Seth J. Ramus
Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
Spring 2008
- Intermediate Independent Study in Neuroscience (NEURO 291)
- Advanced Independent Study and Honors in Neuroscience (NEURO 402)
- Advanced Independent Study and Honors in Neuroscience (NEURO 403)
- Data Analysis (PSYC 252)
- Data Analysis (PSYC 252L1)
- Memory and Brain (PSYC 319)
| Phone | (207) 725-3624 |
| Title | Assistant Professor |
| Department | PSYCHOLOGY |
| 2nd Title | Assistant Professor |
| 2nd Department | NEUROSCIENCE |
| Work Location | 220 Kanbar Hall |
| sramus@bowdoin.edu |
Education
BA, Psychology, University of California, Berkeley (1990)
PhD, Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego (1996)
Academic Interests:
Seth's academic interests include the neurobiology of learning and memory, neuropsychology, and comparative cognition. In the lab, he uses behavioral and neurophysiological recording techniques to study the long-term storage of memory in the brain.
Research:
The Ramus lab studies the neurobiology of learning and memory at the systems level of analysis. Primarily, research in the lab focuses on the hippocampal memory system (sometimes called the medial temporal lobe memory system) and its interactions with the association neocortex. The hippocampal system is critical for the storage and retrieval of long-term memories, but it is not the final storage site. We believe that the memory system normally interacts with the association neocortex during learning, and that these cortical areas are the ultimate storage sites for memory. To look for evidence of these interactions, we are using multi-unit, multi-channel electrophysiological techniques to record from neurons in the memory system and neocortex while rats learn about odors. A second focus of the lab is to understand the precise role of the hippocampus itself in memory. To do this, we are examining the effects of lesions restricted to the hippocampus or fornix on a variety of memory tasks in rats.
Selected recent publications:
Ramus SJ, Eichenbaum HB (2000) Neural correlates of olfactory recognition memory in the rat orbitofrontal cortex. Journal of Neuroscience, 20(21): 8199-8208. ( abstract » • full text » • PDF »)
Eichenbaum H, Alvarez P, Ramus SJ (2000) Animal models of amnesia. In: L Cermak (Ed.), Handbook of Neuropsychology, 2nd Edition, Vol. 2: Memory Disorders, Amsterdam: Elsevier Science, pp. 1-24. ( table of contents » )
Schoenbaum G, Setlow B, Ramus SJ (2003) A systems approach to orbitofrontal cortex function: recordings in rat orbitofrontal cortex reveal interactions with different learning systems. Behavioural Brain Research, 146: 19-29. ( abstract » )
Herrick S, Goldstein A, Sansone J, Ramus SJ (2004) Hippocampal lesions impair both spatial and non-spatial alternation memory in rats. -Abstracts of the Society for Neuroscience. ( PDF » )
Yates JR, Curtis N, Ramus SJ (2004) Collaboration between laboratory courses at different colleges as a tool for teaching and research. -Abstracts of the Society for Neuroscience.