Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory
Christian Brothers University is recognized internationally for engaging undergraduate students in cognitive neuroscience training and research. Our Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory (CNL) is particularly unique in the region. Students at CBU have access to resources and research that provides them an immersive experience that includes designing studies; analyzing data; presenting research at regional, national, and international conferences; and co-authoring articles for publication in scientific journals.
With support from the National Science Foundation, we’ve outfitted our lab with equipment such as the Brain Vision actiCHamp system which allows us to learn about common physiological signals that can be used to study a subject’s health and well-being.
Students in Psychology courses such as Biological Psychology and Psychophysiology use the lab resources to learn about common physiological signals, like those used in hospitals and medical clinics. The CNL is collaborative and interdisciplinary in nature. Students are encouraged to work with faculty from across the university to develop and submit grants for their own projects, and they have been successful in doing so.
Follow The Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory on Twitter!
Our whole-head actiCHamp electroencephalogram (EEG) system came with a life-sized foam head that makes it easier to place the EEG electrodes in the elastic caps that hold them. When we started processing and graphing data using the EEG, we thought naming the head would simplify communication in the lab. James Rogers (Psychology ’17) thought the 3-dimensional digital head onto which the software graphed the data bore a stunning likeness to Ford Prefect from the film based on Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy. We have since referred to the digital head as DigiFord. Needless to say, he has now taken on a life of his own and tweets about his experiences in the lab.
