board certified in psychiatry, forensic psychiatry and addiction medicine. His clinical interests include psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, and the intersection of psychiatry and the law. He also likes movies. | MindWell | |||||
| Living Together in the 21st Century: Insights from Diversity Science Research | PSYCH 19, Seminar 3 Schedule of Classes | 21st-century America is characterized by historical social changes (first African American President, new waves of immigration, legal recognition of same-sex marriage). Are social cleavages inevitable in this current social context? What are the structural and psychological barriers to getting along? Study draws upon research insights from the new field of diversity science to analyze contemporary social issues including how to manage a diverse workforce, what it means to identify with particular ethnic and racial labels, and consequences of holding and reacting to societal stereotypes of groups we belong to. Readings, in-class activities, and student-centered discussions help sort through these important questions. Yuen Huo is associate professor of psychology. She was trained as a social psychologist and received her Ph.D. from U.C. Berkeley. Her research focuses on issues in diversity science including intergroup relations, social identity, and ethnic minority and cultural psychology. She is currently working on a project funded by the Russell Sage Foundation to understand the impact of current waves of immigration on local communities across the U.S. | MindWell | |||||
| Adventures in Medical Sociology | SOCIOL 19, Seminar 3 | Highlights of medical sociology. How people become sick and are cared for in the U.S. for-profit health care system. Great class for people contemplating a medical career. Stefan Timmermans is professor and chair of the department of sociology at UCLA. He has written extensively on medical sociology topics such as death and dying, medical technologies, genetics, and forensic medicine. | MindWell | |||||
| Mating in the Modern World | COMM ST 19, Seminar 3 | Human preferences for romantic partners are deeply rooted in a long evolutionary history in which there were no cell phones, Facebook pages, or dating websites. There was also no reliable contraception and little choice for women about whether to have families or pursue opportunities for social advancement. Theories in evolutionary psychology predict that men value physical attractiveness in a partner more than do women and women value a partner's status and access to resources more than do men. But how does the modern world, with advent of technology, pharmacology, and shifting gender roles, work in conjunction with these ancient mate preferences? Exploration of this question. Topics include impact of digital dating technologies, hormonal contraceptives (i.e., the Pill), hook-up culture, and women in positions of power. Class meets on April 1, 15, 29, May 13, and 20 in 3105 Rolfe Hall. Martie Haselton received her PhD from the University of Texas in 2000, beginning her career at UCLA in that same year. She is Professor of Psychology and Communication Studies. From 2006-2011, she was Co-Editor in Chief of the flagship journal of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society, Evolution and Human Behavior, and Associate Director of the NSF training program in Relationship Science at UCLA. She regularly teaches in the popular freshman "sex cluster" course. Her work seeks to integrate natural and social science research to discover how evolution has shaped the social mind. | MindWell | |||||
| Integrative Medicine: Current Topics in Complementary and Alternative Medicine | NEURBIO 19, Seminar 1 Schedule of Classes | Emphasis on evidence-based approaches. Includes discussions of ancient and modern practices and analyses focusing on Ayurveda (India), TCM (traditional Chinese medicine), Kampo (Japan), TKM (traditional Korean medicine) (Korea), TAIM (traditional Arabic and Islamic medicine) (Middle East), and Native American medicine (North America). Class meets on April 2, 16, 23, May 7, and 14 in 17-323 CHS. Edwin Cooper received his PhD (Biology) from Brown University in 1963. He became assistant professor (1964) and Vice Chairman (1989-1993) of Anatomy (now Department of Neurobiology) and full professor 1973. He is the author/editor of more than 25 books and several hundred other publications dealing with comparative immunology, invertebrate immune systems and evolution of neuroimmune systems. His current research interests include antimicrobial peptides and CAM mechanisms with applications to biomedicine. | MindWell | |||||
| Links between Nervous and Immune Systems | NEURBIO 19, Seminar 2 Schedule of Classes | Exploration of linkages between nervous system and immune system. Presents information pertaining to various animal models and emphasizes situation in humans. Implications are related to problems of aggression, stress, and perhaps chronic diseases. Class meets on April 2, 16, 23, May 7, and 14 in 17-323 CHS. Edwin Cooper received his PhD (Biology) from Brown University in 1963 and was a postdoctoral fellow at UCLA School of Medicine, in Infectious Diseases (now Microbiology, Immunology, Medical Genetics). He became assistant professor (1964) and Vice Chairman (1989-1993) of Anatomy (now Department of Neurobiology) and full professor 1973. He has taught immunobiology to the first dental class (1964) as chair of the first histology course medical students since 1971. Professor Cooper has lectured extensively in Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East and held visiting research appointment. | MindWell | |||||
