(December 9, 2011)

Neuroscience Students Present Research in Washington D. C.

SHREVEPORT, LA — Three Centenary students presented their research among 16,000 other abstracts at the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) 41st Annual Meeting in Washington D. C. The annual meeting is the premier venue for research on the brain and nervous system with an average of over 32,000 neuroscientists attending every year.

"Our students are able to gain experience and make invaluable contacts in the field by attending a national annual meeting like the Society for Neuroscience conference," said Dr. Greg Butcher, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience. "They were able to attend lectures, symposia, and posters sessions in vast array of subjects, from neurodegenerative diseases to how human behavior drives the economy."

Neuroscience majors Roumta Odisho and Milicent Davis along with Biology/Neuroscience major James Hall presented the poster "Analgesic Effects of Perfluroalkyl Derivatives of Ibuprofen" during the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN) session of the meeting.

This collaborative project involved techniques from multiple disciplines and was developed under the supervision of Dr. Greg Butcher, Dr. Scott Chirhart, and Dr. Joshua Lawrence. The project also utilized the inexpensive tail flick analgesia meter, a piece of equipment developed by Centenary alumnus Aaron Otto, Dr. Troy Messina, and Dr. Greg Butcher.

FUN is an international organization that is focused on neuroscience education and research at the undergraduate level. The organization provides an array of resources for faculty and sponsors student travel awards as well as a poster session so that undergraduate researchers can both attend and present work at SfN's annual meeting.

Since 1969, the Society for Neuroscience has grown from 500 members to over 40,000. Today, SfN is the world's largest organization of scientists and physicians devoted to advancing understanding of the brain and nervous system.