Bio 202, Getting Started

Hello, my name is Simone. I'm a senior psych major at Bryn Mawr and I'm currently writing my thesis on depressive and anxiety symptoms in preschoolers. I took Thomas' class Behavioral Neuroscience sophomore year and a few other psych courses that touched upon neurobiology, so I know a little about the basics. However, I'm eager to get a firmer grasp on the subject, as there is a lot I still don't know (or have forgotten). As I'm working on anxiety and depression for my thesis, my interests for papers in this class may surround the neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders. However, I also very much want to explore new arenas that I have not yet had a chance to look at other aspects of human behavior such as (possibly) temperament, the development of belliefs, and where preconceived notions come from.

My name is Skye. I’m a senior at Bryn Mawr majoring in Linguistics and minoring in French and Russian.

I wanted to take this course because it seems like a refreshing difference from my other classes and I like the interdisciplinary approach to science. I have taken a few psychology courses that piqued my interest in cognition and neurobiology, but my strongest background is in linguistics, a unique perspective I can bring to the class.

Here are a few things that interest me: sex differences in the brain; biological explanations of sexuality; animals and language; cultural differences in cognition; synesthesia; alien encounters; near-death experiences; evolutionarily inherited predispositions among humans.

Hey every one- sorry for the late post. I've been having some difficulty navigating serendip, but hopefully that situation will resolve itself sooner rather than later... In any case, a little bit about me:

I'm a pre-med/pre-vet junior here at Bryn Mawr, majoring in philosophy (with a concentration in ethics) over at Haverford. Philosophy is a fairly non-conventional major for a pre-med/pre-vet person (although not unheard of, obviously...) and it's no coincidence that I chose to major in a non-science. For one thing, I don't think that I could spend all day every day in PSB, but more substantially than that, I felt that a comprehensive understanding of science in general required study outside that designated genre of study. As a philosophy major, I've really come to love arguments, that is, dissecting the reasoning behind statements so as to find (hopefully) the real rational logic behind them. In this respect, I can be rather a stickler for precise and careful wording of assertions. For that, I apologize in advance.

Outside of my life here at Bryn Mawr, I live with my extended family (grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins) on a farm in rural New England. I like to think of my home as the Bible Belt's matching Handbag. Most of my family members are Catholic fundamentalists, and in this respect, I guess you could call me the black sheep of the family. Just as much as I'm interested in this course because its implications towards my area of academic study, I'm also here because I've worked most of my life to understand why my family members behave the way they do with regards to religion, lifestyle choices, etc.

With that said, I'm looking forward to good thoughts and conversations from this class.

-Molly.

Hey everyone, my name is Evan Stiegel and I am a junior at Haverford majoring in bio at Bryn Mawr.  One topic that I am very interested in is the neurobiology of peak-performance. My interest in this topic mostly stems from my participation in athletics.  Most of you probably have had those brief times when you perform so well at something you feel as though everything is happening by itself without your control.  For me, sometimes when I am playing my respective sports I feel like my body just takes over and everything just comes so naturally.  People often call being in this state "playing out of your mind".  This "out of mind" state can be applied to other activities besides athletics like creating art or test-taking.  I guess I am interested in the science of this state of mind because I obviously want to be able to sustain it for long periods of time.  I am curious as to what some of you have to say about this topic, for example whether or not you think this state of mind is a mental perception or if this state of mind is isolated to humans, etc.

Hello everyone, my name is Paige Safyer and I'm a Junior at Bryn Mawr. I am a psychology major with a concentration in neural and behavioral sciences so I have some knowledge of neuroscience. I took Biology 103 with Professor Grobstein last semester, which was really interesting because it taught me a new way to think about biology and science in general. I am excited to see how this class compares to that one, and how they complement eachother. For my book review in Biology 103 I read a book called "Wider Than the Sky: The Phenomenal Gift of Consciousness" which focused a lot on neuroscience. I would definitely recommend that book to everyone in this class, and I hope we discuss the topic of consciousness in class. I also now know, thanks to Thursday's class, that the title of the book comes from the Emily Dickenson poem that we spent time discussing.

