Announcements Congratulations to the New CNS OCMs!

Hollis Mills
Abhinav Goyal
Zoey Chopra

"The Marshmallow Test"--Discussing the Work of Dr. Walter Mischel: Wednesday, April 22nd @ 8 PM, Pupin 424

Join the CNS for a lively discussion on the research of Columbia Professor and social psychologist Dr. Walter Mischel. Dr. Mischel is a leader in personality theory, examining concepts such as delayed gratification and self-regulation. We will spend the evening discussing his book, "The Marshmallow Test," and maybe even enjoy some marshmallow treats afterwards!

Physician Panel: Probing the Brains of Neurologists and Neurosurgeons: Thursday, April 2nd @ 8 PM, Hamilton 717

Join us for a Q&A with a panel of current residents and physicians in the Neurosurgery and Neurology departments of New York Presbyterian Hospital/ Columbia University Medical Center. Our panelists each have diverse research and clinical interests, and this event will be an opportunity for you to ask them about their time in medical school, their decision to pursue a neuro-related specialty, potential shadowing and research opportunities, and anything else! Refreshments will be provided.

Here is the panelist line-up:

You can RSVP at the Facebook event page. Also, please check out the event flyer.

CeleBrain, in honor of Brain Awareness Week: Thursday, March 12th @ 2-5 PM, Low Plaza

The CNS, in collaboration with Columbia Brainiacs, is excited to invite you all to one of our biggest events of the year, "CeleBrain," being held this Thursday, March 12th on Low Plaza from 2 to 5 pm. In honor of Brain Awareness Week, a global campaign to increase awareness about brain research, we will be giving away brain T-shirts, prizes, "power" snacks and drinks to boost your brain, and more. Drop by our table outside Low Plaza for brain-related demos, games, and trivia!

Grand prizes include:

Please check out the flyer and join the Facebook event. You can learn more about Brain Awareness Week at the Dana Foundation website.

Brain Insight Lecture "In Darwin's Footsteps: Witnessing the Origin of a New Species in the Galapagos": Tuesday, March 3rd @ 6:30-8:00 PM, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Lecture Hall (2950 Broadway)

Pulitzer-prize-winning author Jonathan Weiner of Columbia University will tell a story of discovery. By going back to the Galapagos year after year, scientists in Darwin's islands have now witnessed an event that Darwin himself did not think could be seen at all. The work throws light on many aspects of the science of life--including the science of the brain. See the attached flyer for more information.

Kavli Institute NeuroLunch Seminar: Tuesday February 10th @ 12PM, 800 Fairchild

Enjoy a free lunch with Dr. Rayman, neuroscientist from the lab of Nobel laureate Dr. Eric Kandel, and hear him discuss his research on post-traumatic stress disorder!

Speaker: Joseph B. Rayman, PhD
Department of Neuroscience, The Kavli Institute for Brain Science
Kandel Lab
"TIA-1-deficient mice: A novel gene x environment model of stress vulnerability"

Presentation Summary:
PTSD and other stress-related psychiatric disorders are caused by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors. However, we have yet to identify specific genes that reliably predict the development of these disorders. Towards this goal, Dr. Rayman's research in mice has led to the identification of TIA1 as a potential susceptibility locus for stress vulnerability, a question that is now being investigated in human populations. These studies may provide new molecular insight into the biological basis of PTSD and anxiety.

Synapse Series: Wednesday February 4th @ 8PM, 511 Kent

Behind every note is a neuron. It may sound strange, but neuroscientists are looking for new ways to visualize music, and it doesn't look like your traditional five-line staff. Come to our general body Synapse Series to discuss what happens in your brain as you listen to your favorite tune, and what that means for how we perceive, create, and experience music. We will focus our discussion on this article from Nature, which reviews several neuroimaging studies that all attempt to find the connection between music and the brain. This event is open to all, meaning you do not have to have any neuroscience background to attend!

First General Body Meeting of the Semester: Sunday February 1st @ 3PM, Jed D. Satow Room in Lerner Hall

Join us this Sunday, February 1st at 3 PM for our first general body meeting of the semester. We will discuss our lineup of events for the semester and how you can get more involved with the CNS. We'll also play a game of Brain Facts trivia and discuss some recent research in the field.

