North Central College Neuroscience

Ben Wong (Molecular Neuroscience '20) recently received a highly prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship to support his studies at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, where he is a 3rd year medical student. Congratulations, Ben, we are very proud of all you have accomplished!

Wong Receives NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship - North Central College Athletics North Central College graduate and former football student-athlete Ben Wong '20 has been selected as one of 126 student-athletes during the 2023-2024 academic year to receive an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.

Congratulations to all of our neuroscience seniors! A fun week celebrating all of our senior's accomplishments and graduation! We wish you all of the best in your future endeavors!!!

Congratulations to NCC senior Wafa Syed! Throughout her time at NCC, Wafa has explored her future career goals and aspirations through engaging in a variety of activities such as interning at Heritage Professional Associates during Fall '23 for a neuropsychological clerkship, precepting in Dr. Stefanik's NEUR-100 course, and becoming a member of PsiChi, Tau Sigma, and Tri-Alpha. After graduating, she will continue her education at Adler University where she will pursue a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology. Best of luck in your future endeavors, Wafa, and we wish you all the best!

Congratulations to neuroscience major Jessica "Jessie" Chan! After graduating this May, Jessie will be pursuing a Doctorate of Optometry (OD) at Midwestern University's College of Optometry in Chicago. Best of luck in your future endeavors, Jessie, we wish you all the best!

Congratulations to Nikki Kwilosz for being awarded Nu Rho Psi senior of the year and Noah Obermeyer on being awarded as one of Psi Chi's two seniors of the year!

Congratulations Faith Bicking as the Neuroscience Major of the Year!

Congratulations to Nicole Brandy as the Psychology Major of the Year!

Congratulations to Nikki Kwilosz on presenting her senior thesis at last Thursday's Rall Symposium on anxiety-like behaviors in response to low-dose ketamine in male and female spraque-dawley rats!

Congratulations to Kelsey Morrison on presenting her senior thesis on ketamine's impact on memory in male sprague dawley rats at last Thursday's Rall Synposium!

Congratulations to Ben Klemm and Trinity Murray on presenting their research on co***ne seeking in differentially reared rats at Rall Symposium last Thursday!

Congratulations to Noah Obermeyer for presenting his research at last Thursday's Rall Symposium on the economic analysis of ma*****na and alcohol!

Last night Neuroscience Club board members Faith Bicking, Ella Bosholm, Avinash Moses, and Lily Baker volunteered at a STEM fair at Beebe Elementary to teach students all about the brain and neurons! The real star was Lily who spent two hours straight inflating 100 balloons to make balloon neurons for the kids!

Neuroscience club had a busy week! On Tuesday, alumni Kelly Motylinski, Sabha Fatima, Ben Wong, and Maggie Sim joined in a panel about graduate school. Thanks to our alumni and all who attended!

Hey Cardinals, check out this recent neuroscience finding!

In a 2024 article, University of California, Irvine biomedical engineering researchers discovered the key source behind slow waves and sleep spindles, two crucial brain waves in deep sleep. Originally thought to result from a brain circuit linking the thalamus and cortex, the researchers revealed that their source lies in the axons within the cornu ammonis 3 region of the hippocampus.

For more information, check out the following links:

https://neurosciencenews.com/hippocampus-sleep-waves-memory-25897/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-58002-0

Hippocampus Generates Deep Sleep Waves - Neuroscience News By studying these waves in single nerve fibers, researchers believe they may be linked to how sleep strengthens memories.

CALLING ALL NEUROSCIENCE MAJORS/MINORS!!! Neuroscience Club is recruiting applicants for the 2024-2025 executive board! Scan the QR code to apply! Applications close on April 19th at 11:59pm. Apply today!

Application link: https://forms.gle/WiKNjwow1bTNXsz38

Hey Cardinals, check out this recent neuroscience finding!

