Welcome to the Center for Neurodynamics

***** NEUROSCIENCE CERTIFICATE APPROVED ****

UMSL's Certificate in Neuroscience was approved by Missouri's Coordinating Board of Higher Education in April. Undergraduates can now take courses from a variety of interdisciplinary neuro-related areas in order to earn the Certificate.

***** NEURODYNAMICISTS IN THE NEWS ****

Professor Brit Brogaard recently discussed her work on savant syndrome on ABC's Nightline. To see the full episode, click here.

***** RECENT EVENTS ****

On Friday April 30, Prof. Brigita Urbanc of Drexel University gave a colloquium jointly sponsored by the Center for Neurodynamics and the Department of Physics and Astronomy. She discussed her work on the structure of the beta amyloid protein, which plays a key role in the development of Alzheimer's disease. To read more about her research, visit: http://www.physics.drexel.edu/~brigita/.

On Thursday March 15, Center member Prof. Berit Brogaard will give a special colloquium jointly sponsored by the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and the Center for Neurodynamics. Please join us at 3 pm in 302 Express Scripts Hall (coffee & cookies available before at 2:30) to hear about Prof. Brogaard's brain imaging studies of a mathematical savant. Her talk will explore the boundaries between neuroscience, mathematics, and the philosophy of mind.

Professor Jackie Sullivan of the University of Alabama at Birmingham visited UMSL on March 2 to give a special colloquium about her recent research, hosted jointly by the Center for Neurodynamics, the Department of Philosophy, and the Department of Physics & Astrononomy. For more information please click here.

Center Expands, Adds New Members

In 2011, the Center for Neurodynamics welcomed four new members: Berit Brogaard of UMSL’s Department of Philosophy, Mike Nichols of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Carl Bassi from the College of Optometry, and George Taylor, Chair of the Department of Psychology. Their research interests range from the imaging of brain activity in autistic savants to the study of the formation of amyloid beta plaques in Alzheimer’s disease. With the addition of these new members, the Center now includes all those on the UMSL campus whose work involves interdisciplinary studies in the brain sciences. We are looking forward to an expanded role in the UMSL community as we provide a virtual meeting place and intellectual “home” for a variety of researchers. Stay tuned for announcements of interdisciplinary talks hosted by the Center in the winter semester of 2012.

Frank Moss (1934-2011)

The Center for Neurodynamics, the UMSL community, and many scientists throughout the world continue to mourn the loss of Frank Moss. This January 4th marks the one year anniversary of his death, and his friends and colleagues still find it difficult to wrap their minds around the idea that he is gone.

This past year has seen several international workshops held in Frank’s honor. A special Focus Issue of the journal Chaos is currently in press, dedicated to Frank, and collecting a wide range of papers in the field of complex stochastic dynamics in biology, which he helped to found. The Focus Issue should appear in early 2012, and a link to the issue will be posted here as soon as it is published.