Neuroscience
Departments
The major is overseen by the interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program. Neuroscience faculty come from the following departments:
The Faculty
Centenary faculty members from six departments teach courses that are part of the neuroscience major. The Biology Department has a $1 million Eminent Scholars Chair in neuroscience. The Philosophy Department has a $1 million Eminent Scholars Chair whose expertise is philosophy of mind. The Psychology Department has recently received a $1 million endowed chair, whose holder will teach in the program. One of the greatest advantages of Centenary’s neuroscience program, however, is the proximity and extensive participation of faculty from LSUHSC and the Biomedical Research Institute. As a result, many Centenary students benefit from both a challenging and nurturing liberal arts college while obtaining valuable research experience at a major research institution.
About the Major
The interdisciplinary field of neuroscience seeks to understand the many functions of nervous systems, including those of the human brain. Modern neuroscientists are working on problems as diverse as the genetic cause of neurological disease and the neural basis of consciousness. This rapidly growing discipline draws on the techniques and traditions of neurobiology, psychology, computer science and philosophy, among other fields.
The program occupies recently renovated teaching and student research space in Mickle Hall of Science that has been equipped by grants from the Louisiana Board of Regents and gifts from the National Institutes of Health.
Centenary’s neuroscience program is committed to independent laboratory experimentation as a vehicle both for learning science and for fostering curiosity. Thus, every student in the program will complete an undergraduate thesis under the supervision of an appropriate faculty member with the expectation of publication in professional journals. Recently, students in the program have presented their research results at national and international meetings. Faculty members at Centenary and nearby Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center are available to supervise neuroscience student research.
Career Opportunities
Neuroscience is such a diverse field that it is difficult to characterize all the career opportunities available. Many neuroscience students will go on to graduate school in medicine or allied health fields. Others will seek advanced degrees in philosophy or computer science. Still other neuroscience students will find rewarding jobs in biomedical research laboratories or the mental health field—without additional education. Because the neuroscience program requires extensive research experience and diverse course work in all three divisions of the College—natural sciences, social sciences and humanities—our graduates will be highly sought by graduate schools and prospective employers.