Contrary to the generally accepted idea that blood vessels form in a similar way throughout the body, Giel Schevenels and colleagues have discovered that blood vessels irrigating the brain are generated in a different way from the rest of the body. Unlike blood vessels in the rest of the body, cerebral vessels undergo a brain-specific molecular mechanism via a specific enzyme essential for the vessels to invade the brain. Identification of this mechanism could potentially aid in treatments for a wide variety of neurological pathologies, as it could the possibly be adopted to develop techniques specifically targeting cerebral blood vessels.

For more information, check out the following links:

1. https://neurosciencenews.com/brain-blood-vessel-development-25855/
2. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07283-6

How Brain Blood Vessels Develop - Neuroscience News Blood vessels in the brain develop under unique rules, challenging longstanding beliefs about vascular formation.

CALLING ALL PSYCHOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE STUDENTS! NCC’s Psychology and Neuroscience Department is hosting two internship information sessions next week, April 1st 4:00-5:00pm, and April 2nd, 10:00-11:00am in WSC 022. Stop on by!

Welcome back from Spring Break, Cardinals! This Thursday in WSC 104 from 12:00pm - 12:30 pm, Neuroscience Club will be hosting the fourth career panel in their career panel series! Here, Dr. Chambers will be discussing working as a graduate reaching assistant, research assistant, sleep technician, and sleep technician assistant in the field of cognitive psychology! Email Faith Bicking at [email protected] with any questions!

Hey, Cardinals! Tomorrow from 12:00pm-12:45pm, Neuroscience Club will be hosting their second Career Journey Panel in their Career panel series in WSC 104. This week, come on out to listen to Drs. Gill and Stefanik as they discuss neuroscience research in graduate school, post-doc experience and career advice for working in neuroscience labs! Email Faith Bicking at [email protected] with any questions!

CALLING ALL NEUROSCIENCE MAJORS/MINORS!! Nu Rho Psi applications for 2024 induction are due this FRIDAY, March 8th, by 5pm to Dr. Gill (in WSC 226). Fill out the application today!

Here are some highlights from yesterday’s annual Chicago Society for Neuroscience meeting! Congrats to Eliana, Harmony, and Trinity for presenting their research on co***ne self-administration in differentially reared rats!

CALLING ALL STEM MAJORS!! NCC is a part of the PUMA-STEM, an alliance amongst colleges from all around Illinois aiming to increase success of underrepresented minority students in STEM fields. Deadlines for 2024 summer research applications are due by Friday, March 1st. Apply today!

For more information, check out the following links:
- Application: https://elmhurst.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_57HDQh2O8F0y3mC
- Research opportunities: https://eccollege my.sharepoint.com/personal/nathan_bradshaw_elmhurst_edu/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspxid=%2Fpersonal%2Fnathan%5Fbradshaw%5Felmhurst%5Fedu%2FDocuments%2F2024%20Summer%20Research%2F2024%20PUMA%2DSTEM%20Faculty%20Research%20Descriptions%2Epdf&parent=%2Fpersonal%2Fnathan%5Fbradshaw%5Felmhurst%5Fedu%2FDocuments%2F2024%20Summer%20Research&ga=1
- NSF-Approved STEM Discipline List: lsamp.org/help/help_stem_cip.cfm

Hey, Cardinals, check out this new neuroscience finding!

In a 2024 study, researchers at the University of Queensland uncovered the crucial role of saturated fatty acids in the brain's consolidation of memories. Using a mouse model of human early infantile encephalopathy associated with intellectual disability and motor dysfunction, researchers found that the PLA1 isoform DDHD2 is directly linked to saturated FFA responses in memory acquisition across the brain, as well as memory in reward learning in spatial memory models prior to development of neuromuscular deficits. Additionally, researchers also found that SXBP1 controls targeting of DDHD2 to the plasma membrane and generation of saturated FFAs in the brain. From these findings, the researchers suggest that DDHD2 and STXBP1 play key roles in lipid metabolism, learning, synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory.

For more information, check out the following links:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/02/240205204428.htm
Original research article: https://www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.1038/s44318-024-00030-7

Fatty acids hold clue to creating memories Researchers have revealed the crucial role of saturated fatty acids in the brain's consolidation of memories.