I thought this article might interest some. It is about a new FDA requirement that clinical trials for new medications evaluate suicide risk.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/24/washington/24fda.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=health

Hi Everyone, my name is Elizabeth Ver Hoeve. As it stands, I am trying to pull of a biology major, spanish minor, and concentrations in gender and sexuality and NBS. As a freshman, I took the Story of Evolution and the Evolution of the Story with Prof. Grobstein. It was in this course that I first began to question the world around me. Having never been the girl who "always had the right answer for everything", the idea that there was no one truth was very intriguing and also very encouraging.

At Bryn Mawr, I am on the varisty swim team and the varisty tennis team (through I currently have stress fractures in both tibias...ouch...). Over the summer, I worked in a neurobiology lab in Madison, WI (my hometown) studying maternal aggression in mice. Because this was my first time participating in a real lab setting, it was my first glimpse at how research is actually conducted (I did not see any linear science going on!). It was also because of this experience that I decided that neurobiology was in fact something that I am genuinely interested in- I am really excited about this class and about learning more about this complex field.

Hey,

I am Mahvish, and I am a Sophmore at Bryn Mawr College. I am planning on majoring in Biology and hope to fulfill a NBS concentration as well. I am looking forward to this class and learning more about the function of the brain and the role it plays in behavior.

The brain is a powerful tool without our knowledge it controls our heart rate, breathing, and regulates our body temperature through homeostiasis. The brain can also actively control our movements and speech.What is especially interesting about the brain is how it unconciously creates images that are not necessarily helpful to the body. One aspect of neurobiology that is of great interest to me is mirages. I think it is intersting how the brain can create images and hallucinations of what is desired and what one wants to see. It is similar in concept to how the brain fills in blindspots, however with blindspots the general image is present, and with mirages it is a complete made-up image. Another interesting topic in neurobiology and behavior is OCD. I find it intriguing how the brain manipulates a persons behavior to the extent that it results in what outwardly appears to be a disorder.

I am excited to take this class and learn more about neurobiology and the mysteries of the brain.

 

 

Hi my name is Caroline Heffernan. I am a sophomore at Bryn Mawr and I have yet to decide on a major; however, I am almost certain that I will be a neural and behavioral sciences concentration. I am primarily interested in the topic of neurology as it relates to behavior because I have a history of concussions, and during that treatment I was treated by a concussion doctor who was able to diagnose where my brain had been injured by the way that I answered questions. Ever since that initial meeting, I have been intrigued in how the brain impacts very basic behaviors, such as talking.

Normally when we think about behavior, we do not consider everyday things, like walking and talking as a behavior, but even a very mundane tasks are behaviors, that can be influenced a great deal by the brain. This idea can be exhibited when a disease, like Alzheimer’s affects the brain, a grown adult can begins to regress into a child that becomes dependent upon the people who help care for them. After observing Alzheimer’s disease and being personally involved in my concussion, my interest in neurobiology has developed.

Hi everyone!  My name is Caitlin Jeschke, and I am a sophomore at Bryn Mawr.  I have always been very interested in the sciences, and I plan to declare a Biology major this semester, possibly with a minor in Chemistry.  I don’t have very much background in neurological or behavioral sciences, other than a brief overview of the nervous system from intro Bio, and so I am looking forward to exploring new topics and ideas this semester.

            In addition to the sciences, I also enjoy studying Anthropology and languages, and learning about different cultures.  One of my favorite topics from my cultural anthropology class last spring was the concept of “sense”, and how it is culturally constructed.  Before that class, it hadn’t really occurred to me that the idea of the “five senses” was not a universal concept.  We discussed how the ways in which people perceive the world and describe “sensing”, or “feeling” are very much influenced by culture, history, surroundings, and personal activities, and how the idea of sense can differ between groups of people, and between individuals.

