Category: Neuroscience

LEADing the Way 

Two years after she received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia, Rachael Hart Earls was excited to return to her alma mater to begin her doctoral studies. But as she prepared for life in a laboratory as a neuroscientist, she worried that she would feel isolated and wondered if there was a way to create synergies between her academic goals and her desire to work with people outside of the lab.

She found the answer in Graduate Scholars LEAD (Leadership, Engagement and Development), a program launched this summer by the Graduate School. Funded by a $495,000 Innovations in Graduate Education grant from the National Science Foundation, the program fosters the development of critical thinking skills, teamwork, communication and leadership.

For more information, please visit: LEADing the Way

Brain trust: Unlocking the mysteries of the mind was the feature article in the Spring 2016 issue of the University of Georgia Research, the online and print magazine

by the Office of the Vice President for Research at the University of Georgia. Dr. James Lauderdale, the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience PhD Program Graduate Coordinator, and Dr. Philip Holmes, the BHSI Division of Neuroscience Chair, among other Neuroscience faculty at the University of Georgia were featured in the article.

Nu Rho Psi UGA Chapter welcomed eight new members, Elizabeth Bogue, Leah Caplan, Branson Byers, Lillie Tien, Michelle Sequeira, Camila Ortiz, Lauren Noblitt, and Olivia Treston, on May 4, 2016

Nu Rho Psi membership provides recognition of verified academic excellence in the interdisciplinary field of neuroscience. Membership is by invitation and is open to undergraduate and graduate students who are making the study of Neuroscience one of their major interests and who meet the other academic qualifications. Students who become members of Nu Rho Psi are selected based on their superior scholarly accomplishments as well as their excellent work in the laboratory.

The official mission and purpose of Nu Rho Psi is to: (1) encourage professional interest and excellence in scholarship, particularly in Neuroscience; (2) award recognition to students who have achieved such excellence in scholarship; (3) advance the discipline of Neuroscience; (4) encourage intellectual and social interaction between students, faculty, and professionals in Neuroscience and related fields; (5) promote career development in Neuroscience and related fields; (6) increase public awareness of Neuroscience and its benefits for the individual and society; and, (7) encourage service to the community. Prominent honorary members include Dr. Larry Squire (University of California – San Diego), Dr. Robert Sapolsky (Stanford University) and His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet.

Graeme Mason will speak on “Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of Brain Metabolism of Glucose, Acetate, and Ethanol“

at 3:30pm Thursday, December 3 in Room 175 of the Paul D. Coverdell Center

Dr. Graeme Mason develops experimental models and methods for studies of brain metabolism using 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry in conjunction with 13C isotopic labeling invivo, in cell preparations, and other systems. His work began during his graduate studies at Yale where he used a rat model for the experimental determination of brain glucose transport kinetics, energetics, and neurotransmitter metabolism. Dr. Mason received further training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he guided the group’s 13C-labeling studies of the human brain in vivo in the 4.1T whole-body MR system.

Dr. Mason currently studies metabolism and neurotransmission in the brain in vivo, including effects of psychiatric disorders and substances such as alcohol and nicotine. Dr. Mason examines healthy subjects and patients to investigate relationships among GABA, glutamate, and glutamine concentrations and their rates of synthesis and release in the brain, in particular with regard to effects of alcohol with acute and chronic use.

This seminar is co-sponsored by the Neuroscience Division of the Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute as well as The Paul D. Coverdell Neuroimaging Training Program & Fellowship from the John and Mary Franklin Foundation.

If you are faculty member interested in meeting with Dr. Mason during his trip, please complete this Doodle Poll: http://doodle.com/poll/4w5tcduz67tuv2da or contact Dr. Jesse Schank.

Shannon Gourley, PhD presents “Toggling between actions and habits: Cortical regulators and the influence of cocaine” on November 5, 2015 at 3:30pm in the Coverdell Center, Room 175.

Dr. Gourley’s research team focuses on issues of depression and addiction. Within social contexts, Dr. Gourley’s group aims to understand how social context during adolescence sculpts prefrontal cortical development and determines long-behavioral outcomes. These include, for example, complex decision-making, reward valuation and inhibitory control in adulthood. Dr. Gourley’s team uses behavioral, pharmacological, biochemical, genetic, and cellular approaches to develop and optimize novel therapeutic interventions for adolescent populations vulnerable to depression and addiction. Additionally, her research team aims to better understand the neurobiological mechanisms of resilience to stressors (including social stressors) and drugs of abuse at any age.

Sponsored by: University of Georgia Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute

Dr. Alvin Terry presents “Organophosphate Exposure and Cognitive Deficits: Elucidating the Mechanisms and Identifying Therapeutic Targets“ on October 1, 2015 at 3:30pm in the Coverdell Center, Room 175.

Dr. Alvin Terry is a Regents’ Professor and Chair as well as the Associate Vice President for Basic Science Research within the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Augusta University (formerly Georgia Regents University). His research interests focus on the role of central acetylcholine (i.e., cholinergic) pathways in cognition; specifically how these neuronal pathways are involved in the memory dysfunction associated with specific neurologic and psychiatric illnesses. The actions of both pharmaceutical and toxicological agents on the cholinergic neuronal system, axonal transport, as well as the major growth factors (nerve growth factor, brain derived growth factor) that support the cholinergic system are of particular interest.

Dr. Terry’s laboratory also focuses on drug discovery and development strategies for the treatment of illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia. The laboratory employs a variety of methods to test hypotheses ranging from behavioral testing in animal models (rodents to non-human primate) to molecular, cellular and analytical techniques (e.g., immunoblotting methods, immunohistochemistry, receptor autoradiography, Mass Spectrometry, etc).

Sponsored by: University of Georgia Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute

Join us for a public lecture by  Brett Clementz, PhD, Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Georgia.

UGA faculty, graduate students and postdocs interested in cellular, neurochemical and molecular studies of the nervous system in health and disease are encouraged to attend the ASN 2015 Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA, March 14-18, 2015.

Approximately 400+ delegates from North America and around the world are expected to attend. Participants include bench and clinical scientists, graduate students, and

postdoctoral fellows as well as research scientists working with human and animal models.

Plenary speakers include Drs. Jay Giedd, Patrizia Cassacia, Barbara Hempstead and Scott Brady.

Join us for four days of symposia and colloquia designed to address the four major themes of our Society:

1) Building the Nervous System 2) Glial Cell Biology 3) Molecular and Cell Biology of the Nervous System 4) Neurodegeneration and Disease.

Substantial time is allotted throughout the meeting for scientific discussion both formally and informally. Short oral presentations are selected from the submitted abstracts, along with daily poster sessions. Special efforts have been taken to encourage young investigator participation and numerous travel awards are available.

For more information on registration, visit https://www.asneurochem.org/meetings/asn-meeting-2015-atlanta/2015-annual-meeting-general-information.html

February 5
Brett Clementz

Department of Psychology, University of Georgia

March 5

Randy Hall
Department of Pharmacology, Emory University

April 2
Susan Fagan
College of Pharmacy, Georgia Regents University

May 7
Paul Katz
Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University

All seminars held at 2:00 PM
College of Veterinary Medicine
Main Building, Room 311

Sponsored by University of Georgia Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute