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What is Neuroscience?

What is Neuroscience?. Anita K. McCauley, Ph.D. Biology Dept., Wake Forest University Elon Alumni, Class of 1997 mccaulak@wfu.edu. Elon University Neuroscience Workshop October 24, 2008. How I became a Neuroscientist…. Basketball. Neuroscience. How I became a Neuroscientist….

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What is Neuroscience?

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  1. What is Neuroscience? Anita K. McCauley, Ph.D. Biology Dept., Wake Forest University Elon Alumni, Class of 1997 mccaulak@wfu.edu Elon University Neuroscience Workshop October 24, 2008

  2. How I became a Neuroscientist… Basketball Neuroscience

  3. How I became a Neuroscientist… How do complex networks develop?

  4. What is Neuroscience? How I became a Neuroscientist… Development of Visual Pathways Cortical Feedback Local Input The Glomerulus TO CORTEX FROM CORTEX Retinal Input Brainstem Input

  5. What is Neuroscience? “Neuroscience”: the scientific discipline which studies the nervous system Neuroscience Is… • Diverse • Interdisciplinary • Growing • Strong in NC • Desired by Students • Pathway to Many Fields An Overview

  6. Neuroscience Is … Diverse Brain Diseases Such as Alzheimer's Learning and Memory Mind, Brain, and Consciousness http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/about/news_events/news/alzheimers041508.cfm Example: Neuroprosthetics http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/learning-0124.html http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/welcome/features/20071017_Medicine_whitematter/index.html

  7. Neuroscience is Diverse CaV CaV 3.2 3.2 Mean +/ Mean +/ - - SEM SEM From Alcohol to Epilepsy … * * 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.4 p.<05 p.<05 Cav3.2:GAPDH (RFU) Cav3.2:GAPDH (RFU) 0.3 0.3 mGluRs mediate seizure activity Spatiotemporal pattern of seizure onset 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 Ctl Ctl WD WD Ca+2 channels increase following alcohol withdraw nNOS in brainstem sleep centers

  8. Neuroscience is Diverse Neuroscience at Wake Forest University Chemical Senses (W. Silver) Neural Control of Physiology (E. Johnson) Communication/ Predator-Prey (W. Conner) Developmental Plasticity (S. Fahrbach) Biomechanics (M. Ashley-Ross)

  9. Neuroscience is Diverse Neuroscience at Wake Forest University Perception (J. Schrillo) Memory, Aging, Selective Attention (D. Dagenbach) Philosophy of Mind (R. Kennedy) Human Psychophysiology (T. Blumenthal) Behavioral Pharmacology of Food Intake (W. Pratt)

  10. Neuroscience is Diverse • People tend to overbid in “high-bid, sealed” auctions • Striatum shows significant changes in activity when an auction is lost • Emphasizing loss causes greater overbidding • Striatal circuitry may underlie a fear of losing Science Vo1. 321, Sept 26 2008

  11. Neuroscience is Diverse Located at Claremont Graduate University Directed by Dr. Paul Zak, BA’s in Math and Economics; PhD in Economics, Penn; post-doctoral training in neuroimaging, Harvard http://www.neuroeconomicstudies.org/ • 6th annual meeting in Sept 2008

  12. Neuroscience Is … Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Math and Physical Sciences Biological Sciences Social Sciences and Humanities Computer Science Math Engineering Psychology Economics Biophysics Chemistry Law Philosophy Cell Biology Immun- ology Exercise Science Pharma- cology Anatomy Development Genetics Physiology

  13. Neuroscience is Interdisciplinary Many Sub-Fields Comprise Neuroscience Cognitive Neuroscience Computational Neuroscience Behavioral Neuroscience Neuroscience Developmental Neuroscience Systems Neuroscience Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience http://www7.nationalacademies.org/resdoc/Taxonomy_subfields.html

  14. Neuroscience Is … Growing Main organization Formed in 1969 Society for Neuroscience Over 35,000 members

  15. Neuroscience is Growing SFN Chapters More than 100 Chapters in North America 2 active and 1 inactive chapter in North Carolina

  16. Neuroscience is Growing SFN Annual Meeting Attendance 2007 total www.swathmore.edu SFN 2007: • 32,180 attendees • > 16,000 presentations SFN 1971: 1100 attendees

  17. Neuroscience is Growing Graduate Programs Undergraduate Programs • • 158 graduate programs part of the ANDP (Association of Neuroscience Departments and Programs) • ~81% new since 1975 • ~40% new since 1991 • 1994: ~ 50 undergraduate neuroscience programs nationwide • 2007: ~ 180 undergraduate neuroscience programs nationwide Data from ANDP