| Shall We Dance? How Brain Controls Movement in Health and Disease | NEUROSC 19, Seminar 1 Schedule of Classes | When we get up to dance, engage in sports, shake someone's hand or perform most movements, the brain performs flawlessly allowing us to perform our task. However, as a result of injury to brain or spinal cord, or genetic defect, such movements are difficult or impossible to perform. Investigation of how the brain controls movements during health and disease states. Professor Chandler is Chair of the Undergraduate Neuroscience program. He has been a member of the faculty for over 30 years. His research involves elucidating the cellular mechanisms controlling pattern generated movements such as locomotion, mastication and respiration as well as Lou Gehrig's disease. He is very dedicated to teaching and was the recipient of the University Distinguished Teaching Award (2000), the Alumni Ebby Award for the "Art of Teaching"(2000) and recently the Undergraduate Distinguished Teaching award in Neuroscience (2003,2012). Scott thoroughly enjoys teaching. | MindWell | |||||
| Psychology of Eating | PSYCH 19, Seminar 1 | Think about the last time you had a cookie. Why did you eat it? Were you stressed? Were people around you eating? Were you watching TV? Research from the psychology of eating shows that hunger--the most obvious reason that probably came to mind--is actually one of the least important influences on why we eat. Introduction to key findings from the science of eating, pulling from multiple disciplines such as psychology, public health, biology, and physiology. Through intensive class discussion, students evaluate the quality of that evidence. A. Janet Tomiyama is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at UCLA. She received her Ph.D. in Psychology in 2009, also at UCLA. Her research interests include eating, dieting, stress, obesity, and aging. More information on her work can be found at http://www.dishlab.org | MindWell | |||||
| Psychobiology of Stress Resilience | PSYCH 19, Seminar 2 Schedule of Classes | Feeling stressed, fatigued, a bit anxious? Not sleeping well? Suffering from decreased libido? Have your eating habits changed--eating too much (hyperphagia) or too little (anorexia)? These are all symptoms of psychological stress and are common in college students during midterms and finals, and in face of other challenges. Long-term effects of stress, particularly chronic stress, can be physically damaging. Recent research, however, suggests that you can use life's small stresses to increase your stress resilience, or ability to resist and recover from stress. Brain, endocrine, and autonomic nervous system mediators of stress resilience and recovery. How rest, exercise, and psychological attitude influence hardiness and feelings of well-being. Class meets on April 5, 19, May 3, 17, and 31 in 6461 Franz Hall. Dr. Minor is a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience. He is a leading researcher on brain and endocrine mechanisms of psychological trauma, stress resilience, and stress recovery. Dr. Minor also works with the Army, Department of Homeland Security, and US Marines to develop training programs that increase stress resilience in first-responders, EOC, and military personnel. | MindWell | |||||
| Nourishing Emotional Health through Creative Process | ART 19, Seminar 2 | Giving form to the symbolic images that arise from our thoughts, dreams, and everyday experiences is an important component of the creative process through which a deeper sense of self can develop and ripen into maturity, self-awareness, emotional well-being, and personal fulfillment. Study provides space and time needed for meaningful self-reflection and authentic discovery for all students curious about and interested in developing their unique creative voice and artistic viewpoint. Every human being has potential for creative work, but this must be encouraged and nourished. Variety of techniques, methods, and approaches are presented to assist each student in development of creative process for increased emotional well-being and mental clarity. Barbara Drucker received her MFA from UCLA where she is currently the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Director of Arts Education for the School of the Arts and Architecture and Professor of Painting and Drawing in the Department of Art. From 1996-2001 she was the founder/director of The Living Room, an alternative exhibition space in Santa Monica, California. Her creative work includes painting, mixed media installation, photography and video. It has been exhibited nationally and internationally is also included in numerous public collections. | MindWell | |||||
