Neuroscience

Administration
Tara T. Lineweaver, PhD, Program Director

Affiliated Faculty

Professors

Stuart Glennan, PhD ; Jennifer R. Kowalski, PhD; Tara T. Lineweaver , PhD

Associate Professors

Jennifer N. Berry, PhD

Program Website
www.butler.edu/neuroscience

Neuroscience is a fast-growing field that encompasses multiple disciplines including biology, psychology, computer science, and philosophy. The interdisciplinary Neuroscience program introduces students to the brain, how it functions, and the consequences of its dysfunction due to abnormal development, disease, or injury. Its scope ranges from molecular and cellular biology to complex animal and human neurological systems. Students will study the effects of the nervous system on behavior, cognition, and emotion and dive into brain activity modeling through artificial intelligence and computer science.

Why Study Neuroscience at Butler?

Butler’s interdisciplinary Neuroscience program not only assures students acquire knowledge about and recognize the breadth of this immense field but also requires students to narrow their focus and gain depth of knowledge by choosing from various concentrations: Biological, Computational, and Psychological. Students also have the option to complete more than one concentration, depending on their interests.

Butler faculty span a wide range of neuroscientific expertise, with research labs focused at various levels of analysis including C Elegans (microscopic worms), rodent, and human models of the nervous system. Students are encouraged to engage in research early in their undergraduate careers in the context of a strong apprentice model where undergraduates work directly with faculty members on their research. Located in a large metropolitan area, with multiple medical centers, universities, and health care industries near campus, students also have opportunities to complete internships and research experiences at near-campus locations.

The Neuroscience program at Butler is designed to be flexible, preparing students equally well for direct entry into the workforce or the pursuit of graduate or professional studies, including medical school. Graduates of this program can expect to pursue careers in research, academia, healthcare, biotechnology, data analysis, policy, and much more.

Neuroscience Student Learning Outcomes

As neuroscience majors, students will learn to:

Demonstrate knowledge of fundamental concepts, theories, and methods, both within Neuroscience and within their chosen concentration.
Critique scientific, clinical, and philosophical literature for its impact on neuroscientific inquiry.
Design scientifically rigorous and ethical research.
Communicate effectively about scientific and technical concepts, questions, and information.
Articulate the metaphysical, moral, and societal complexities that arise as we develop a unified neuroscientific understanding of mind, brain, and behavior.
Appreciate the value and challenges of integrating the multiple disciplinary perspectives that make up neuroscientific research and practice.

Programs

Major

Neuroscience, BA or BS

Minor