Category Archives: Uncategorized

Nu Rho Psi 2020 Invited Speaker Series

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All talks are online, Wednesdays at 7pm.
Register here to receive a Zoom link.
Contact nurhopsipioneer@gmail.com for questions and more info.


Oct 28, 2020
Valerie Estela-Pro, PhD.
University of Pennsylvania
“Spatial learning and memory in the hippocampus during a novel memory task”

 

 

Nov 4, 2020
Nicole Dusang
Brown University
“Brain-computer interfaces: bridging the gap of neurological disease and illness”

 

 

Nov 11, 2020
Jessica Sevetson, PhD.
UC Santa Cruz
“Development of coordinated activity of neurons and glial cells in brain organoids” 

 

 

Nov 18, 2020
Oluwarotimi Foloronsu
McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School
“Effect of NDMA receptor hypofunction on cortical parvalbumin interneuron development: implications for schizophrenia”

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UMass Neuroscience Publications – September 2020

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Buju Dasgupta

This month’s featured researcher is Nilanjana “Buju” Dasgupta, who is a professor in Psychological & Brain Sciences, the Director of Faculty Equity and Inclusion in the College of Natural Sciences, and Director of the Institute of Diversity Sciences. Her research focuses on implicit bias. This month, she appeared in Pubmed as an author on a paper entitled, “Open science, communal culture, and women’s participation in the movement to improve science“

Here’s what else is new for ‘ ”University of Massachusetts” AND Amherst AND neuroscience’ in PubMed. These publications appeared on line in Septmeber. They are just a fraction of the research that occurs on campus. You can click on the PubMed ID to find the publication.

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Director’s Channel September 2020

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IONs Director, Paul Katz

As the tragedy of COVID-19 continues to spread, we are learning to adapt to our new online lifestyle. In the spring, our seminar speakers all canceled because they were hoping to be able to visit in person the following year; the idea of giving a virtual talk was not appealing. Now, all of those speakers have agreed to give remote seminars. As a result, we have an incredible lineup for the 2020-2021 Distinguished Neuroscience Lectures. These lectures are presented as part of the Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program Seminar Series.

I am especially thrilled that next month, Erich Jarvis will be giving three talks in collaboration with the College of Natural Sciences Distinguished Scientist and Engineer Lecture Series and also in collaboration with the Fine Arts Center at UMass. Erich has a very interesting history as a dancer and as a Black scientist, which he will be sharing along with his incredible research on vocal learning.

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UMass Neuroscience Publications – August 2020

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This month’s featured researcher is Melinda Novak. Melinda is a professor in Psychological and Brain Sciences. She is one of the founders of the Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program. Her research has centered around neuroendocrinology and stress. She and her long-term collaborator and colleague, Jerry Meyer wrote a review paper, which was published this month in Developmental Pyschobiology and summarizes work on non-invasive measurements of stress in newborns.

Here’s what else is new for ‘ ”University of Massachusetts” AND Amherst AND neuroscience’ in PubMed. These publications appeared on line in August. They are just a fraction of the research that occurs on campus. You can click on the PubMed ID to find the publication.

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Two New Journal Clubs in NSB

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The Synapses, Circuits, & Behavior Journal Club
Virtual meet time: Tuesdays, 1:00pm
Faculty leader: Joseph Bergan.

This course considers: (1) The molecular and cellular mechanisms necessary for proper development and function of synapses and neural circuits; (2) How information processing through neural circuits can be reconfigured and modulated to permit organisms to modify behavior; (3) How disruption of synaptic and circuit function contributes to brain dysfunction. Recent papers are selected by participants and discussed as a group each week.

Biological Rhythms Journal Club / NEUROSB 891C
Virtual meet time: Thursdays, 3pm-4:15pm
Faculty leaders: Ilia Karatsoreos and Stephanie Padilla

We will cover contemporary papers within the field of Biological Rhythms, based on the research interests of the participants. All participants will select a paper/s to present to the group, and we will work on presentation skills in an informal setting. Importantly, you will have the opportunity to think deeply about a new manuscript each week, with a broad range of techniques from the molecular to the behavioral, in a whole host of different organisms. Our group includes participation from postdocs and numerous faculty within the 5 Colleges, adding a unique depth of knowledge to the discussions.

We encourage new and returning students and hope to see you this fall.Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Director’s Channel August 2020

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Paul Katz, IONs Director

Science has an essential role is to play in modern society. Science is the engine that allows the economy to grow; it creates the innovation for new devices and new knowledge for that improves lives. Currently, we are depending upon science to develop a vaccine to rescue us from the COVID-19 pandemic. But developing the vaccine is only one step towards ending the ongoing tragedy; recent polls found that as few as 50% of Americans are willing to be vaccinated. Science is not enough, people need to be able to understand the knowledge that is gained through science and trust its application.

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Student Spotlight

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Ellen Rodberg

This month’s student spotlight is on Ellen Rodberg. Ellen is a 2nd year NSB graduate student in Elena Vazey’s lab in the Biology Department, where she works on the role of the Locus Coeruleus in stress responses. This past month, she published a single-author “Journal Club” review in the Journal of Neuroscience, titled, “Stress-Induced Increases in Locus Coeruleus Norepinephrine Underlie Extinction Learning Deficits”. Ellen transferred to UMass from the University of Michigan and was previously an undergraduate at UMass.

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UMass Neuroscience Publications – July 2020

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Dr. Rebecca Ready

This month’s featured researcher is Rebecca Ready. Rebecca is a Professor and Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. She is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and of the American Psychological Association and heads the Aging, Emotion, and Cognition Lab here at UMass. This month she had a paper appear in PubMed in which a team validated testing measure to determine outcomes of patients with Huntington’s Disease.

Here’s what else is new for ‘ ”University of Massachusetts” AND Amherst AND neuroscience’ in PubMed. These publications appeared on line in July. They are just a fraction of the research that occurs on campus. You can click on the PubMed ID to find the publication.

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Update from NSB Anti-Racism Action Teams and Focus Groups

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Continuing the anti-racism work here on campus, the Neuroscience and Behavior community is making great strides with 5 teams that have worked with trainees within their respective focus groups. Open communication, supportive dialogue and the recognized need for change are driving the teams and trainees to continue this progress. Working with these focus groups has allowed for listening, learning, and brainstorming between faculty team members and trainees. Transparency and communication regarding progress remains a steadfast goal, along with easing the burden of the trainees within the focus groups. Using the student petition as a guideline, they are striving for strengthening scientific growth and mentorship alongside an increased call for social justice within our NSB program, and as an academic community as a whole. If you are interested in getting involved or learning more about the work being done, please contact Luke Remage-Healey (healey@cns.umass.edu) or Heather Richardson (hrichardson@cns.umass.edu).

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