At the University of Chicago, there are several ways undergraduate students can incorporate coursework which spans the breadth of neuroscience, reflecting the interests of a large and diverse faculty in such research areas as neurodevelopment, synaptic physiology, cortical circuits, sensation, perception, motor function, reward and addiction, cognitive neuroscience, computational neuroscience, neural networks, machine learning, and the neurobiology of disease neuroscience into their academic experiences and careers.
The new undergraduate neuroscience major offers a BA or BS in Neuroscience. Students may choose electives for breadth or focus on areas such as molecular or computational neuroscience. The Honors program involves a thesis based on significant experimental research.
This internship is open to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year Neuroscience majors. It is intended to broaden the scientific and cultural perspective of students who have already discovered an affinity for and interest in laboratory work.
Lunch with a Neuroscientist
Come learn about exciting research on campus. Faculty members with diverse interests will talk informally about their work. Check back closer to the fall quarter for upcoming lunch and tea dates.
This will not be a lecture with slides. Instead, this is an opportunity to have a conversation about the big questions that keep these scientists up at night, their thoughts about science, and a life informed by science. If you are interested in getting into research, this is an excellent way to narrow down the type of approaches and topics that are particularly appealing. Space is limited.
Lunch orders close 24 hours prior to the scheduled lunch, space is limited. Sign up now by clicking on the lunch or lunches that you are interested in and filling out the corresponding form. Note that no-shows will not be able to attend future lunches. Please email Neuromajor@uchicago.edu if you will not be able to attend.
Lunch With Tim Sanders,MD,PhDJanuary 16th, 2019 at 12:30pm
"Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Patterning the Developing Nervous System"
Sanders Research: focuses upon exploring the novel molecular and cellular mechanisms that instruct progenitor cell populations to adopt particular developmental programs. Utilizing modern embryological approaches coupled with advanced high resolution imaging techniques allows us to investigate both the initial formation of the developing neural tube as well as the formation of distinct neuronal populations.
Lunch with Yamuna Krishnan, PHDFebruary 6th, 2019 at 12:30pm
"Quantitative Chemical Imaging"
Krishnan Lab Research: A new chemical imaging technology that uses DNA nanodevices as fluorescent reporters to quantitate chemical messengers in living systems. Until this innovation, it was not at all obvious whether such DNA nanodevices could function inside a living cell without being interfered with, or interfering with, the cells own networks of DNA control. We can now transform excellent, qualitative detection chemistries for various analytes into quantitative detection chemistries. We can localize virtually any detection chemistry tissue-specifically in specific pre-designated subcellular locations in live organisms. Given the powerful ability to engineer a range of functionalities into DNA assemblies, we create versatile biological imaging tools where none exist and thereby unplug decades-old bottlenecks that have prevented quantitative measurements required to answer questions in cellular neuroscience.
Lunch with Wei wei, phdApril 16th, 2019 at 12:30pm
"Neural circuit function and development in the visual system"
Wei Lab Research: We are interested in the synaptic basis of neural computation in the retina. Our current research is focused on understanding the developmental and adult patterns of synaptic connections underlying the retinal circuits, and determining how the specific wiring patterns impact visual processing.
Lunch with Xiaochang Zhang, PhDMay 7th, 2019 at 12:30pm
"Brain development and disorders"
Zhang Lab Research: How our brain is developed and evolved remains a major question in biology, and abnormal development of the human brain can cause autism and epilepsy. We study fundamental mechanisms of brain development and disorders, and our specific interests include: tracing cell lineages in mammalian brains, genetic mechanisms of neuronal type specification, and roles of alternative RNA splicing in neural development and diseases. We develop and apply single cell approaches, animal models, and functional genomics to address these questions.
Tea with the Undergraduate Major Director
Questions about classes? Summer internships?
Meet with the NSCI Major director to discuss opportunities available within the major. Sign up and come with all your questions.
January 7th: 4:30pm, Room J-400C Sign Up
January 15th: 5:00pm, Room P-403 Sign Up
January 24th: 4:30pm, Room P-403 Sign Up
January 30th: 5:00pm, Room P-403 Sign Up
For those of you who just can’t get enough neuroscience, consider joining a journal club. Two new journal clubs oriented specifically for undergraduate Neuroscience majors are starting up and two established journal clubs are open to more undergraduate members. Below is the information. Please email the contacts directly if you want to join.
Neurophilosophy
Schedule: Friday 2pm – 3pm (Green 117)
Contact: Clifford Workman (cliffworkman@uchicago.edu)
Computational Approaches to Cognitive Neuroscience
Schedule: Thursday 5pm – 6pm (SBRI J-400C/ Green room)
Contact: Barbara Peysakhovich (bpeysakhovich@uchicago.edu); Krithika Mohan (krmohan@uchicago.edu)
Biopsychology
Centered in Kay, London, Prendergast laboratories
Schedule: Monday 4pm – 5pm (BPSB#123)
Contact: Joe Gogola (gogola@uchicago.edu)