            The topic of sense continues to be very intriguing to me, and it encompasses many subjects that I feel are particularly relevant to neurobiology and behavior.  For example, people can be classified as different types of learners depending on which type of stimuli (audio, visual, kinesthetic) allows them to most easily absorb and recall information.  There is also the question of mind/body duality as it applies to sense; is it possible to “sense” something solely in the body, without having some sort of mental interpretation? Similarly, can one perceive something in the mind without sensing it?   Or is extra-sensory perception an oxymoron?

            These are just some of the questions that I would like to explore this semester.  I am looking forward to hearing what everyone has to say!

Hey, My name is Zoe and I am a senior at Bryn Mawr. I am majoring in Political Science and concentrating in Peace and Conflict studies. Like Angel, I am very interested in global politics but also global conflict and genocide. Political behavior fascinates me and I can bring many thoughts to our conversation about the ways in which behavior is dictated by what how we think others will react and community consciousness that surrounds the processes in our brains. The only science I have ever really enjoyed is in Psychology learning about the Brain and its functions and how one side does this and the other side does that.

 I am particularly interested in the psychological and behavioral aspect of the course, looking at gender differences in behavior and reactions to trauma. My thesis looks at rape and although I am writing from a political perspective, I often come across psychological analyses of both perpetrator and survivor which are interesting. Hope we have a great class together!

Hi everybody! My name is Michelle Crepeau and I am a sophomore here at Bryn Mawr who is suicidally attempting to double major in Biology and in Art History (attempting being the optimal word here, but a valiant attempt if nothing else! Pray for me...). Although, I've never taken a neurobiology class per say, my developmental biology class from last semester focused a good deal on the developing nervous system with particular emphasis on neuron determination, extension and migration in the developing brain and muscular system in various biological systems (our final project involved forcibly (in a humaine a way as possible way) mutating neuromuscular junction points in embryonic zebrafish with LiCl...hours of fun there...). Thus, I feel that I can share some valuable input in regards to the mechanical aspects of the developing brain/nervous system and how proper (or improper development) can affect certain physical behaviors.

As for the pending Art History degree, well, art itself is a very curious and interesting behavior particular to Humans, and not just in terms of the visually/spiritually aesthetic, human conventions of beauty, and manual dexterity, etc. but also in the sense of art as a pictorial language and record of behavior in terms of both its content and its very existence. The agency involved in wishing to communicate and interact in a purely pictorial/visual form and the extent to which that agency has evolved (i.e. we not only use our bodies to communicate, signing, dancing, etc., but also, have utilized complex outside mediums, walls, canvases, computers, etc) and changed over time as humans have dabbled with and striven for continuously meaningful and/or efficient ways to connect with one another (and in some cases with something else beyond ourselves) is (and this is quit the run-on now isn’t it?) a very curious thing. Also, the way humans interpret and translate what they perceive around them into a format that they can then share with others is an interesting concept, especially in terms of considering “what makes a good view” (when discussing landscape painting for example—there are many interesting bio-evolutionary explanations that have been used to explain the basis for our “aesthetic” sense) and how that “good view” can then be singled out and contained within a canvas (the human desire to capture and own and take with them, to immortalize in a way is also an interesting part of the framed arts). There is also the question of Man’s ability to “be true to life” so to speak and if it is possible for a human to accurately “create” an exact replica of, for instance, nature, what with all the “good view” editing that we are prone too, and for our brain’s tendency (in, as was mentioned in class, blind spots for example) to fabricate things (fill in the gaps with what “should” or “could” be there) that it cannot otherwise process.