| Buddhism and the Art of Living Mindfully in the Present | FRNCH 19, Seminar 1 | Based on Buddhist tradition, mindful awareness is a science of the soul that has been gaining increasing importance in the West in recent decades. New scientific research shows how this practice improves attention, reduces stress, boosts the immune system, reduces depression, and promotes a general sense of health and well-being. Study combines experiential and intellectual knowledge to introduce basic principles of Buddhist mindfulness. In this practice, we pay attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally, to the unfolding of experience moment-by-moment. By living fully in the present, we allow ourselves to see the world more fully as it is. This very simple practice surprisingly opens us up to the vastness of worlds we already inhabit, but did not appreciate. Each student develops a daily mindfulness practice and reads Buddha's writings. Exploration of how mindfulness helps us cultivate a sharper intellectual, creative, and emotional power in our daily lives. Class meets on April 2, 16, 30, May 14, and 28 in 1323 Public Affairs Building. Sara E. Melzer, Professor of French and Francophone Studies, has been practicing and studying mindfulness for seven years. Her most recent book is Colonizer of Colonized: The Hidden Stories of Early Modern France. She has taught in Women's Studies and in Communication Studies, in addition to French literature and culture. | MindWell | |||||
| Theater of Images Workshop | ENGL 19, Seminar 1 | Bonnie Marranca coined phrase "theater of images" to describe exciting work of New York downtown scene of the 70s, which included now-canonical figures such as Richard Foreman, Robert Wilson, Mac Wellman, and Wooster Group. These writers, directors, and performers "broke down traditional parameters of theatrical experience by introducing new approaches to acting, playwriting, and creation of theatrical environments; they reorganized audience and performing space relationships and eliminated dialogue from drama. Collaborative creation became the rule." This theater eschewed trappings of realism--drama familiar to most moviegoers--and opted instead for a total, environmental, even magical theater in which visual, aural, bodily, and conceptual presences dominate over commonplace notions of plot, setting, and character. Students read and view a few classic examples of theater of images, then work in groups to write, cast, and stage their own productions. Writers, performers, musicians, and media creators encouraged. Class meets on April 4, 18, May 2, 16, and 30 in 110 Haines Hall. Brian Kim Stefans is a poet, digital artist and scholar who has published several books of poetry and criticism. His digital art, videos and design can be found at arras.net. He is an assistant professor in the English Department at UCLA. Some short plays of his have been staged informally in New York at St. Mark's Poetry Project and the Little Theater. | MindWell | |||||
| Undocumented Student Experience | CHICANO 19, Seminar 2 | Exploration of the undocumented student experience at UCLA. Through use of presentations, readings, videos, and intergroup dialog, study hopes to raise participants' awareness about the situation of undocumented students. We also hope to create a safe space in which undocumented and documented Bruins can get to know each other. Students from every background are welcome. | MindWell | |||||
| Cosmo Says You're Fat? I Ain't Down with That: Nutrition and Body Image Life Skills | COM HLT 19, Seminar 2 | Examination of personal, social, and environmental factors that influence college students' eating behaviors and body image. Students learn to apply these theories in developing an individualized plan to eat well, be active, and feel good about their bodies. Students also learn practical skills with application to stress management, positive body image, and nutrition as they participate in critical evaluation of popular diets, healthy body weights, sports nutrition, fitness, supplements, muscle builders, media body ideals, and self-destructive thoughts. Eve Lahijani, M.S.,R.D., is a Nutrition Health Educator at the UCLA Bruin Resource Center and a lecturer at the UCLA School of Public Health. Her professional interests include nutritional science, eating behavior, and helping people finally make peace with food. Gia Marson, Ed.D., is the Director of Eating Disorders Programs and Senior Staff Psychologist at UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services and a lecturer at the UCLA School of Public Health. Her professional interests include identifying areas of resilience, utilizing individuals' strengths, and increasing positive coping skills. | MindWell | |||||
| Cinema Therapy: Movies and Mental Health | COMM ST 19, Seminar 1 | How does popular American cinema delve into myriad issues of mental health? Students view films that focus on portrayals of psychotherapists, past and present; representations of individuals displaying diagnosable conditions: psychotic disorders, personality disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, etc.; healing, therapeutic power of interpersonal relationships; and catharsis--movies that evoke powerful, psychological responses. Films viewed outside of class. Classroom sessions used to discuss student reactions to films and orienting articles selected by instructor to accompany each film. | MindWell | |||||