  18. Neuroscience is Growing Alleghany College (PA) Amherst College (MA) Barnard College (NY) Bates College (ME) Bowdoin College (ME) Bryn Mawr (PA) Bucknell U. (PA) Carleton College (MN) Colgate U. (NY) College of Wooster (OH) Connecticut College (CT) Davidson College (NC) Denison U. (OH) Dickinson College (PA) Duke U. (NC) Undergraduate Programs* • Drew University (NJ) • Franklin and Marshall College (PA) • Furman U. (SC) • Gettysburg College (PA) • Grinnell College (IA) • Mount Holyoke College (MA) • Oberlin College (OH) • Ohio Wesleyan U. (OH) • Smith College (MA) • Vassar College (NY) • Wake Forest U. (NC) • Washington and Lee U. (VA) • Wellesley College (MA) • Wofford College (SC) • ???? Elon U. ???? * Incomplete list of private liberal arts institutions offering Neuroscience

  19. Neuroscience Is … Strong in NC NC institutions with Neuroscience Programs

  20. Neuroscience in NC Undergraduate Programs • ~ 16 undergraduate neuroscience programs in this region * Program approved; will be active in 2-3 yrs

  21. Neuroscience in NC 13 faculty (Biology, Psychology, Philosophy, Computer Science) Strength in laboratory and research experience, while requiring classes across multiple departments Wake Forest University Neuroscience Minor Autism in a Fruit Fly Model Cellular morphology and learning Physiology of Irritant Responses in Airways

  22. Neuroscience Is … Desired by Students Graduate Student Recruitment 4x> than 1986 2008 ANDP Spring Meeting, Session II, Ed Stricker

  23. Neuroscience Is … Desired by Students Graduate Student Trainees Values are mean per program Data from ANDP 2008 Spring Meeting; by Ed Stricker

  24. Neuroscience Is … Desired by Students 100% increase over 4 yrs 18% increase over 8 yrs http://andp.org/meetings/2008/springagenda.htm; Presentation by Ed Stricker Data from the National Science Foundation

  25. Neuroscience Is … Desired by Students Undergraduate Majors of Graduate Students in Neuroscience 2008 ANDP Spring Meeting, Session II, Ed Stricker

  26. Neuroscience Is … Desired by Students Biology Psychology Undergraduate Majors of WFU Neuroscience Minors Most common majors Other majors include… • English • Economics • Religion • Philosophy • Health and Exercise Science • Computer Science • Business • Anthropology Why?... ‘ Because it sounded interesting’

  27. Neuroscience Is … Desired by Students Students Are Active In the Neuroscience Community • • Undergraduate Participation in Meetings: • − FUN 2007 Social (at SFN): 90 student research posters • − SYNAPSE 2008: 43 student research • posters • • Formation of a new Honor Society: • − Nu Rho Psi: The National Honor Society in Neuroscience • − Began in 2007 • − Currently: 14 chapters, 119 student members • • Neuroscience Club (Furman University): • − CNS, Collaborative Neuroscience Society • − Introduce neuroscience to the community • − Inspire students to enter neuroscience. http://www.cofc.edu/synapse/images/2008-synapse/index.htm http://nurhopsi.org/

  28. Neuroscience Is … 19 schools were represented including Davidson, Furman, Ga. Tech, UNC-Chapel Hill and WFU Brings together undergraduate students and faculty from the SE Students get exposure to local and nationally recognized research Students get valuable skills and career training Desired by Students SYNAPSE 2008

  29. Neuroscience Is … A Pathway to Many Fields Other routes include divinity school, law school, education, and non-research science careers William and Mary data from Class of 2007 (n=52); WFU data from all NEU minor graduates (n=37 respondents) Davidson data from B. Lom laboratory (n=53); Allegheny data from website

  30. Neuroscience at Elon University My Elon experience: • Accessible, committed faculty • Community amongst students and faculty • Engaged learning experiences A Former Student’s Perspective Accessible faculty Engaged Learning Camping trip to collect salamanders for research

  31. Neuroscience at Elon University Laboratory research projects Informal and non-classroom learning Ideal for Engaged Learning Students investigate EEGs in NEU 201 lab Neuroscience Book Club Wake Forest University Students conduct independent research

  32. Neuroscience at Elon University Community outreach Ideal for Engaged Learning Brain Awareness Week, Western NC SFN Chapter HS students play music prior to a seminar on how music affects the brain NEU students lead Brain Awareness Week activities at an elementary school

  33. Neuroscience at Elon University Data from Elon University Fact Book, 2007-2008

  34. Thank you Questions? • Special thanks to Dwayne Godwin for sharing recent data; Wayne Silver for sharing details about the WFU Neuroscience Minor; Barbara Lom for sharing information about Davidson NEU students.

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