Viruses and the Brain

This seminar course will explore the interaction of viral infections and the human nervous system. Topics will include both direct effects of neurotropic viruses affecting the central and peripheral nervous systems and indirect effects of infection on these systems (e.g., rabies encephalitis, Covid-19 brain fog, EBV and multiple sclerosis). The course will be discussion based, focused on primary literature from a multidisciplinary perspective - considering the function of neural circuits and systems, mechanisms of neuroinvasion, and viral pathogenesis.