Psychobiologists Do Science!

Some samples of Psychobiology student/faculty research (on-line text of poster presentations; abstracts of publications)

Resources for Psychobiology teachers

The field of Psychobiology includes all of the interface between Psychology and Biology. This includes:

• animal behavior
• developmental psychobiology
• neurobiology
• psychopharmacology
• cognitive neuroscience
• neuroendocrinology
• psychoneuroimmunology
• health psychology
• physiological psychology

The Psychobiology program at Wheaton College prepares students for graduate training in all of the fields mentioned above. In addition, Psychobiology alums from Wheaton have found employment in a variety of settings. Below is just a partial list of the kinds of opportunities that Wheaton Psychobiologists have made for themselves using their Wheaton training:

• Dr. Cheryl Frye '88: Assistant Professor of Psychology, SUNY Albany
• Jennifer Palaia '92: Massachusetts Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries
• Stacy Nee-MacFarlane '93: Postdoctoral Research, Monnell Chemical Senses Center
• Leslie Stefanowitz '94: Nurse practioner, Boston
• Rob LoPiccolo '95: 10th Grade Science Teacher, Opelousas, LA
• Heather Millette '97: Research Assistant, McLean Hospital
• Emily Gates '97: Child Life Services, Univ. of Chicago Hospital
• Igor Schwartzman '98: Ph.D. Candidate, Anatomy and Physiology, Boston University
• Jill Brederson, '99: Ph.D. Candidate, Pharmacology, University of Minnesota
• Kendra Ward, '00: Master's Candidate in Chinese Medicine, New England School of Acupuncture
• Shelby O'Donnell, '01: Education Department, Mystic Aquarium, Mystic, CT
• Thais Mollet, '99: Graduate Training in Physical Therapy, Sacred Heart University

The interdisciplinary major in Psychobiology is intended to fill the needs of students seeking an understanding of the biological bases of behavior. It guides the student toward investigation of physiological, genetic, structural, developmental, and evolutionary foundations of human and non-human animal behavior, using the techniques of several subdisciplines of Psychology and Biology.

The major consists of the following required courses:

 *with consent of Psychobiology Advisors

In addition to the selection of courses, students majoring in Psychobiology are encouraged to pursue independent research (Psychology/Biology 099, 399, or 500) as a means towards total integration of the two fundamental disciplines. Recent Psychobiology student research projects have included an investigation of the effectiveness of stress management workshops on stress and physical health, a study of the relationship between adult attachment styles and trait anxiety, an evaluation of a grade school environmental education program, a comparative study of language use in schizophrenic and nonschizophrenic people, investigations of the effects of prenatal stress on infant brain development, social behavior, and pain tolerance, and a study of olfactory communication in green iguana. Student researchers regularly take their results to regional and national conferences, and in many cases, publish their work with their faculty supervisors.

Resources at Wheaton for Psychobiologists

• Campus Vivarium: outfitted with 125 gal and 40 gal River Systems freshwater tanks; additional smaller tanks housing African and South American cichlids, other small fish; rats in a unique community cage setting; green iguana colony; invertebrates; turtles; lizards; cold-water marine tanks
• Observation Room: outfitted with one-way glass window, closed circuit video recording, computer-aided videotracking
• Microscopy Room: fluorescent microscopes with full video and still-photo imaging
• Behavioral Testing Equipment: including Morris water maze, radial arm maze, open fields, T-maze, elevated plus maze
• Cell Culture Room
• Histology Resources: wax-impregnation technologies and freezing microtome; computer-aided image analysis
• Psychophysiological Recording/Manipulation: stereotaxic instruments, Grass Instruments polygraph recorders, bioamplifiers, stimulators, and lesion-makers; B&K real-time oscilloscopes; MacLab system virtual oscilloscopes and electrophysiological recording instruments
• "Outside" Resources: documented and state-protected vernal pool; multi-acre undeveloped woodlot, mapped arboretum; close proximity to Capron Park Zoo, Roger Williams Park Zoo, Norton Town Conservancy land
• GC Mass Spectroscopy
• GROWING! The list of available equipment continues to grow, as Wheaton successfully competes for grants for math and science equipment

For more information:

Please call or write to:

Dr. Kathleen N. Morgan

Department of Psychology

Wheaton College

Norton, MA 02766

PHONE: 508/286-3934

FAX: 508/285-8278

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