Neuroscience 2009-2010
|
Overview
Neuroscience is a new and exciting field of study whose goal is nothing less than an understanding of the brain. A highly multidisciplinary field, neuroscience brings together scientists from a wide range of disciplines, including cognitive psychology, clinical neuropsychology, neuroimaging, neurology, neurobiology, neurochemistry, neuroethology, molecular biology, bio-psychology, computer science and mathematics. Neuroscientists focus their efforts at many levels, from molecules, to neurons and networks, to functioning brains. This diversity of approaches is reflected in Union College’s major in neuroscience, which draws its courses and faculty from the departments of biology, psychology, philosophy, and computer science. Many students graduating with a major in neuroscience continue their education in medical school or graduate school. Others move into positions in biotechnology, pharmaceutical industry, or teaching. Our majors develop technical and analytical skills that are valuable for a wide range of fields, even including careers in law, business or government.
THE PROGRAM
The neuroscience program is especially designed for students with interests that intersect the fields of biology and psychology. After taking a variety of common courses including biology, psychology, computer science and philosophy, neuroscience students select one of three tracks for specialization:
- The bioscience track focuses on the biological basis of neural development, function, and plasticity. Students will develop an understanding of the nervous system and its role in cognition, perception, and action at the molecular, cellular, and systems level.
- The cognitive track provides students with an understanding of how neural networks and brain mechanisms give rise to specific mental processes and behavior. Students begin with the processes that have been traditionally studied in the area of cognitive psychology, but can tailor the program to include processing that is traditionally studied in developmental, social or clinical psychology as well.
- The computational track focuses on issues related to developing computational models of neuronal and mental processes. Students will develop an understanding of artificial intelligence that uses biologically plausible methods.
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Neuroscience majors are strongly encouraged to become involved in research during their time at Union. There are many research programs to choose among, employing a variety of techniques, from molecular approaches, to neuronal imaging during development, to studies relating neuronal structure and function to behavior, to imaging studies (fMRI) of human brain, to mention only a few. Student research opportunities include summer research fellowships, funded by the college or by faculty research grants. Many neuroscience research students present their results at regional and national professional meetings, as well as venues designed to showcase undergraduate research, such as the National Conferences on Undergraduate Research and Union’s annual Steinmetz Symposium. Published research papers in neuroscience often include student authors.
RESOURCES
Course labs and research labs in neuroscience are equipped with up-to-date, research quality equipment and instrumentation for student use. College funding, greatly augmented by grants from government agencies such as the NSF and NIH and by private foundations such as the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the Kresge, Sherman-Fairchild, and Booth-Ferris Foundations has allowed continuous updating and expansion of the equipment necessary for state-of-the-art research in this technology-intensive field. For example, equipment such as a laser scanning confocal microscope, scanning and transmission electron microscopes and single-neuron microinjection workstations are available for student use.
A unique feature of Union College’s neuroscience program is our concentration of expertise in neuroimaging, with four faculty members (Professors Romero, Chabris, Anderson-Hanley and Tartaro) employing brain imaging (e.g., fMRI) in their research programs. This has led to a collaborative arrangement with the Advanced Neuroimaging Center at Albany Medical College that enables Union’s neuroscience students to be involved in research projects that include neuroimaging of human participants.
THE FACULTY
Students in neuroscience work with faculty from various departments. Only a few key faculty members are listed below, along with their advanced degrees and areas of research:
Stephen Romero
Co-director of Neuroscience
Associate Professor of Psychology
University of Colorado
Neuroimaging
Chris Chabris
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Harvard University
Neuroimaging
Cay Anderson-Hanley
Assistant Professor of Psychology
SUNY Albany
Neuropsychology
Quynh Chu-LaGraff
Co-director of Neuroscience
Associate Professor of Biology
University of Illinois
Developmental and cellular neurobiology
Robert Olberg
Florence B. Sherwood Professor of Life Sciences
University of Washington
Neuroethology
Kristina Striegnitz
Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Saarland University and University Henri Poincare Nancy 1
Artificial intelligence
Andrea Tartaro
Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Northwestern University
Social Cognitive Neuroscience
For more information, see the Neuroscience web site.