Brain Slices

Brain Slices is a creative outlet for students where their work is featured. These submissions lie at the intersection of neuroscience and art as the creative process is as important for scientific discovery as it is for our mental health and both servers to create models of the world.

Contributors:

Sonia Arora

Lola Fay Papanikolaou

Amaan Rakhangi

Rachel Barbente

Gabby Schneider

Neuroscience Poetry

I asked my students to write a poem about what they learned in class.

I thought this would help them remember the material and help them pass.

I figured I'd try it out to see how hard it would be.

They insisted I post my poem for all to see.

So here goes…

We call this structure the blue spot

It's small, but functionally it does a lot

It regulates arousal and responds to novelty

Synthesizing norepinephrine is one of its qualities

It's important for mediating responses to stress

And those times when you're a hot mess

The LC has widespread projections in all directions

It's prone to infections due to its vascular connections

The first to go in Alzheimer’s disease

Most will agree

But that's the life of a neuromodulator

A salience stimulator

A memory generator

A pupil dilator

Playing a key role in the pathophysiology and etiology

Of disorders like PTSD

Recent advances in technology and biology

Have allowed neuroscientists to study

How this pontine nucleus

Which truly is in tune with us

Enhances cognitive flexibility

With the utmost adaptability

Waveforms on the oscilloscope

The LC regulates sleep/wake cycles

Gorgeous under the microscope

Coerulophile is the best title