The University of Wisconsin-Madison is pleased to announce a new dual-degree program in Neuroscience and Public Policy. Established in 2005, the program is a joint initiative of the Neuroscience Training Program and the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs. The program offers students the opportunity to earn a Ph.D. degree in neuroscience and a Master of Public Affairs degree, typically in five years. In addition to mastering research skills, students will learn to work with policy makers in applying knowledge from research in neuroscience to the design of public policy in fields such as health, education, welfare, security and the environment. They will also learn to analyze neuroscience policy and to communicate research discoveries in neuroscience to the public. The program consists of an integrated mix of coursework, laboratory rotations, seminars, and Ph.D. research. Students complete a core curriculum in molecular/cellular and systems neuroscience, policy analysis, and public management. Additional courses provide depth in science and technology policy and in selected areas of neuroscience. A central element of the program is the weekly Neuroscience and Public Policy Seminar, which challenges students to synthesize information across neuroscience and policy research. The Seminar also provides a cordial environment for social and intellectual interaction among the program’s faculty and students. Featured Website: Neuroethics Society [Link]
5.13.09
Science for Science An editorial that appeared in Science by Editor-in-Chief Bruce Alberts that advocates for "increasing the contacts between scientists and the rest of society." Link to editorial From B. Alberts, Science 324:13 (3 April 2009). Reprinted with permission from AAAS. For letters written in response to the editorial, click here. 4.10.09 Prenatal Exposure to Drugs: Effects on Brain Development and Implications for Policy and Education A Nature Reviews Neuroscience article by Thompson, Levitt, and Stanwood It is important to close the gap between what science tells us about the impact of prenatal drug exposure on the fetus and the mother and what we do programmatically with regard to at-risk populations. Link to article 3.13.09 N&PP Students Attend Law and Life Sciences Conference Three Neuroscience and Public Policy students attended “What's Next in Law, Health & the Life Sciences? Debating Openness, Access & Accountability” conference in Minneapolis on March 6th. The meeting, part of the University of Minnesota’s Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment, and Life Sciences, addressed emerging issues shaping law, health and biomedical research. Students listened to key national speakers address legal, social, and ethical issues in environmental, genomic, and neuroscience research. Additionally, students gained knowledge about new problems and approaches regarding science oversight and accountability. The students also learned about current management and structural issues facing centers working on the societal implications of biomedicine, such as the O'Neill Center for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown. The consortium allowed the students to speak with a wide range of researchers, policymakers, and attorneys in a setting aimed at maximizing communication between the ethical, legal, and science sectors. 12.09.08 Towards Responsible Use of Cognitive-Enhancing Drugs by the Healthy A Nature article by Henry Greely et al. Society must respond to the growing demand for cognitive enhancement. That response must start by rejecting the idea that ‘enhancement’ is a dirty word. Link to article 09.15.08 Fall 2008 Neuroscience & Public Policy Seminar Series September 26, 2008 Shawn Peters, School of Education, UW-Madison We Need to Change the Statute: Public Policy, Science, and the Conundrum of Faith Healing October 10, 2008 Kenneth Robbins, Department of Psychiatry, UW-Madison Challenging Issues that Bridge Psychiatry and the Law December 12, 2008 Henry Greely, Stanford University Law School Neuroscience and the Law: Hope, Fear, and Hype 05.27.08 The Neuroscience of Retailing: Research Shows Shopping Can Make People Euphoric A WSJ article by CHERYL LU-LIEN TAN "Retail therapy" is a term many women are more than familiar with -- the notion that the simple act of going shopping can be a panacea has been widely explored in pop culture. A growing number of researchers have been finding there is some truth behind the idea. And that the emotional well-being of shoppers can affect both their eagerness to buy and the prices they're willing to pay. Link to article 05.06.08 He's a Man, as Charged A WashingtonPost article by LAURA SESSIONS STEPP Clad in an orange jumpsuit and crocheted kufi, Durant, 17, sits behind a jail window that is faded with age. He was charged as an adult with multiple counts, including conspiracy and murder, and taken to the D.C. jail. However, studies have shown that a person doesn't reach maturity until sometime in their mid-20s. Because of this, young people are more susceptible to peer pressure than older adults, more likely to act impulsively, less likely to anticipate consequences if they get caught and thus arguably less culpable. Should young people who are accused of a crime receive the full force of laws intended for adults, given accumulating evidence that their brains are not fully matured? Link to article 03.30.08 Neuroscience & Public Policy Seminar Series The Nuts and Dolts of Science Policy in Washington Friday, May 9, 2008 For more information or question, please contact Jenny Dahlberg: npp@mhub.neuroscience.wisc.edu or 262-4932. [PDF] (Link to Schedule & Readings). 04.22.08 The Government Is Trying to Wrap Its Mind Around Yours An article by NITA FARAHANY Imagine a world of streets lined with video cameras that alert authorities to any suspicious activity. A world where police officers can read the minds of potential criminals and arrest them before they commit any crimes. A world in which a suspect who lies under questioning gets nabbed immediately because his brain has given him away. Does it sound like a very safe place, or a very scary one? Link to article 03.27.08 Neuroscience & Public Policy Seminar Series What is Required for the Effective Treatment of People with
Schizophrenia: Clinical and Policy Considerations Friday, April 4, 2008 For more information or question, please contact Jenny Dahlberg: npp@mhub.neuroscience.wisc.edu or 262-4932. [PDF] (Link to Schedule & Readings). 03.25.08 Brain Enhancement Is Wrong, Right? An article by BENEDICT CAREY "The original purpose of medicine is to heal the sick, not turn healthy people into gods." - Francis Fukuyama In a recent commentary in the journal Nature, two Cambridge University researchers reported that about a dozen of their colleagues had admitted to regular use of prescription drugs like Adderall, a stimulant, and Provigil, which promotes wakefulness, to improve their academic performance. In addition, surveys of college students have found that from 4 percent to 16 percent say they have used stimulants or other prescription drugs to improve their academic performance. What impacts does this have on society? Link to article 03.04.08 Neuroscience & Public Policy Seminar Series Health Law & Neuroscience: An Intergrative Approach? Friday, March 7th, 2008 For more information or question, please contact Jenny Dahlberg: npp@mhub.neuroscience.wisc.edu or 262-4932. [PDF] (Link to Schedule & Readings). 02.26.08 Neuroscience & Justice At AAAS Conference, Judges Explore the Impact of Neuroscience on Justice It was the sort of case that makes news headlines: A man was arrested for soliciting child sex online, and the case was slated for trial. But in the pre-trial investigation, a scan of the suspect's brain using positron emission tomography revealed serious damage to the frontal lobe of his brain, apparently the result of a stroke. In a judicial system based on the assumption that individuals function by free will, how could responsibility be assigned for the crime? Link to article 02.19.08 Neuroscience & Public Policy Seminar Series The Effect of Alzheimer's Disease Risk on Brain Function Friday, February 22nd, 2008 For more information or question, please contact Jenny Dahlberg: npp@mhub.neuroscience.wisc.edu or 262-4932. [PDF] (Link to Schedule & Readings). Visit the News Archive for more. |
N&PP students with Apostolos P. Georgopoulos, professor of neuroscience and neurology at the University of Minnesota. From left to right: Patric Hernandez, Dr. Georgopolous, Lindsay Pascal, and Ismael Amarreh.
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