Welcome

Welcome to the David O. Robbins Neuroscience Program at OWU!

Neuroscience is the study of the brain. This is simple in concept, but complex and exciting in practice, because the brain still holds such mystery. Almost entirely encased in bone, hidden away from probing and examination, it does not beat, pulse, gurgle or otherwise give its activity away. For these reasons, we know far less about its operation than any other organ in the body.

In order to discover the principles of the brain’s operation, neuroscience is inherently interdisciplinary: we use the tools of psychology, biology, chemistry, computer modeling, physics, mathematics and other disciplines. In collaborative work with the faculty of the neuroscience program here, you might do brain surgery on a rat, study spinal cord injury in guinea pigs, count neurons in a salamander, run behavioral tests on fish, synthesize neurotransmitter molecules, develop a network model of a neural circuit—according to your own interests, and where you find they take you.

Our students do research with professors, travel to scientific meetings, and win awards. In addition, we hosted the first annual Midwest/Great Lakes Undergraduate Research Symposium (mGluRs) in Neuroscience meeting for undergraduate neuroscientists and their mentors in September of 2009 and the 2nd annual meeting on October 2, 2010. Click here to read about projects current students are doing.

After Ohio Wesleyan, our Neuroscience majors have gone on to graduate school in psychology, neurobiology, physiology, chemistry, and other fields; attended medical school; worked in research laboratories; and many other things. Click here to see some of the activities of recent students and hear their stories.

Neuroscience has often been called the last frontier. Join us here at the frontier!