However, what I am most interested in neurobiological studies are some of the more “out there” so to speak avenues of research that, although a little weird, are nevertheless important for understanding the extent of our brains’ capabilities and which may shed new light on otherwise inexplicable phenomena, the existence of which have led to some integral parts of human behavior in the face of such things as death and the spiritual. That’s right I’m very curious about phenomena such as O.B.E. s, more conventionally known as “out of body experiences”, and the basis that paranormal experiences, such as visual, auditory, and olfactory “ghostly experiences” can be products of neurological activity whether in the realm of ESP or in that of simple hallucinations. For it is known that when stimulating certain parts of the brain, a person can “smell” certain smells or “hear” certain things, or even have the sensation of floating above their own body. In the same vein I am also interested in general in behaviors (or perceived behaviors) induced by altered states of consciences, such as the sleeping brain (dreams, etc.), hypnosis, and their relationship to memories and how we retain and create “real” memories, as well as, fabricated ones. After all, I’ve have memories that may have been dreams and dreams that may have been memories before and am interested in there relationship. Also, kooky things such as “brain homunculi”, which is both the popular image used in text books to visually represent the proportional distribution of brain regions that deal with senses (the drawing is of a little man with exaggerated hands, lips, eyes, etc. in accordance to their allocation in the brain) and the idea that another “agent” so to speak inhabits the brain and processes stimuli and thoughts, are generally interesting theories to read about and view in their own right as a specific kind of behavior.

 

Hello everyone!

My name is Nelly Khaselev and I am a freshman at Bryn Mawr College. Coming in, I had planned on being a biology major with a concentration in neurobiology & behavior because the subject of the complex human mind had always fascinated me all through high school. I have always been interesting in learning about the physiology of the brain. What part is responsible for our thoughts, movements, choices, dreams and pretty much everything else we do in life? It is remarkable to think to everything is controlled by our brain – from heart rate to our subconscious. After the first class, I realized how wide the class title can really span and am excited to get going!

Hi, my name is Rica Dela Cruz and I am a sophomore here at Bryn Mawr. My major is currently undecided, but I am leaning towards biology. I have never taken a neurobiology class before, which is why I wanted to take the class. I have read many articles about the brain and behavior in the NY Times and various magazines, which has made me eager to learn more about the subject and has led me to this class. I am really interested in just about every aspect of this area such as memory, dreams, sleep disorders, brain and behavior differences in genders, mental illness, emotion, evolution of the brain, etc. There is so much to learn about neurobiology and I want to know it all.

I especially would like to learn more about depression. I have a few relatives who have been diagnosed with depression. I want to know why and how people are diagnosed and the brain functions that lead to this type of illness. I also have a strong interest for behavioral differences of people from different cultures. How does being raised within a certain culture affect one's behavior? Moreover, to what degree does the brain affect these behaviors? I lived in the Pacific all my life. I was born and raised on Saipan, an island in Micronesia, and then lived in Hawaii during high school. Since moving to Bryn Mawr, I have noticed some behavioral differences. The mentality of the people, in Micronesia, is somewhat different from those who live on the Mainland US. For example, having children at a young age, such as during your teenage years, is much more prevalent on Saipan and is hardly shunned. In addition, presently in parts of Micronesia, such as the island of Yap, women go topless and view their legs as being sacred, which must always be covered.

Hi I am Michelle Khilji and am currently a junior here at Bryn Mawr. I am an Economics Major but Pre-Med Student. The only exposure to neurobiology is what I learned last year in Introduction to Biology. I was interested in taking a Psychology course but realized that this course seems more geared to whatever topics I may find as more interesting. From my economics major many of the principles of consumer and demand are based on the behavior of consumers and producers--the market essentially relies on how individuals react to change in prices, etc.

One topic that is interesting to me is depression. Many people in my family have been recently diagnosed with depression or bipolar--and it has been difficult as some make the argument that depression is all "pschological, and therefore nothing is really wrong chemically". I would like to learn more about depression and find out for myself whether the fact that it seems more and more people are being diagnosed is mainly because of the fact that science is getting better--or if there may be an outside element impacting the rise in depression in at least this country if not the world.

