Page 6 - Eureka 2011

Neuroscience finds

new home
Faculty news

By Susan Hickman

e’ve come a long way since
Wthe time when Aristotle’s
contemporaries believed the heart was
responsible for our thoughts and other
functions of our brain. Nevertheless,
it’s surprising how little we still know
about the brain, the most complex
organ in the human body. Photo: Nanci Jolicoeur
While still a pioneering field of
study, neuroscience, the study of the
brain, has blossomed to the extent
that the number of graduates in the For her Master’s in Neuroscience degree, student Nazneen Rustom is focusing her research on the areas
discipline has increased from a mere of neurodegeneration, Parkinson’s disease and early life exposure to environmental toxins. Here she uses a
state-of-the-art Zeiss microscope to examine animal brain tissue.
handful 25 years ago to more than two
thousand today, according to a study of biology and psychology, generally work And there’s a better understanding of
universities in the United States. in life sciences “wet” laboratories with what goes into a neuroscience research
Catering to this growth, Carleton animals as well as humans, whereas paper.”
established a new Department of psychology labs tend to be computer The department’s new master’s
Neuroscience, within the Faculty of centric. Located in the Life Sciences and doctoral programs admitted
Science, on May 1, 2010. This decision research building, the department was their first students this September
and the introduction of new programs also geographically separated from and new general, major, minor and
has doubled the number of graduate other FASS departments. honours undergraduate programs
students in its master’s and doctoral Stead, whose background is in Neuroscience and Mental Health
programs. in genetics research, notes that will start up in September 2012. Over
“The move was timely,” says neuroscience is a growing academic the next three or four years, 15 new
department Chair John Stead, “as the discipline, with provincial and federal courses will fill out the new programs
number of undergraduate enrolments governments committed to pumping – courses such as Sex and the Brain,
in Neuroscience at Carleton has more research money into the field. Neuroscience and Creativity, and
than tripled in the past 10 years. The Since its formation as a distinct Genetics and Mental Health.
third-year Neuroscience course, Drugs academic unit and its official move to The new programs will better
and Behaviour, for example, has pulled the Faculty of Science, Stead foresees reflect the research going on in the
in four times as many students since the Department of Neuroscience will department, all of which reflects
2007.” attract a whole new crop of students one aspect or another of mental
Formerly located within the – those scientifically oriented – and a health, addiction, spinal cord injury,
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences’ higher quality of student from a larger Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.
(FASS) Department of Psychology, pool. Canada Research Chairs Hymie
Neuroscience’s faculty members “were “It’s a better fit. Our needs are Anisman and Shawn Hayley
always a little bit of a strange fit,” says standard within this Faculty. For respectively work in neuroscience and
Stead, “in terms of how we conduct our example, it’s understood that behavioural neuroscience. Anisman is a
research.” supervision of students is particularly prolific researcher of stress in humans
Neuroscientists, whose studies time-intensive in a wet lab, where there and mice, and focuses on coping styles
have emerged out of the disciplines of are animals or dangerous chemicals. and depression. Hayley is studying

6 fall 2011