I get the fabulous chance to keep up with my alumni at the Annual Society for Neuroscience meeting, and at other times throughout the year. They are going fabulous places and doing amazing things!
Society for Neuroscience 2019
Society for Neuroscience 2018
Society for Neuroscience 2017
2018 mGluRs
On Saturday, September 2018, 4 College of Wooster science majors and 2 Neuroscience faculty attended the 10th Annual mGluRs (Midwest Great Lakes Undergraduate Research Symposium) at OWU. mGluRs is an undergraduate Neuroscience symposium, specifically scheduled for the fall so that students who completed summer research can present their work to a regional scientific audience. All 4 student presented their summer research, participated in a regionally focused Graduate and Professional school fair and heard a keynote talk on Depression: Listening to what the brain can tell us by Dr. Janet Best, OSU Mathematics Professor.
They also met up with some friends from the 2018 Summer REU program
2015 mGluRs
On Saturday, October 3rd, 2015, 18 College of Wooster science majors and 3 Neuroscience faculty attended the 7th Annual mGluRs (Midwest Great Lakes Undergraduate Research Symposium). mGluRs is an undergraduate Neuroscience symposium, specifically scheduled for the fall so that students who completed summer research can present their work to a regional scientific audience. Two students from Wooster presented their summer work: Anna Damato discussed her research from a summer internship at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, and Megan Mey discussed her research from a summer internship at the College of Wooster. In addition, all students participated in a regionally focused Graduate and Professional school fair and heard a keynote talk on the negative impacts of light at night by Randy Nelson, OSU Neuroscience Professor.
Course Objectives: The main goal of this course is to provide you with a thorough overview of the biological basis of behavior. Research in Neuroscience, spans all levels of the organism: single cells, single neurotransmitter systems, brain regions and the entire integrated organism. We will explore specific functions of brain regions and relate that neurological functioning to behaviors in everyday life. We will see that our brain is actually two halves that have slightly different functions and when working properly communicate with one another with millisecond timing. We will learn the specific functions of chemicals located in the brain and how drug treatments for psychological disorders are aimed at modulating these endogenous chemicals. We will determine how our senses combine with previous knowledge to allow for perception of the world around us. We will determine which brain structures are responsible for learning and memory and what the consequences are when these structures are damaged by trauma or aging.
Because the field and research methods of Neuroscience are broad, throughout the semester we will encounter evidence from basic research, applied research, animal research, human research, empirical research articles and textbook readings, which will come from a variety of subdisciplines within Neuroscience.
Classroom discussions and course-related assignments will enable you to understand and discuss:
More generally, you should also be able to:
Required Textbook:
Pinel, JPJ (2009). Biopsychology (7th Edition). United States: Pearson, Allyn & Bacon.
Course Schedule:
|
Date |
Topic |
Readings |
|
Aug 30
|
Overview of Neuroscience |
1
|
|
Sept 1 |
Mind/Brain Question |
Consciousness Reading |
|
6 |
Evolution and |
2 |
|
8 |
Neuroanatomical Methods |
5 (but not 5.6) |
|
13 |
Functional Neuroanatomy and Systems |
3 (but not 3.2), 9.1, 9.2 |
|
15 |
Lateralization of Function |
16 |
|
20 |
Neurons, Neuronal Transmission and |
3.2, 4.1-4.4 |
|
22 |
Synapses and Neurotransmitters |
4.5-4.7 |
|
27 |
Drug effects and Mood disorders |
15.3-15.7, 18.2-18.3 |
|
29 |
Group empirical article presentations on prescription medications |
Variety of empirical articles |
|
Oct 4 |
Visual processing |
6.1-6.5 |
|
6 |
Neural basis of visual perception |
6.6, 7.1 |
|
11 |
Auditory Processing and Perception |
7.2 |
|
13 |
Somatosensory Processing |
7.3, 8.1-8.4 |
|
18 |
Fall Break – No Class |
|
|
20 |
Plasticity of Somatosensory – phantom limbs Abstracts for Empirical Article Due in class |
8.5-8.8 |
|
25 |
Motor Systems and |
8.4-8.8 |
|
27 |
Motor Diseases |
New Movement in Parkinson’s |
|
Nov 1 |
Discussion of Lab – Writing and Feedback |
|
|
3 |
Neuroplasticity and |
10 |
|
8 |
Further discussion of Stats, Figures and Results from Lab |
|
|
10 |
Exam #2 |
|
|
15 |
NO CLASS – SfN Meeting |
|
|
17 |
Neurological Basis of Learning I |
11.5-11.8 |
|
22 |
Neurological Basis of Learning II |
11.1-11.4 |
|
24 |
Thanksgiving Break |
|
|
Nov 29 |
Memory |
Memory Reading |
|
Dec 1 |
Disorders of Memory |
|
|
6 |
Successful Aging |
Nun Study empirical articles |
|
8 |
Stem Cell Debate |
Variety of empirical articles |
|
Dec 12 |
Exam #3 |
text