On Friday, April 28th, faculty and students from the Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Physiology provided a unique opportunity for high school students from Yellow Springs High School to engage in neuroscience and the scientific process. For ninety minutes, students experienced the Neuro Lab, which is centered on the interaction between the nervous system and musculature, and allowed the students to be neuroscientists, conducting experiments and collecting data related to this topic.
Students were also introduced to concepts regarding what neuroscience is, why it’s important, and what neuroscientists do. As an exciting and challenging interdisciplinary field, neuroscience is often referred to as one of the “last frontiers.” Researchers strive to understand how neural activity relates to the function and organization of the nervous system, and its impact on behavior and cognitive functions.
The Neuro Lab will be expanded during the next academic year, to reach a larger group of regional high school students. For more information, contact Patrick Sonner at patrick.sonner@wright.edu.
Furthermore, this Fall 2017, Wright State University will become the second university in southwestern Ohio to offer a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience. The program will utilize active-learning strategies that emphasize how fields of science and mathematics can be applied to neuroscience. The approach will help prepare students for advanced careers of the future.