Apply to be on the CNS Executive Board!

If you are interested in becoming a part of our executive board, please read and fill out the application below. Applications will be due on Sunday, January 25th. Selected applicants will be invited for an interview on Monday the 26th. Please direct any questions to nl2426@columbia.edu.

CNS Board Application

Brain Insight Lecture: "Race matters, but not how you think it does: How stereotypes affect how we live, work, play and pray," featuring Dr. Valerie Purdie-Vaughns - Wednesday, December 3rd from 6:30-8 PM at 515 Malcolm X Blvd

Dr. Purdie-Vaughns is an associate professor in the Psychology Department at Columbia. Her talk will cover recent findings in brain science that can be used by individuals to reduce stress and improve performance, and that could help bridge racial and gender disparities in the population. See this flyer for more information.

NeuroNutrition Talk with Dr. Avena - Tuesday, December 2nd at 6 PM in 302 Fayerweather Hall

Ever wonder why you just can't put down the junk food? Is it possible that some people are actually addicted to sweets? Join us next week at "NeuroNutrition," a guest speaker event featuring Dr. Nicole Avena from the New York Obesity Research Center. Dr. Avena is a research neuroscientist and author. She will be discussing her research on sugar and junk food addiction in a presentation and Q&A session. Food will be provided (healthy options of course).

9th Annual Research Symposium, Saturday Nov 22nd

Are you looking to gain research experience and join a lab on campus?

The Columbia Neuroscience Society is pleased to announce that our 9th Annual Research Fair will be taking place next Saturday, November 22nd from 1 to 3 PM in Lerner's Satow Room (5th floor).

This year, we will have representatives from various research labs across several disciplines, including departments in Neuroscience, Biochemistry, Anatomy and the Cell, Biomedical Informatics, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Mathematics, and Biomedical Engineering. All research groups are open to and/or actively recruiting undergraduates, so this will be a great opportunity for students to meet and learn about various research groups and to find research positions.

The event is open to all undergraduates in the Columbia community, so mark your calendars for Saturday, November 22nd from 1-3 PM. Sandwiches and desserts will be provided.

Questions are welcome and can be sent to the CNS at thecns@columbia.edu.

Congratulations to our New OCMs!

Thank you to all who applied to be on the CNS executive board this year, and congratulations to our new OCMs:
Anastasiya Vasilyeva
Heather Macomber
Max Pensack
Rachel Mikofsky
Stephanie Ding

Executive Board Applications

If you are interested in becoming apart of our executive board, please read and fill out the application below. Applications will be due on Monday, September 22. Selected applicants will be invited for an interview later that week. Please direct any questions to nl2426@columbia.edu.

CNS Board Application

First CNS Meeting of Fall 2014

Welcome to a new school year! The Columbia Neuroscience Society is very excited to announce that we will be holding our first meeting this Sunday, September 14 in Math 417 from 4 to 5 PM. All students (regardless of major) are welcome to attend and learn more about our organization.

At the meeting, we will discuss upcoming CNS events, exciting research opportunities, and how to apply to join our executive board!

ConnecTome Opportunities

The Columbia Neuroscience Society is launching the first issue of our pop-neuroscience publication, ConnecTome, this Fall. Below are some opportunities for students to contribute to our magazine!

Doing Exciting Summer Research? We Want to Feature You!

We are looking to feature the research of a few Columbia undergrads in our first issue. If you are interested in being interviewed for a feature, please contact us at theCNS@columbia.edu. We would love to hear about any aspect of your work, from the new technologies you are using to collect data to the therapeutic applications of your current work.

SUBMIT Your Work for Publication!

We have also decided to continue accepting submissions until the end of July. Feel free to send us articles, abstracts, artwork, poetry, or anything else you've worked on!Remember, ConnecTome is a pop-neuroscience publication meant to be accessible to the entire Columbia community, so you don't have to have a neuroscience background to submit.

Join the ConnecTome Team!

Do you have experience working on publications? Do you know how to use InDesign? Are you interested in joining the editorial board for the CNS's publication? If you answered yes to any of these questions, please contact CNS board member Kal at ksv2110@columbia.edu for more info!