Student Research
Advanced neuroscience majors are encouraged to undertake a program of independent study or honors research in the senior year. In addition, many students pursue research at Bowdoin over the summer or during their sophomore and junior years.
Students work closely with faculty members on projects of their own interest or on projects related to the research interest of the faculty member. In this setting, students are able to apply the skills they have learned in other courses, and to develop their skills in experimental design, critical thinking, and scientific writing. Student projects are often of very high quality; students have been co-authors with faculty on a number of publications, and honors students frequently present their research at national or regional neuroscience meetings.
The program encourages students who are interested in the honors program to begin planning early, as it is often possible for students to begin their research during the summer after their junior year or earlier. This concentrated research time has been a valuable educational experience for many majors. Students pursuing honors in neuroscience give oral presentations at the end of each semester and write a senior thesis.
Prizes for outstanding research, fellowships for summer research with faculty, honors projects, and independent study are among the many opportunities our students have in the field.
The Munno Neuroscience Prize Fund was established in 2001 by David Munno, a member of the Class of 1999. With majors in biochemistry and neuroscience, David Munno graduated magna cum laude. His honors project was aimed at understanding the development and regeneration of synapses by which neurons communicate.
Income from the fund will be used annually to award the Munno Neuroscience Prize to the Bowdoin student who has conducted the most outstanding research in neuroscience.