| Art and Science Dialogs | DESMA 19, Seminar 1 | Shows students that creative thinking is essentially the same in any discipline, with focus on artists and scientists. Review and analysis of collaborative art/science projects, as well as meeting and talking to faculty and others engaged in this work. Students required to attend activities on campus and keep a blog diary about what they have learned. Attendance at Leonardo Art Science Rendezvous in integrated into class, giving students a broad sense of possibilities in the realm of experimentation, collaboration, and innovation. | MindWell | |||||
| Measuring the Causal Effect of Graduating from College in a Recession | ECON 19, Seminar 6 | There is widespread and ongoing concern that young individuals graduating from college in a recession suffer long-term consequences for their career outcomes. Primary goal is to review statistical methods and data that economists use to answer this question. Review of results of recent studies using these methods and data. The effect of graduating from college on career outcomes is an example of a causal effect of interest to society. However, estimating such causal effects is often difficult in practice. Yet, often in public discourse and media these difficulties are overlooked or downplayed. Review of difficulties that arise and discussion of potential solutions. Students led through steps of developing valid estimates of the long-term effect on earnings and career outcomes from graduating from college in a recession. Class meets on April 3, 17, May 1, 15, and 29 in 2317 Public Affairs Building. | MindWell | |||||
| What's UCLA's Temperature: Examining Campus Climate | EDUC 19, Seminar 1 | Engages students in examining campus climate, including topics of cross-racial interaction, intergroup relations, curricular diversity, and experience with discrimination, particularly as they are experienced on the UCLA campus. Participants review scholarly literature on aspects of campus climate to provide foundational understanding. Then they examine selected results from UCLA's 2011 administration of the Diverse Learning Environments (DLE) survey in those content areas. Discussion centers on students' interpretation of results and thoughts about the implications for the campus. Class meets on April 8, 15, 22, 29, and May 6 in 2120 Moore Hall. | MindWell | |||||
| Mental Illness and Movies | HNRS 19, Seminar 3 | Despite increasing recognition in today's society, mental illness remains stigmatized and misunderstood. Introductory seminar seeks to explore, educate, and demystify some of the major mental illnesses through their portrayal in film. Each class focuses on one movie and topic per week. Interested in abnormal psychology? Like watching movies? Join us! Dr. Taylor is a Staff Psychiatrist at the UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and an Assistant Clinical Professor in the UCLA Department of Psychiatry. He is board certified in psychiatry, forensic psychiatry and addiction medicine. His clinical interests include psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, and the intersection of psychiatry and the law. He also likes movies. | MindWell | |||||
| LGBT is Not a Sandwich: Straight Talk about Gay Issues in America | HNRS 19, Seminar 6 | Exploration of ways in which American culture is affected by sexual orientation and gender identity issues. Topics include overview of historical perspective; legal, religious, and political issues specifically relating to education; sexual identity development; impact of bullying and harassment in schools and colleges; relationship between sexual orientation discrimination and all other forms of discrimination; how to be an ally; and impact of sexual orientation and gender identity issues on all people regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity. Class meets on April 9, 16, 23, 30, and May 7 in 300 Bradley Hall. | MindWell | |||||
| Integrative Medicine: Current Topics in Complementary and Alternative Medicine | NEURBIO 19, Seminar 1 | Emphasis on evidence-based approaches. Includes discussions of ancient and modern practices and analyses focusing on Ayurveda (India), TCM (traditional Chinese medicine), Kampo (Japan), TKM (traditional Korean medicine) (Korea), TAIM (traditional Arabic and Islamic medicine) (Middle East), and Native American medicine (North America). Class meets on April 2, 16, 23, May 7, and 14 in 17-323 CHS. Edwin Cooper received his PhD (Biology) from Brown University in 1963. He became assistant professor (1964) and Vice Chairman (1989-1993) of Anatomy (now Department of Neurobiology) and full professor 1973. He is the author/editor of more than 25 books and several hundred other publications dealing with comparative immunology, invertebrate immune systems and evolution of neuroimmune systems. His current research interests include antimicrobial peptides and CAM mechanisms with applications to biomedicine. | MindWell | |||||
