Seminars & Events
Monday, September 19, 2011: Dr. R. Christopher Pierce (University of Pennsylvania) will speak on "Epigenetic Inheritance of a Cocaine Resistance Phenotype" at 4:45 pm in Goodpaster 195.
Friday, November 4, 2011: Dr. Paul Shepard (University of Maryland Baltimore) will speak at 3:00 pm in Schaefer Hall 106.
Friday, November 11, 2011: Dr. Mark Bouton (University of Vermont) will speak at 3:00 pm in Goodpaster Hall 195.
Alumni Highlight
Dr. Erin Johnson '02 recently received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and was inducted as an alumni member of Nu Rho Psi.
SMP Spotlight
Ron Saul, "Chronic activation of the substantia nigra nociceptin/orphanin receptor induces motor deficits similar to Parkinson's disease," 2008. Saul, the 2008 winner of the Neuroscience Award, infused a drug into the substantia nigra of rats and measured the resulting motor behaviors, mood disturbances, and cognitive abilities.
Wiest, Matthew (2007). The Effects of Acute Exercise on a Dominant-Submissive Relationship in Rats.
Mentor: Dr. Anne Marie Brady
Abstract
A dominant submissive relationship (DSR) was established by pairing animals in the straight runway tube task (SRTT) and measuring their behavior for two weeks. Animals were exercised over a ten day testing period, during which DSR behavior was measured. After the treatment period, behavior was measured during social interaction and compared to before the animals were exercised. We were able to successfully establish a DSR by using the SRTT. Non-exercised pairs were measured for c-Fos and the DSR established in the SRTT was determined to differentially activate the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and not the amygdala between dominant and submissive animals. Even though some of the behaviors measured during social interaction were influenced by exercise, dominance behavior was not significantly altered by exercise during the SRTT or social interaction.
