At a university known for innovation, Georgia State’s Brains & Behavior (B&B) area of focus is making its mark by connecting research from across the institution into a powerful, collaborative hub free from traditional silos.
At the program’s recent annual retreat, at which it celebrated its 20th anniversary, more than 250 experts and students showcased research centered on the study of the brain but involving fields as varied as neuroscience, music, occupational therapy and biology.
“The energy, excitement and intellect of our students — along with innovative research — really highlights what makes the Brains & Behavior program so special,” said Anne Murphy, a neuroscience professor, acting director of the Neuroscience Institute at Georgia State and head of the program.
Among the research posters presented during the retreat was one focused on how to help people recover after a stroke. The research involved faculty from Georgia State’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics. Another poster developed in the Kinesiology Department focused on gauging college athletes’ mental health. In another project, researchers looked at the neurobiology of prayer.
More than 50 students also showcased poster presentations, highlighting how the Brains & Behavior program serves as a touchpoint for students interested in various disciplines represented across the university.
“This program allows really powerful connections to be made,” said Elizabeth Weaver II, associate director of the B&B program and a member of its Interdisciplinary Committee. “Our faculty comes from 15 different departments, so students are pulled into a vast community of people who can support their work.”
The program’s impact on students is remarkable. Over the life of the program, the B&B initiative has successfully supported the mentorship and development of more than 150 graduate fellows and over 250 undergraduate scholars.
DEVELOPING EXPERTS
Ella Atkinson is an occupational therapy doctoral student conducting research to help stroke survivors use piano therapy to aid in recovery at home. She was one of a handful of students selected to give a Fellow Talk at the retreat to present her research.
“B&B has significantly enhanced both my research and academic experience at Georgia State,” Atkinson said. “I love how I am able to apply what I learn through the program to my occupational therapy-based courses and also strengthen my ongoing research.”
Megan Vogt is a Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience. Her research explores how morphine exposure during pregnancy can affect brain development and memory. She’s on track to defend her dissertation by December, and plans to begin teaching undergraduate neuroscience courses in the Atlanta area.
“The experience of giving an oral presentation at the retreat was especially useful as a small taste of what my dissertation defense will be like in the fall,” Vogt said.
It’s not just students who gain from this community, however. More than 100 faculty members across the university are part of the program.
Sarah Brosnan is a Distinguished University Professor of Psychology. She is one of the first faculty hires of the program and works at the nexus of psychology, philosophy and neuroscience. She also holds a leadership position in the B&B program as a policymaker.
“Being a scientist requires expertise in a variety of skills that are hard to learn in a classroom,” Brosnan said. “You can tell someone how to develop a hypothesis or the experiment to test it, but having an experienced mentor who can support you through the process is invaluable.”
MODEL FOR SUCCESS
Brosnan says she’s especially proud of how Brains & Behavior’s innovative Seed Grant program has become a point of pride across the university.
“One of the markers of B&B’s success is the incredible amount of external funding that has been generated from our collaborations and seed grants, which I think is due to bringing together faculty and students who share these interests from across the university,” Brosnan said. “We have also trained hundreds of graduate and undergraduate students who have gone on to great success. This large-scale interdisciplinary program is a model for success across other fields.”
According to Weaver, the Seed Grant program offers an impressive 17-to-1 return on investment, contributing to more than $66 million in extramural funding to date.
This fall, a new cohort of fellows will begin their journey, launching into the 21st year of the B&B program. Given the impact so far, there’s little doubt they’ll be helping to shape the future of collaborative research and our understanding of the human brain.