| Links between Nervous and Immune Systems | NEURBIO 19, Seminar 2 | Exploration of linkages between nervous system and immune system. Presents information pertaining to various animal models and emphasizes situation in humans. Implications are related to problems of aggression, stress, and perhaps chronic diseases. Class meets on April 2, 16, 23, May 7, and 14 in 17-323 CHS. Edwin Cooper received his PhD (Biology) from Brown University in 1963 and was a postdoctoral fellow at UCLA School of Medicine, in Infectious Diseases (now Microbiology, Immunology, Medical Genetics). He became assistant professor (1964) and Vice Chairman (1989-1993) of Anatomy (now Department of Neurobiology) and full professor 1973. He has taught immunobiology to the first dental class (1964) as chair of the first histology course medical students since 1971. Professor Cooper has lectured extensively in Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East and held visiting research appointment. | MindWell | |||||
| Psychology of Eating | PSYCH 19, Seminar 1 | Think about the last time you had a cookie. Why did you eat it? Were you stressed? Were people around you eating? Were you watching TV? Research from the psychology of eating shows that hunger--the most obvious reason that probably came to mind--is actually one of the least important influences on why we eat. Introduction to key findings from the science of eating, pulling from multiple disciplines such as psychology, public health, biology, and physiology. Through intensive class discussion, students evaluate the quality of that evidence. A. Janet Tomiyama is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at UCLA. She received her Ph.D. in Psychology in 2009, also at UCLA. Her research interests include eating, dieting, stress, obesity, and aging. More information on her work can be found at http://www.dishlab.org | MindWell | |||||
| Psychobiology of Stress Resilience | PSYCH 19, Seminar 2 | Feeling stressed, fatigued, a bit anxious? Not sleeping well? Suffering from decreased libido? Have your eating habits changed--eating too much (hyperphagia) or too little (anorexia)? These are all symptoms of psychological stress and are common in college students during midterms and finals, and in face of other challenges. Long-term effects of stress, particularly chronic stress, can be physically damaging. Recent research, however, suggests that you can use life's small stresses to increase your stress resilience, or ability to resist and recover from stress. Brain, endocrine, and autonomic nervous system mediators of stress resilience and recovery. How rest, exercise, and psychological attitude influence hardiness and feelings of well-being. Class meets on April 5, 19, May 3, 17, and 31 in 6461 Franz Hall. Dr. Minor is a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience. He is a leading researcher on brain and endocrine mechanisms of psychological trauma, stress resilience, and stress recovery. Dr. Minor also works with the Army, Department of Homeland Security, and US Marines to develop training programs that increase stress resilience in first-responders, EOC, and military personnel. | MindWell | |||||
| Food Customs and Symbolism. | C229 | WAC | Introduction to foodways, with particular attention to customs and symbolism in America. Topics include sensory realm, child rearing practices, foodsharing, food and identity, food and its emotional significance, aversions and taboos, advertising, changing food habits, and American diet. Concurrently scheduled with course C129. S/U or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Nourishing Emotional Health through Creative Process | 19, Seminar 2 | ART | Giving form to the symbolic images that arise from our thoughts, dreams and everyday experiences is an important component of the creative process through which a deeper sense of self can develop and ripen into maturity, self-awareness, emotional wellbeing and personal fulfillment. This course will provide the space and time needed for meaningful self reflection and authentic discovery for all students curious about and interested in developing their unique creative voice and artistic viewpoint. Every human being has the potential for creative work, but this must be encouraged and nourished. Throughout the quarter a variety of techniques, methods and approaches will be presented to assist each student in the development of creative process for increased emotional wellbeing and mental clarity. The course format includes lectures, discussions, readings and studio work designed to help each student: • Discover a personal myth or story • Recognize patterns and themes in one's life • Combine journaling and image making • Develop the skill of active imagination and poetic thought • Connect with others through sharing one's art works | MindWell | ||||
| Psychology of Sleep and Dreams | Psychology 119Q | Psychology | Requisite: course 115. Designed for juniors/seniors. Review of measurement and comparison of sleep in mammals and submammalian species, circadian rhythms and circadian control of sleep, development and aging of sleep, neural and neurochemical control of sleep, effects of sleep deprivation, sleep in psychiatric disorders, human sleep disorders, and function of dreams. P/NP or letter grading. Dennis McGinty, PhD, is the Chief of Neurophysiology Research at Sepulveda VAMC; Adjunct Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience at UCLA; and a member of the Brain Research Institute. He studies the hypothalamic control of NREM sleep, neural and physiological mechanisms that regulate mammalian slow wave sleep, the role of preoptic-anterior hypothalamic and basal forebrain processes, and particularly the interaction of sleep and thermoregulatory mechanisms in these sites. Syllabus. | MindWell | ||||
