MidBrains

of the Upper Midwest

The inaugural MidBrains Undergraduate Neuroscience Conference - MidBrains 2007 - was held at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Saturday, April 28th, 2007. The conference will also be held at Macalester in 2008 and 2009. The date for the 2008 conference is May 3, 2008. The conference is a joint effort of the MidBrains Neuroscience Consortium-- a network of faculty from undergraduate neuroscience programs in the upper midwest. This annual event provides a forum for undergraduate students in the Midwest to present research findings, to attend research lectures and special panels, and to meet other undergraduate students interested in the neurosciences. Representatives from several major research universities are also present to discuss graduate school opportunities. Students are encouraged to submit abstracts in all fields of the neurosciences and related disciplines!

Hope to see you at Macalester College in 2008 and 2009!

CLICK HERE for a map of the Macalester Campus.

Register Online

All attendees are required to register online for MidBrains 2008. Online registration helps us to estimate the number of attendees in advance of the conference and to allocate resources appropriately. There is no registration fee.

Register for MidBrains 2008 »

Submit an Abstract Online

In order to present either a poster or a talk at MidBrains 2008, you'll need to submit an abstract. The abstract should provide a descriptive account of the content of the presentation and should be limited to 200 words. Abstracts will only be accepted for registered attendees, so take a moment to register for the conference before submitting your abstract.

Submit an Abstract for MidBrains 2008 »

The 2008 Conference Schedule

CLICK HERE for the schedule of student research talks and posters.

8:00am - Registration (Smail Gallery, Olin-Rice Hall of Science)

9:30am - 10:30am - Keynote Address (Davis Lecture Hall, Campus Center)

Concurrent Sessions

10:45am - 11:30am - Graduate School Panel (Olin-Rice 241)
Neuroscience faculty from the University of Minnesota, the University of Wisconsin, the University of Chicago and the University of Iowa will discuss their graduate programs in the neurosciences. Information will be provided regarding program goals, research opportunities, admissions procedures, and financial aid specific to these institutions, but the session will be informative for all students considering graduate study in the neurosciences.

10:45am - 11:45am - Faculty Research Talks

10:45am - 11:15am Neural mechanisms of vocal development in the songbird. Teresa Nick, Ph.D., Univ. Minnesota Room 250

11:45am - 12:15am Developments in brain-machine interfaces: Turning thought into action. Nicho Hatsopoulos, Ph.D., Univ. Chicago Room 250

11:45am - 12:15pm Aging Neuroanatomy and Human Emotion. Sergio Paradiso, Ph.D., Univ. Iowa Room 243

11:45am - 12:15pm - Neuroscience Panel: Alternative Careers (Olin-Rice 243)
Learn about careers after completing your undergraduate neuroscience degree.

12:30pm - 1:30pm - Lunch (Box Lunches By Registration)

1:30pm - 2:45pm - Student Research Talks

Olin-Rice 301

1:30pm - 1:45pm Teased-fiber electrophysiological characterization of isolated plantar nerve fibers responsive to Mucuna pruriens induced pruritus. Nick Murray & Danielle Gergen, Gustavus Adolphus College.

1:50pm - 2:05pm Photoperiod alters the phase difference between activity onset in vivo and mPer2::Luc peak in vitro. Carl Mickman, University of St. Thomas.

2:10pm - 2:25pm Endogenous circadian rhythmicity of the clock gene mPer2 in the mouse adrenal as measured by real-time reporting of mPer2::Luc expression in vitro. Daryl Holloway, Katherine Motz, Dominique Simonton & Tyler Smith, University of St. Thomas.

2:30pm - 2:45pm The effects of the alpha-4 beta-2 nicotinic receptor modulator Morantel on REM sleep. Ali Titiz, Grinnell College.

Olin-Rice 352

1:30pm - 1:45pm Interaction of corticotropin-releasing factor and Neuropeptide Y in the regulation of anxiety in rats. Maria Prom, Carleton College.

1:50pm - 2:05pm A test of gestalt processing in Cotton-top Tamarins (Saguinus oedipus). Katherine M. Whillock, Carleton College.

2:10pm - 2:25pm Semantic priming during binocular suppression. Kristine McGlennen & Brandon Baartman, Gustavus Adolphus College.

2:30pm - 2:45pm Inhibitory processing vs. spreading activation: Testing two theories of bilingualism. Laura Hittle, Macalester College.

2:45pm - 3:45pm - Neuroscience Panel (Olin-Rice 250)
Neuroscience faculty from The University of Minnesota, The University of Wisconsin, The University of Iowa, and The University of Chicago will discuss their graduate programs in the neurosciences. Information will be provided regarding program goals, research opportunities, admissions procedures, and financial aid specific to these institutions, but the session will be informative for all students considering graduate study in the neurosciences.

2:45pm - 3:15pm - Faculty Research Talks (Olin-Rice 241)
Mary Behan, Ph.D, Univ. Wisconsin

4:00pm - 5:30pm - Poster Session (Smail Gallery, Olin-Rice Hall)

5:30pm - All-Conference Barbeque (Court Yard, to the side of Olin-Rice Hall)
All conference registrants are invited to attend the traditional MidBrains picnic immediately after the student poster session! Free music and food will be provided, and faculty and graduate students from the three sponsoring graduate institutions will be on hand to discuss their neuroscience programs. What could be more fun? Please plan on attending!

Questions about MidBrains 2008?

Further information will be posted here as it becomes available, but you can also contact Eric Wiertelak, Director of the Cognitive and Neuroscience Studies Program at Macalester College with any questions about MidBrains or the MidBrains 2008 conference.

Last Updated: May 2, 2008.