Congratulations to Alexa Zimbelman (Molecular Neuroscience, '19) on receiving a prestigious grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to support her graduate work studying the mechanisms of co***ne seeking! Alexa is a 4th year Ph.D. student at the University of Iowa, and previously conducted research with both Drs. Gill and Stefanik while at North Central. We are very proud of you!

Ph.D. student Alexa Zimbelman awarded a NIDA F31 National Research Service Award Congratulations to graduate student Alexa Zimbelman who was recently awarded an F31 NRSA fellowship from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Alexa is a member of the LaLumiere laboratory. Her fellowship will support her as she investigates the neural systems underlying co***ne seeking.

Hey Cardinals, check out this new neuroscience finding!

In a 2024 study, researchers at NIH's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found altered activity in the frontal/parietal lobes and limbic regions amongst 69 unmedicated children diagnosed with anxiety disorders relative to children without a diagnosed anxiety disorder. Following 12 weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), fronto-parietal hyper-activation normalized to activity similar to brain activity of children without diagnosed anxiety disorders, but limbic responses remained elevated following treatment. From these findings, the researchers suggest that, amongst the brain mechanisms associated with symptom change following CBT, fronto-parietal networks have strong potential to normalize following CBT amongst unmedicated pediatric anxiety patients; however limbic regions may be less amenable to acute CBT effects.

To learn more, check out the following links:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240124132852.htm
Story source: https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.20220449

Cognitive behavioral therapy alters brain activity in children with anxiety Researchers found widespread overactivation in brain activity in unmedicated children with anxiety disorders. Treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) led to improved clinical functioning and reduced activation in many brain areas. The findings illuminate the brain mechanisms underlying the...

Interested in doing neuroscience research in the 2024-2025 academic year? Now’s the time to start planning! To get started, reach out to our NCC Neuroscience professors about your interest in pursuing undergrad research

Our NCC neuroscience professors:

Dr. Gill: [email protected] (profile: https://northcentralcollege.edu/profile/mjgill)

Dr. Stefanik: [email protected] (website: https://stefaniklab.squarespace.com/)

Dr. Chambers: [email protected] (profile: https://www.northcentralcollege.edu/profile/amchambers)

Interested in doing neuroscience research in the 2024-2025 academic year? Now’s the time to start planning! At NCC, our Neuroscience faculty offer students immersive research experience in which students can learn various techniques in neuroscience research, such as locomotor activity testing, operant conditioning, and EEG research. Get involved today!

Are you interested in Neurolaw? On Tuesday, January 23, 2024 at 6 PM CST a Harvard Neurolaw Lab is hosting a Zoom panel event for those debating “should I get a joint JD/PhD (in neuroscience).” Our panelists, who have all pursued a JD/PhD before, will discuss why they considered that path; what career and personal goals might benefit from joint degrees; whether joint degrees are truly necessary or “worth it” as compared to just a JD or just a PhD; and other related topics

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Happy second to last week of classes! During finals week and the last weeks of classes, students typically fall into a state of chronic stress. At a neurobiological level, the stress of finals often result in a temporary adaptation via “allostasis,” which is a change in set point of various different bodily functions (eg. Sleep cycle, blood pressure, heart rate) and the release of glucocorticoids (eg. Cortisol) from the adrenal gland following a string of events in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (known as the HPA axis). Chronic stress is only meant to be temporary, and extended time in this state eventually causes wear and tear on our overall health and wellbeing. As finals week approaches, remember to take time out of your day to relax and unwind from your responsibilities in your classes.

For more information, check out the following link!
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5573220/ #:~:text=Stress%20can%20cause%20an%20imbalance,autonomic%2C%20immune%20and%20metabolic%20mediators

CALLING ALL NCC STUDENTS!

Neuroscience club is hosting their event Studying and Sandwiches this Tuesday, December 5, at 12 p.m. in WSC 101, where students can enjoy a free lunch while preparing for final exams. Reach out to [email protected] for more information!