Integrative Neuroscience Laboratories

Regis University, Denver CO

Investigators

Abstract

Biological Sciences (61) Neuroscience employs experimental methods from various disciplines to investigate functions of the nervous system. Undergraduates studying neuroscience require educational experiences that teach basic processes of scientific inquiry such as problem solving, critical thinking, an appreciation of the strengths and limitations of knowledge gained from discipline-specific methods, and integration of diverse information. The project is an adaptation of efforts at Wake Forest University and Coe College. Our neuroscience program draws upon faculty in psychology, biology, and chemistry to bridge disciplinary boundaries but it lacks critical equipment needed to teach scientific inquiry in an integrated, multidisciplinary approach. The goals of this project are to develop students' critical thinking and problem solving skills, integrate multidisciplinary approaches to study context-based research questions, and increase opportunities for independent student research. The project is redesigning two neuroscience laboratories to give students hands-on roles in designing, executing and analyzing experiments. Key elements of the project are collaborations with biology and biochemistry labs for multidisciplinary study of structure and function of the nervous system (e.g. tubulin, c-Fos activation, glutamate receptors, intracellular Ca++, electrophysiological and behavioral assays). This project provides students with a solid grounding in neuroscience concepts and the experimental basis from which to pursue independent research projects. The collaborations with students in biology and biochemistry courses promotes an appreciation of each other's tools, and an integration of material between different disciplines. Our project aims to substantially increase the quality, quantity, and breadth of research conducted by undergraduates and their subsequent success in graduate and professional schools.