Neurohistochemistry Processing and Imaging Suite

皇后大学心理学系的行为神经科学研究小组包括理查德·贝宁格、汉斯·德林伯格、珍妮特·梅纳德和玛丽·奥姆斯特德。每个都有一个活跃和富有成效的动物研究实验室，并由独立的NSERC发现资助。每个人都指导一些本科生和研究生实习生。我们正在寻求升级我们目前的神经组织化学处理和成像套件。升级将包括一个高压灭菌器（灭菌），水净化系统，冷藏培养箱，64位兼容的图像捕捉相机，升级到64位计算机配备了我们现有的软件的最新版本，以及一个额外的模块进行密度分析。我们也在寻求资金来更新我们与软件供应商的许可协议。该套件将支持对大脑系统和分子的研究，这些系统和分子介导的行为现象，如奖励相关的学习，伴随着声音刺激的学习，青少年暴露于压力后的情绪行为变化，以及药物成瘾。研究结果将有助于更好地理解不同类型的经历是如何改变大脑的。通过了解经验对行为影响的大脑可塑性机制，科学家和政策制定者将能够更好地选择环境和社会系统，使学习和有效应对最大化。申请人的工作为更大的大脑研究领域做出了贡献，该领域旨在了解大脑和思维的运作以及它如何受到经验的影响。这项工作将创造可用于最大限度地有效工作、应对和合作的可靠知识，从而使所有加拿大人受益。

The Behavioural Neuroscience research group in the Dept. Psychology at Queen’s includes Richard Beninger, Hans Dringenberg, Janet Menard and Mary Olmstead. Each has an active and productive animal research lab and is funded by an independent NSERC Discovery grant. Each supervises a number of undergrad and graduate student trainees. We are seeking to upgrade our current neurohistochemistry processing and imaging suite. The upgrade will include an autoclave (for sterilization), water purification system, refrigerated incubator, 64-bit compatible camera for image capture, upgrade to 64-bit computers equipped with the latest versions of our existing software along with an additional module for doing densitometric analyses. We are also seeking funds to renew our licensing agreement with the software supplier. This suite will support studies of brain systems and molecules that mediate behavioral phenomena such as reward-related learning, learning that accompanies exposure to acoustic stimuli, changes in emotional behavior following adolescent exposure to stress, and drug addiction. Results will provide a better understanding of how different types of experience change the brain. By understanding the mechanisms of brain plasticity that underlie the effects of experience on behavior, scientists and policy makers will be better able to make choices of environments and social systems that maximize learning and effective coping. The work carried out by the applicants contributes to a larger field of brain research that seeks to understand the workings of the brain and mind and how it is influenced by experience. This work will benefit all Canadians by creating reliable knowledge that can be used to maximize effective work, coping and cooperation.