| Mindfulness Practice and Theory | Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences 175 | Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences | Mindfulness practice is one of the best-validated and practical methods by which the brain can modify its own functioning in a positive way. Students will learn not only the practices but also their theoretical background. | MindWell | ||||
| Personal Brain Management | Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences 182 | Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences | The curriculum and experiential training exercises consider a range of methods for managing brain functions, and systematically review evidence about brain-mind mechanisms and functions through which these practices are currently thought to exert their effects. | MindWell | ||||
| Integrative East-West Medicine for Health and Wellness | Medicine 180 | Medicine | This course provides an overarching introduction to integrative medicine, including the theoretical underpinnings, scientific studies, and clinical applications. Particular emphasis will be given on the diagnostic and therapeutic modalities originated from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). | MindWell | ||||
| Puberty and Sleep | Psychology 164 | Psychology | Exploration of how normative biological and hormonal changes during adolescence influence adolescent behavior and well-being. Focus specifically on puberty and sleep, which both lead to consequential effects on behavior, health, and brain development. P/NP or letter grading. | MindWell | ||||
| Sojourns through Memory: Writing out of Your Life (Online) | ENGLSH X 450.86 | UCLA EXTENSION | Writing out of your life can be a process of self-revelation, a way of tending to the soul and discerning the pattern of your life even while you're in the midst of living it. Whether you want to write a memoir or transmute your life into fiction or poetry, this workshop helps you mine the rich vein of material that is yours alone. The focus of this workshop is on production, pleasure, and encouragement. Using a combination of weekly prompts and assignments, instructor feedback, and group interaction, you write a series of autobiographical narratives. For both beginners and seasoned writers who want to get in touch with their personal voice. | MindWell | ||||
| Mindfulness, Metta, and Self-Compassion Training: Getting Yourself Out of the Self-Esteem Trap | PSYCH 711.7 | UCLA EXTENSION | This course integrates Eastern and Western insights and awareness-training techniques with new research on self-compassion offering a method to get out of the self-esteem trap and strengthen key skills for self-support and intimacy with others. In many ways, the self-esteem movement has led to unrealistic self-entitlement and fear of failure and intimacy. New research shows that high self-esteem can be connected with increased vulnerability to disappointments and change, leading to mood swings and depression. | MindWell | ||||
| Barriers to Loving | PSYCH 711.107 | UCLA EXTENSION | The yearning to love and be loved in return is the deepest of human desires. Yet internal obstacles to loving often challenge this desire and may even disrupt its fulfillment altogether. Being willing to confront these difficulties involves exposing oneself to the core of human anxieties, but makes overcoming them more likely. This course addresses these fundamental fears that prevent love's fulfillment. Key issues are illustrated by vignettes from daily life, opera, song and film. Specific Learning Objectives: Upon completion of this workshop participants will be able to understand how the following barriers can interfere with loving: the threat of intimacy and sexuality; the threat of being controlled by another; deriving joy from suffering; the fear of making insatiable demands;The compulsion to withdraw; excessive self involvement; and the compulsive search for the perfect other | MindWell | ||||
| Study Skills and Other Key Preparations for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Certificates | COMHLT 889 | UCLA EXTENSION | This 1-day seminar is designed for students who are returning to school for the first time in many years and may lack the skills necessary to make the most out of their continuing education experience. It is intended to help students make the transition to college-level education. Students assess their learning strengths and practice note-taking skills, reading comprehension, 16 specific study skills, and strategies for essay writing. | MindWell | ||||
| Happiness: Theory, Research, and Application in Positive Psychology (Online) | PSYCH X 401 | UCLA EXTENSION | What makes human beings flourish? In this course, you examine, discuss, and apply theories and research within the field of Positive Psychology. Lectures, readings, papers, and in-class exercises are based on the scientific discoveries, philosophical questions, historical perspectives, and practices of happiness. Topics include biological and physiological determinants of happiness, how happiness is measured, roles of human neuroanatomical structures in well-being, human character strengths and virtues, positive emotions, meaning and engagement, relationships, accomplishment, resilience, pleasure vs. long-term happiness, bi-directional relationship between physical health and positive affect, roles of evolution and motivation in happiness, and whether or not the pursuit of happiness is a practical endeavor and moral obligation. | MindWell | ||||