I am really excited for this semester and am willing to listen and learn from my peers.

Hello! My name is Lyndsey Carbonello and I am a psychology major here at the mawr. I have taken Behavioral Neuroscience with prof Thomas and a couple other psych courses that discuss neurobiology so I have a little background in this area, but there is so much more for me to learn which is why I am taking this course! I am really interested in cognitive neuropsychology, neurological disorders (particularly those regarding executive functioning), sex differences of the brain, brain anatomy, memory, and emotions. I guess there's just a whole lot I'm interested in, so I'm really looking forward to this class.

Over winter break one of my friends mentioned a presentation one of her classmates gave during the fall about anesthesia and how current studies haven't made any conclusions about how it affects the brain or why it works. I think this would be a really interesting topic to research or discuss in class if we have time. Also, I am hoping to study the WADA test in depth. I don't know much about it other than the fact that doctors perform this procedure on many patients during which half of the brain is shut down for about three minutes. How and why does this procedure work? What does it test for and is it effective? Are there any side effects? Doesn't it sound kind of dangerous? Lastly, I am wondering how brain surgery works. This is sort of a broad question but the whole idea of cutting open one's brain is fascinating and intriguing, so I'd really like to learn more.

Well, thats all for now. See you all on thursday. Nice to meet you!

Hi I'm Jackie and I'm a sophomore at Bryn Mawr. I consider myself to be pre-med, and I am leaning towards a biology major, but for now I am still 'undecided.' I learned a decent amount of introductory biology in high school, and I continue my studies of biology in Bio 101 and 102 here at Bryn Mawr, but I have no other experiences in the field of biology. The material and style of this course are new to me, but I see this as a positive characteristic and I am excited to learn more about what has always interested me, and to explore these topics in the context of neurobiology and behavior.

I consider myself to be a person with a large number of interests in many areas. I have always loved the outdoors, I played many sports when I was younger, I have always been an active person, and I enjoy exercising. Also, from a very young age I have traveled to many places both in the United States and in Europe. As I grow older I find that I have an increasing interest in and appreciation of other cultures, especially in Europe. I lived and studied in Pisa this past summer (under the auspices of the Bryn Mawr Summer Study in Pisa program) and I had the time of my life. Another strong interest of mine is in music. I have played the piano since I was three years old, and picked up the clarinet and saxophone in middle school. I have played in many concerts/recitals in the past, but since I came to Bryn Mawr, I find that I enjoy playing the piano for fun/leisure in the quiet of my dorm room (electronic keyboard). The last big interest of mine that I'll mention is that I love to cook, bake, and experiment with foods/flavors. As a high school graduation gift, I enrolled in a 5-week, 40hr breadbaking course at the French Culinary Institute in NYC and I have since expanded upon my knowledge/enjoyment of breadbaking and the culinary arts in general.

So, with all of that said, I would love to incorporate my interests in exercise, travel, music, and food/foodscience into an investigation of behavior. I would love to explore the power of memory or memories, or the science of the 5 senses, or maybe the origins of stimulation or motivation. I am excited to learn about the interests/thoughts of others, to learn more about my own interests, and for a great semester in general!

Hi…My name is Meredith and I am a McBride Scholars student in my first year at Bryn Mawr. After many years of discovery I have finally decided on Psychology as my major with an interest in Gender and Sexuality Studies. I have been blessed with two beautiful daughters, Caila, 10, and Lily, 3, and I am determined to raise them in a family and community where they can flourish and grow surrounded by love and support.

