Undergraduate Opportunities
Neuroscience Major and Minor
UNE's bachelor of science degree in neuroscience is an interdisciplinary major offering coursework and research opportunities from faculty in various departments and colleges. The curriculum is designed to allow students to explore the structure and function of the nervous system.
A student with a GPA of at least 2.25, can minor in neuroscience with the approval of the Psychology Department Chair. Declarations must occur prior to the completion of the first semester of the junior year.
Neuroscience Club and Volunteering
The Neuroscience Club hosts a variety of events throughout the year, covering a range of neuroscience topics. It also raises funds for the Michel T. Goulet Foundation and works to educate children and adults on traumatic brain injuries and diseases.
The club typically meets two to three times a month and caters to individuals with an interest in all things neuroscience. Activities, fundraisers, and meetings are all centered around neuroscience-related events. All students are invited to join this club 鈥 not just neuroscience majors and minors.
All of these volunteer activities can be counted toward citizenship hours.
The Neuroscience Club encourages all members to participate in the Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences鈥 K-12 Outreach Program. This program unites faculty, professional staff, graduate, and undergraduate students while bringing interactive learning to area schools. The activities are designed to introduce such neuroscience topics as anatomy and physiology, injury and injury prevention, addiction, and cognition. Students are trained by UNE staff and invited to go to local schools to teach students one of the many modules that the Neuroscience Center has developed.
The annual UNE Brain, Body, and Wellness Fair engages the local community in brain exploration. The goal of the fair is to promote interest in STEM disciplines (neuroscience in particular) within the greater community. Students, professional staff, and faculty develop neuroscience-related hands-on activities and experiments for the general public, resulting in a science museum-like experience for the local community. The fair is held in celebration of Brain Awareness Week.
The Southern Maine Brain Bee is the first step in an international Brain Bee competition that brings together students from near and far to test their knowledge on brain-related topics. Hosted by the Center of Excellence in the Neurosciences, local high school students compete in a bee-like competition answering questions about the brain鈥檚 biology, cellular function, anatomy, physiology, psychology, and more. Before the Bee, the Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences will host some activities to help participating students prep for the Bee.
For more information email Michael Burman at mburman@une.edu. For more information on volunteer opportunities email the Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences at cen@une.edu.
Neuroscience Student Research: Exploring New Treatments for Corneal Pain
Meet Professor Ian D. Meng, Ph.D., and Gillian Singer (Neuroscience 鈥23) as they study ocular pain by mapping out the corneal nerves.
Research Opportunities
Interested in working in a neuroscience lab? One of the best ways to determine if you want to go into a career in neuroscience is to volunteer or work in a lab.
Student Research Funding Opportunities
Kahn Family Foundation
The Kahn Family Foundation has awarded funding for neuroscience research to UNE undergraduate and medical students since 2021. Kahn research fellows work with a faculty mentor to design and carry out their own research projects. With this support, fellows also have the opportunity to present their work at regional and national conferences, gaining invaluable experience that will help build their future careers.
Past Kahn funding recipients
| Student | Faculty Advisor | Project Title |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Caterina | Geoffrey Ganter, Ph.D. | The role of Gilgamesh in nociceptive sensitivity of larval fruit flies |
| Tyler Vesey | Tamara King, Ph.D. | Sex differences in knee joint pain in relation to joint pathology |
| Caitlin Quattrochio | Tamara King, Ph.D. | The Role of Spinal Cord Processing of Sensory Input in Maintaining Movement Evoked Breakthrough Pain |
| Hannah LaCourse | Glenn Stevenson, Ph.D. | D1 Dopamine/Mu Opioid Receptor Interactions in Operant Conditioning Assays of PainDepressed Responding and Drug-Induced Rate Suppression: Assessment of Therapeutic Index in Rats |
| Aidan Fox | Michael Burman | Effects of DNA-methyltransferase inhibition on the lasting effects of neonatal pain. |
| Mohammad Atif-Sheikh | Benjamin Harrison, Ph.D. | The Nerve Growth Factor Signaling Coordinator, CD2AP is Expressed in Cholinergic Neurons of the Central Nervous System |
| Student | Faculty Advisor | Project Title |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Alen | Tamara King, Ph.D. | Mechanisms underlying sex differences in temporomandibular joint pain |
| Kathreryn Lannon | Paul Berkner, D.O. | Pilot study to evaluate the efficacy of using rhythmic auditory stimulation as a treatment in individuals sustaining a mild traumatic brain injury |
| William White | Geoffrey Ganter, Ph.D. | Investigation of the role of Gilgamesh (Casein Kinase 饾浘 1) in nociceptive sensitivity in adult D. Melanogaster |
| Ahmad Koshar | Ling Cao, M.D., Ph.D. | Identifying candidate drugs to treat tat-associated HIV sensory neuropathy through bioinformatic analysis |
| Hayley Gibson | Paul Berkner, D.O. | Youth Concussion Project: A Pilot Project on Youth Concussion Education |
| Caitlyn Daly | Tamara King, Ph.D. | Salivary markers of pain relief in acute dental pain |
Graduate Opportunities
Programs
Masters Program
UNE offers an M.S. in Biological Sciences. Thesis work for this program can be done in a neuroscience lab.
Ph.D. Program
The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering (GSBSE), offered through the University of Maine, is a graduate program that includes six cooperating academic and research institutions in Maine: The 麻豆直播, The Jackson Laboratory, MDI Biological Laboratory, University of Southern Maine, University of Maine, and Maine Medical Center Research Institute.
As a student enrolled in the program, you can choose the institution you want to do your dissertation work at, with the University of Maine as the Ph.D.-granting institution.
The GSBSE program provides diverse interdisciplinary training through a Biomedical Science or Biomedical Engineering track. For more information on this program, please visit the .
CEN Faculty Who Are Accepting Rotating GSBSE Students
