REU Site: Summer Research Projects in Neuroscience

University Of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia MO

Investigators

Abstract

This REU Site award to University of Missouri (MU) located Columbia, MO, will support the training of 12 students for 9 weeks during the summers of 2014- 2016. MU is the largest institution of higher learning in Missouri and the flagship campus of the University of Missouri System. The program offers a wide range of very exciting interdisciplinary projects in neuroscience, with both wet-lab and computational components. The projects are drawn from all levels in neuroscience (i.e., intracellular/cellular, systems and behavioral levels), with participating faculty coming from the colleges of arts & science, engineering, and veterinary medicine. Students will attend a weekly class on computational neuroscience, conduct lab research, and participate in various seminars and professional development workshops on topics such as responsible conduct in research, communication skills, career opportunities in industry and academia, and the graduate school application process. Each student will have the opportunity to write reports, give presentations and design and present a scientific poster. They will also be part of a group of 100+ undergraduate researchers from all over U.S. who participate each summer in a vibrant summer research program (http://undergradresearch.missouri.edu/). All participants will be recruited from outside MU, and selection will be based on academic record, research performance, and potential for research in neuroscience. Participant support during the REU experience will include a stipend, lodging, food, travel to and from the university, and funding for the research project. Diversity strengthens the experience for all students. Therefore, the program will emphasize recruitment from institutions without advanced research programs, and from historically black and traditional women's colleges. The team will follow-up with students to determine their continued interest in the chosen academic area and their career paths. Information about the program will be assessed by various means, including use of a BIO/REU common assessment tool. Students are required to be tracked after the program and must respond to an automatic email sent via the NSF reporting system. More information is available by visiting http://engineering.missouri.edu/neuroreu/, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Satish S. Nair at nairs@missouri.edu) or co-PI (Dr. David J. Schulz at schulzd@missouri.edu).