Concerned by how the brain is affected by repeated trauma in childhood (sexual, emotional, verbal abuse) and the mind/body connection, I am interested especially in how trauma changes the brain chemistry which could cause mental illnesses. How can we treat survivors and people who suffer with illnesses such as schizophrenia, DID, somatic disorders, etc., with more dignity and respect? My experiences as a child growing up in a family with a mother who suffers with bipolar disorder and a brother who was born with Neurofibromatosis has provided a clear definition of the bias in how our society views different types of illnesses. My brother, after diagnosed with NF and four brain tumors was provided for not only physically by his doctors, the insurance company, his family, and friends, but nurtured, loved, and always held in high regard, no matter what his mental state had become. My mother, who suffered with a severe illness also, but one that regarded by society as “crazy,” had limits set on her recovery regarding when she had to be well or her medical insurance would run out, and her friends and family gave up on her. Is there a difference between the two? They are both diseases of the brain…I want to know more about the neurobiology of mental illnesses.

I am looking forward to lots of wonderful discussions and learning and growing!

 

My name is Jean Chung and I am a current junior, biology major, premed student at Bryn Mawr.  I have never taken a neurobiology or psych class ever, however, wish to become a neurosurgeon...So I am very, very excited about this class. 

I have many questions that relate biology along with human behavior and emotions.  These questions specifically relate to the effect that music has upon the human nervous system and the response that the human body gives when a certain sound is heard.  After gaining experience from neurosurgery, I wish to do research in music therapy and see how exactly sounds and human feelings can be regulated with different chemical levels in the human body.  Although many people can argue against the fact that all human feelings are based upon chemical levels, I am a strong believer with that thought.  I think that everything is very scientific and consistent to a trend.  But I have a feeling that by the end of this semester, I will have very different ideas about all of this. 

Like mentioned before, I only have knowledge based strictly through numerous human anatomy classes about neurobiology and behavior.  This class will be very eye-opening in the sense that I will be introduced to many other viewpoints of the wonder works in the human brain.  I look forward to all challenges and confusion that come by my way. 

Hello Everyone,

My name is Anne and I am a freshman at Bryn Mawr. I am planning on majoring in Biology with a concentration in Neural and Behavioral Sciences and a minor in French.  Biology in high school never covered topics in neurobiology and I am excited to learn as much as I can about the biological foundations of human behavior.

Growing up I am sure that everyone was told by their parents on more than one occasion to "behave themselves." I am interested in finding out what that meant for me then and what it means now that I don't habitually fight with my brothers in public or speak out of turn. How do we go about "behaving ourselves"? Are we finished forming certain aspects of our behavior our can our brains respond and adapt further? I also am fascinated by the idea of nature versus nurture as it relates to human behavior, whether aspects of behavior are innate and others specifically informed by surrounding environment.

I am also interested in the connection between natural ability and behavior. If one person is particularly gifted athletically or in one academic field does that natural ability affect corresponding behavior? For example, if I struggle with mathematics does that also naturally affect my character, preferences or social behavior that may not appear to be outwardly related? I am looking forward to our discussions  and learning together! 

Hi my name is Caroline Feldman. I am a junior at Haverford, but I am majoring in Biology at Bryn Mawr. I have never taken a neurobiology course before and I am excited to learn more about the topic. Animal behavior always has fascinated me and I would really like to explore that topic. Actually, merging human and animal models of brain and behavior raises an interesting point: Do homologous brain regions among vertebrates, or at least mammals, guarantee similar neural processes? This is a difficult question. If the brain were a computer, then it would be easier to predict that two computers with the same architecture and processor would show similar "physiology." However, matching neural blueprints are no guarantee of consistent responses. Two species may both possess a structurally similar region of the brain, yet the size of that region relative to the rest of the brain may differ.

I also play on the Haverford Women’s basketball team and athletics has always been a big part of my life and daily activity. Another question I would like to explore is what motivates people to be active and athletic? How do kids become interested in sports? I would like to understand the neural processes of motivation as they relate to athleticism. This involves understanding, at the most basic level, the foundations of motivation and then of course exploringthe topic on a more scientific level. I am looking forward to taking this class and learning from other students.