In response to the growing importance of neuroscience research in the behavioral sciences, a neuroscience laboratory has been established for teaching in psychology. Laboratory experience at all levels of the undergraduate social science curriculum is offered from freshman seminars to advanced seminars and independent research projects. The core of this project is a new upper level course, Laboratory in Physiological Psychology, which provides instruction in modern neuroanatomical methods. This project requires equipment for preparation of animals, for histological processing of neural tissue, and for analyzing and recording the resulting material. Thus, the equipment includes operating microscopes for surgery, a sliding microtome to cut frozen sections, and compound microscopes equipped to observe and record fluorescent tracers. This facility complements the college's molecular neuroscience facility in biology and makes available comprehensive neuroscience laboratory courses. The award will be matched by an equal amount from the grantee.
