Neurohistochemistry Processing and Imaging Suite

该部门的行为神经科学研究小组。皇后学院的心理学教授包括理查德·贝宁格、汉斯·德林根伯格、珍妮特·梅纳尔和玛丽·奥姆斯特德。每个实验室都有一个活跃而富有成效的动物研究实验室，并由独立的NSERC发现基金资助。每一个监督一些本科生和研究生学员。我们正在寻求升级当前的神经组织化学处理和成像套件。升级将包括高压灭菌器（用于灭菌）、水净化系统、冷藏培养箱、用于图像捕获的64位兼容相机、升级到64位计算机，该计算机配备了我们现有软件的最新版本以及用于进行密度分析的附加模块沿着。我们还在寻求资金，以续签与软件供应商的许可协议。该套件将支持大脑系统和介导行为现象的分子的研究，如奖励相关的学习，学习伴随着暴露于声音刺激，青少年暴露于压力和药物成瘾后的情绪行为变化。研究结果将有助于更好地了解不同类型的体验如何改变大脑。通过了解大脑可塑性的机制，经验对行为的影响，科学家和政策制定者将能够更好地选择环境和社会系统，最大限度地学习和有效应对。申请人所做的工作有助于大脑研究的更大领域，该领域旨在了解大脑和心灵的运作以及它如何受到经验的影响。这项工作将使所有加拿大人受益，因为它创造了可靠的知识，可用于最大限度地提高工作、应对和合作的效率。

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.