I teach to learn. In the lecture hall and seminar room, my mission is to engage, challenge, and hopefully inspire my students to dig deep in finding connections between neuroscience and our world. These connections will support continued learning well beyond the constraints of the classroom as students engage with their communities.
My teaching extends beyond the walls of the university lecture hall: I engage undergraduates with diverse backgrounds in my laboratory research, and I highly value being part of the mentorship team for my graduate-student collaborators. My mission for classroom visits and community lectures is to advocate for the value of science in society, make research tangible for broad audiences, and make science fun!
- Physiological and behavioral effects of psychoactive drugs such as alcohol, opiates, barbiturates, and excitants. The psychology of use and overuse; therapies for correcting drug problems.
Neuroscience perspectives on drug policy (Honors college colloqium 441)
- In what ways do our current drug policy support or hinder public health, social cohesion, and social justice? What changes would lead to a healthier and more equitable society?
Neuroscience of Morality (Honors college colloqium 441)
- Why we do good things: The philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience of morality.
Music and the Brain, The Neuroscience of Musical Perception (Psy 348)
- Neural correlates of our perception of tonality, harmony, melody, and rhythm framed by acoustics, auditory neurobiology, perceptual grouping mechanisms, brain damage, and cognitive neuroscience.
Research Methods in Psychology (Psy 301)
- Making sense of how and why people feel, think and act the way they do is something we all do everyday — in this course, we will learn how to give ourselves the best shot at making conclusions that are true. We will consider all aspects of empirical resesarch, from formulating a testable scientific hypothesis, to collecting relevant and valid data, to analyzing and communicating these data, to asking what’s next. Whether we read about others’ discoveries or make our own, we should follow the data. The course emphasizes the critical thinking skills that are essential for informative scientific endeavors through evaluating claims through inquiry about validity and reliability, setting the stage for later coursework on statistical analysis.
Developmental Psychology (Psy 308)
- Hold on to your hats! We will review a wide array of contemporary developmental theories and research methods. These theories and methods are diverse and sometimes competing. How does this diversity give rise to our understanding of the human condition across development? You will be introduced to the study of human development across the lifespan in the biological, cognitive, linguistic, and socio-emotional domains. We emphasize scientific research findings, discussing how parents, schools, and other institutions might apply these findings. Themes include: Mechanisms of developmental change; Interaction between biology and environment; How children affect their own development; and Differences — individual and sociocultural.
Neuropsychology (Psy 449)
Graduate Courses:
- Neurodevelopment and brain-based interventions in the prenatal period through early childhood. This course emphasizes developing graduate-level reading, writing, analysis, and presentation skills in neurodevelopment research and intervention science.