Center for Behavioral Neuroscience

Research Focus & Anticipated Benefits

At the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience (CBN) at Georgia State University, researchers are studying animals such as voles to shed light on the roles of nature and nurture in animal behavior. Scientists in the vole study have found that genes for vasopressin and oxytocin play important roles in the social attachments between animals. The findings could someday help with better treatments of human conditions such as autism and depression.

CBN also hosts “collaboratories” – research environments for 15-20 researchers focusing on similar issues – at the center including a group investigating how systems in the brain are involved in conditioned emotional responses that lead to fear and anxiety. One potential outcome of the work could be applicable to helping people overcome post-traumatic stress disorder (PSD), phobias and anxiety disorders. Besides Georgia State, Clark Atlanta University,  Emory University, Georgia Institute for Technology, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine and Spelman College are partners in the CBN.

Education & Outreach

Transferring discoveries from the laboratory to the public is a key element of CBN’s mission. Through programs such as professional development workshops for Atlanta-area teachers, Brain Camps for middle school students, the Institute on Neuroscience for high school students, and Behavioral Research Advancements In Neuroscience (BRAIN) for undergraduates, CBN has created a unique pipeline approach to educating and training the next generation of neuroscientists.

The specific aims of CBN’s comprehensive education program include improving neuroscience education and literacy, particularly for students in the state of Georgia; recruiting and retaining women and underrepresented minorities in neuroscience education programs; increasing awareness of neuroscience and career opportunities in science; providing K-12 teachers with innovative approaches to teaching science; and identifying best practices for teaching science through research on education curricula and theory.