| Introduction to Biofeedback and Neurofeedback | PSYCH X 405 | UCLA EXTENSION | Advances in computer technology have allowed clinicians to provide real time feedback on brainwave activity through biofeedback and neurofeedback techniques. Evidence-based research supports its use as an effective treatment in a variety of conditions such as ADHD, addictions, learning disabilities, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders as well as sleep disorders. These techniques are also being used to help athletes reach peak performance. This course introduces practical and theoretical aspects of biofeedback and neurofeedback and enable implementation of physiological training paradigms affecting temperature, galvanic skin response, and heart rate variability. Central biofeedback mechanisms of HEG neurofeedback and EEG neurofeedback is covered. The course includes didactic review of anatomy and physiology and well as hands-on learning of technical application. Practical skills include developing training protocols, performing and interpreting QEEG brain maps, assessing attention performance, and evaluating outcome measures.Internet access required to retrieve course materials. | MindWell | ||||
| Human Motivation | PSYCH XL 178 | UCLA EXTENSION | This course examines theories of human motivation, experimental findings that support these theories, and the history of the study of motivation. Topics include sociobiology, conflict, aspiration level, achievement strivings, and causal attributions.Internet access required to retrieve course materials. | MindWell | ||||
| The Impact of Exercise on the Brain (Online) | COMHLT X 405 | UCLA EXTENSION | Did you know that aerobic exercise was found to be as effective as antidepressants in a landmark study? When it comes to a healthy brain, a better mood, and reduced drives to overeat you can't beat exercise. It improves our ability to learn, sleep, and cope with stress. Exercise even helps defend against dementia, addiction, anxiety, and ADHA. In this course, students begin to understand the inter-relationship between exercise, mood, eating behaviors, and neuroscience. Topics include the brain's pleasure pathways and drives to overeat; biochemicals that increase and decrease eating; the role of exercise in weight management; the connection between exercise and neuroplasticity; psychoneuroimmunology and exercise; and the effects of exercise on cognition and learning, mood disorders, aging, stress, and sleep. Throughout the course, students complete assignments designed to help them explore their own mind-body connection. | MindWell | ||||
| Finding Your Unique Voice: A Writing Workshop | ENGLSH X 448.10A | UCLA EXTENSION | Just as every human being has a unique personality, every writer has--potentially--a unique voice through which his/her vision may be best expressed. Designed to help beginning and established writers discover/develop that voice, this workshop includes exercises to discover personal patterns of diction and imagery, dissolve blocks, recover lost memories, tap into the individual wellsprings of creativity, and explore personal mythologies. You also study selected writers to determine what constitutes a "style" and read student works in a supportive atmosphere. Through active and playful class participation, you learn how to listen for your own writing voice and let it emerge. | MindWell | ||||
| Writing the Poetry of Luminous Things (Online) | ENGLSH X 406.25 | UCLA EXTENSION | One of the many things a poem can do is invite us to see the world anew, to find the sacred in the profane, the magical in the everyday, and the cosmic in the mundane. In this course, we consider different strategies to perceive and freshly render the things around us. We read poems about everything from happiness to socks as we try to uncover--be it for a single line or an entire poem--how different poets successfully reveal the extraordinary in the ordinary. The focus is to create and give a careful reading to your poems in a safe, constructive environment, and our goal is to remain true to the individual voice of each poet while striving to incorporate new strategies into our writing and new "lenses" into our seeing. | MindWell | ||||
| La Joteria Literature: Chicana Lesbian and Gay Chicano Writers | ENGLSH X 400 | UCLA EXTENSION | This course explores the voices and experiences of Chicano gay and Chicana lesbian writers. By openly and proudly claiming their sexual orientation and putting the pen to the paper, these writers, who are marginalized in mainstream society, challenge the structures of hegemony and hierarchy. They confront these barriers and obstacles of oppression by expressing their political and cultural beliefs. Ultimately, they are entering an arena in American literature that has been traditionally closed; they are breaking barriers and are providing multifaceted lived experiences to be included in the canon and most importantly creating their safe space. | MindWell |
