- July 6th:
What tools do neuroscience researchers use in experimental design and how do they work? How do you read science papers effectively and stay caught up with ongoing open questions? What role does genetics play in neuroscience and which model organisms are common in the field of neurogenetics? - July 13th:
How are sensory modalities (i.e. olfaction, taste, vision, touch) encoded in the brain? How do the senses impact behavior? How do we investigate the evolution and diverges of sensory representations? Why are cephalopods (intelligent marine organisms) compelling model organisms for studying sensation and evolution?
- July 20th:
How do we study learning and memory in the hippocampus? What tools do the majority of neuroscientists investigating memory use on a daily basis for experimentation and data analysis? How does the brain physically store and represent memories?
- July 27th:
What is translational neuroscience and how does neuroscientific research intersect with pharmacology or other treatments for neurodegenerative diseases (i.e. Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, dementia) or anxiety disorders (i.e. depression, phobias, clinical anxiety).
- August 3rd:
How can experience and environmental conditions edit your genome through epigenetic modifications? How are remnants of trauma passed down from one generation to the next? How might studying queen ants unlock secrets about the role of epigenetics in anti-aging studies?
- August 10th:
- How are bioinformatics used in neuroscience? Why is coding in Python, R, or MATLAB useful in neuroscience research? What are NCBI databases and how do you use them? What can you do with sequencing data? How can you use PubMed to learn about research?
- August 17th:
How can you transform a summer or ongoing research experience into a science fair project or help increase your candidacy for college admissions?
*tenative week by week schedule