Neuroscience Minor Outreach & Research

What is Interdisciplinary Neuroscience?

Interdisciplinary neuroscience explores the relationship between our brains and behavior from multiple perspectives, including psychology, biology, speech and hearing sciences, social science, systems science, direct community engagement, and the arts.

Memory, attention, perception, language, feeling, and decision-making in social contexts all depend on brain structure and function. People in this field examine how the underlying physiology of the nervous system relates to individuals’ psychological and behavioral processes.

Those with training in interdisciplinary neuroscience can pursue a variety of careers. Many individuals, particularly with graduate training, may conduct research in both laboratory and clinical settings, and work in academic, business, healthcare, education, art and policy-making environments.

Neuroscience Minor Requirements

Your Choice: Neuroscience Outreach or Research

As part of the core requirements for the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Minor, you will either choose an Outreach option or a Research option. Both are independent studies, or "By Arrangement" courses.

In the foreground, a brain painted in rainbow colors. Behind it, a grinning girl holds out her hands. Photo courtesy of NW Noggin.

Outreach

Students who choose the Outreach option for the Neuroscience minor will work with NW Noggin. Northwest Noggin is a robust, creative, entirely volunteer-driven non-profit organization that brings together scientists and artists and students of all ages to contribute their expertise, listen and learn from others, enthuse young people about science and art, share area educational resources and inform and excite the public about ongoing, taxpayer-supported neuroscience research.

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A rat brain with cerebellum, cerebrum, olafactory bulbs, and brainstem labeled.

Research

Students who choose the Research option for the Neuroscience minor will gain research experience in neuroscience, biology, psychology or a closely related field. Students should plan to spend at least 16 hours/week in your lab during the research "By-Arrangement" term, meet once a month with your instructor to go over progress, and write at least one detailed post about your research experience for NW Noggin.

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Outreach Option

Expectations

You will commit to joining multiple (at least five) outreach visits to schools, houseless youth organizations, correctional facilities and more. You will also write up detailed, publicly accessible posts about your experiences and the research you discussed. You can see more detail on a sample syllabus (PDF).

How to Enroll

Email Dr. Bill Griesar (griesar@pdx.edu) as early as possible to confirm which term you will earn credit for outreach. You will want to make sure they still need volunteers for upcoming events. NW Noggin has a detailed Outreach calendar here.
Psy 403-Outreach is an independent study, or "By Arrangement" course. You will not register for this class in the Registration Hub.
Once you are able to register for the upcoming term, you will need to go into the By Arrangement Dashboard and Start a New Request. Enter the following information:
- Subject-Select PSY-Psychology
- Course Type-Select 403,503,603 (Thesis/Dissertation)
- Course Number-Select 403
- Credits-Enter 4
- Grade Method-Select Graded
- Community-Based Learning-Select Yes
- Course Title-This should autofill “Thesis”
- Course Description-I will join at least 5 outreach visits with NW Noggin, and will write up detailed, publicly accessible posts about my experiences and the research I discussed. I may develop new outreach materials or lesson plans to share with public school teachers. I will check in with the course instructor once each month to go over progress in the course.
When you submit your request, it will go to Dr. Griesar and the Psychology department chair for approval, then go to the registrar for processing. Once it is processed, the class will show up on your schedule.

Outreach Opportunities

NW Noggin Outreach

NW Noggin volunteers stand behind a table, holding various neuroscience models. Photo courtesy of NW Noggin.

Kids hold out their hands to hold a brain being offered to them by a NW Noggin volunteer. Photo courtesy of NW Noggin.

NW Noggin volunteers show brains to grade schoolers. Photo courtesy of NW Noggin.

A group of NW Noggin volunteers hold neuroscience models and a banner with the parts of the brain labeled. Photo courtesy of NW Noggin.

A boy holds a brain in his hands while another looks at brains on a table. Photo courtesy of NW Noggin.

A smiling boy holds a brain in both hands. Photo courtesy of NW Noggin.

A NW Noggin volunteer shows a brain to young girls. Photo courtesy of NW Noggin.

A volunteer holds a model of neurons while a young boy looks at brain pieces in a tray.

A NW Noggin volunteer holds a model of neurons in one hand while assisting a young boy, who is looking at pieces of brains in a tray. Photo courtesy of NW Noggin.

A young girl looks at a piece of a brain; a second young girl chooses a brain from a pan.

A young girl looks at a piece of a brain in her hands. A second young girl chooses a brain from a pan. Photo courtesy of NW Noggin.

Standing next to a skeleton model, a boy holds a brain in both hands. Photo courtesy of NW Noggin.

A NW Noggin volunteer helps a young girl hold part of a brain. Photo courtesy of NW Noggin.

High school girls take a brain from a NW Noggin volunteer. Photo courtesy of NW Noggin.

Research Option

Expectations

It is the student's responsibility to identify a specific field of research and potential faculty mentors, and request a position in their research program. Students may use any research experience and work with any mentor who can provide them with neuroscience-related research experience. Research mentors can be outside the PSU community as long as the student can identify a PSU faculty co-sponsor.

Generally, to find a lab, you will have to reach out and see what’s available at OHSU and Legacy Research Institute.

For OHSU, you can explore this website: Volunteer Opportunities in Research.
For Legacy, you’ll need to fill out a special form, send it to your "By-Arrangement" instructor, and potentially wait until they feel a good match is found. They have extremely limited slots. Please email griesar@pdx.edu if you are interested.

You will commit to spending 16 hours/week in research-related activities (lab work, writing, training), checking in at least once/month with your instructor to go over progress, and writing at least one detailed post about your research experience for NW Noggin, so that other students and the general public can learn what it's like. You can see more detail on a sample syllabus (PDF).

How to Enroll

You must have a current research lab placement to enroll in Psy 401-Research.
Psy 401-Research is an independent study, or "By Arrangement" course. You will not register for this class in the Registration Hub.
Once you are able to register for the upcoming term, you will need to go into the By Arrangement Dashboard and Start a New Request. Enter the following information:
- Subject-Select PSY-Psychology
- Course Type-Select 401,501,601 (Research)
- Course Number-Select 401
- Credits-Enter 4
- Grade Method-Select Research
- Community-Based Learning-Select No
- Course Title-This should autofill “RES”
- Course Description-I will spend 16 hours/week in research-related activities (lab work, writing, training), check in at least once/month with my instructor to go over progress, and write at least one detailed post about my research experience for NW Noggin.
When you submit your request, it will go to your instructor and the Psychology department chair for approval, then go to the registrar for processing. Once it is processed, the class will show up on your schedule.

What is Research Like?