Neuroscience Research Opportunities

 

Neuroscience Research at Skidmore

Neuroscience-affiliated faculty at Skidmore are interested in a diverse array of scientific questions, including: how genes regulate biological clocks and sleep/activity cycles, how cannabinoids impact adolescent brain development and adult behavior, how neurodegenerative diseases can be understood at the molecular level, how hormones regulate behavior, how the brain processes music, and how the two hemispheres of the brain process information differently (plus much more!).

There are MANY research opportunities for Neuroscience students. Although carrying out research is not required to major in Neuroscience, we strongly encourage all Neuroscience majors to engage in independent research as part of their curriculum, and over 90% of majors end up doing some form of research during their time at Skidmore. We have many avenues into research, and hope that you begin this process sooner rather than later! 

 

Below is more information about the various research opportunities available to Neuroscience majors. Click the links for more info about each item!

Research Facilities - students carrying out research with Skidmore Neuroscience faculty have access to specific equipment within each faculty member's individual research space, and also several shared research spaces, such as the Skidmore McGraw Microscopy Imaging Center, a vertebrate animal facility, etc. Many of these spaces are now housed in the Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences, completed in 2024.

For-Credit Research - During the academic year, there are several for-credit research course options with different credit levels that Neuroscience majors can enroll in, with faculty research mentor approval.

Summer Research - Though more competitive, many Neuroscience majors complete summer research projects at Skidmore. Applications for the upcoming summer are due early in the Spring semester.

 

Conference Travel/Presentation

Many Neuroscience students have the opportunity to present their research. This can happen on-campus, for example at the culmination of summer research projects or during Academic Festival at the end of the academic year. Students can also present regionally, for example at the Hudson-Berkshire chapter of the Society for Neuroscience (SFN) in Albany, or at the NEURON conference at Quinnipiac University. And students can also present nationally or even internationally, for example at the annual SFN conference or Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN) research symposium, among others.

Top Left: Ariana Tucker '24 presents her neuroscience thesis research at Academic Festival. Top Right: Students pose at the Society for Neuroscience (SFN) annual conference in San Diego, 2022. Middle Left: A crew of Skidmore students and faculty at the 2023 NEURON conference. Middle Right: A large group of Skidmore neuroscience students, faculty, and alumni meet for dinner in San Diego during the 2022 SFN conference. Bottom Left: Victoria Thorpe '23 presents at the Skidmore summer research symposium. Bottom Right: Vecsey Lab members enjoy a well-deserved ice cream break during summer 2023.

Publications

Neuroscience students at Skidmore often contribute in meaningful ways to research projects, resulting in authorship on publications. Click the links to see some recent examples!

Ferro et al (2017) - Lagalwar lab

Wang et al (2024) - Vecsey lab

Pelz et al (2017) - López lab

Llabre et al (2022) - Possidente lab

 

How to get involved in research!

Starting in 2022, each Fall semester, the Neuroscience Program has been hosting a Research Fair, which includes an overview of research opportunities, brief introductions to the research going on in each faculty member's lab, and student-led tours of research laboratories. Attending this research fair is a great way to get to know the neuroscience faculty members and the types of neuroscience research they are currently doing at Skidmore, to meet upper-level research students, and to learn how to get involved. Keep an eye out for posters about this annual event!

Please note that you will need to e-mail/talk to your professors in order to enroll in these research courses.  Approach them well before registration period to ask if you can join their lab – spots are competitive and labs can fill quickly.  A good time to ask a professor about joining their lab is after you've just done well in a course taught by that professor.

 

Funding Options

Once you have started a research project in a faculty member's lab, you may want to apply for funding to purchase supplies/equipment, or to support travel either to complete the research itself or to present your results. Below is a list of some of the most common sources of funding for Neuroscience majors. Some of these are college-wide funding mechanisms, and others are specific to the Neuroscience program.

College-Wide Funding Sources

        -Student Opportunity Project Funds - This funding source is perfect to purchase supplies for student research projects during the academic year. There are 2 deadlines for applications for this fund in the Fall semester and another deadline in the Spring.

       - Student Opportunity Travel to Present Funds - This should be students' first stop to get funding to support travel to present their work at conferences. NOTE: Applications for this fund are reviewed on a rolling basis, so you can apply for this fund at any point in the year, even during the summer. Also, as long as your budget is well-documented, you can receive a check prior to paying anything, rather than having to wait to get reimbursed. So try to plan ahead!

       - SEE Beyond Awards - These awards support student internships, research, etc. off-campus, especially during the summer.

       - Summer Experience Fund (SEF) Awards - Another source of funding to support otherwise unpaid experiences off-campus.

Neuroscience Program-Specific Funding Sources

 - Ketterer-Sykes Endowed Fund - this new (beginning 2024-25) source of funding is specific to the Neuroscience Program, and was established by Gwyneth Ketterer, mother of neuroscience major Ellie Ketterer-Sykes '24. This flexible fund can support research as well as travel. See HERE for more info about the creation of this fund.

     TO APPLY: 

Step 1: depending on your need, apply to either the Student Opportunity Project Fund (for research support) or the Student Opportunity Travel to Present Fund (for travel to conferences) - see above for these links. In the latter case, you should include a budget that includes ALL costs of attending the conference, including abstract submission/registration/food/travel/housing/etc. 

Step 2: If you do not receive enough funding to fully support your needs, you will be recommended to apply to the NS Program through the Ketterer-Sykes Endowed Fund. To do so, send the current Director of the Neuroscience Program your original application, plus the official response you received that states how much funding the College will provide you, plus a statement of how much additional funding you are seeking. 

Step 3: The NS Steering Committee will review your application, and will notify you if you are approved. If so, you will be provided with a check. Our goal is for students to be fully funded so they do not need to pay anything out of pocket to attend a neuroscience conference, although this may not always be the case based on ebb and flow in student needs from year to year.

1. Priority will be given to students presenting data with an NS-affiliated faculty member at Skidmore. You can apply while a Skidmore student or within a year after graduating.

2. You are required to apply for Student Opportunity Funds first. Application for external funds is also encouraged.

3. You should show evidence of seeking affordable accommodations (such as staying with at least 1 roommate).

4. Travel to and from the location of the conference (once per day) is covered, but we encourage use of free conference buses when available.

       - Neuroscience IDC Fund - this funding source has accumulated from the indirect costs (IDC) from neuroscience faculty members' grants, and can be used to support student travel to conferences, etc., when other funding options have been exhausted.