{"id":174419,"date":"2026-10-01T13:00:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T17:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/?p=174419"},"modified":"2026-10-01T15:17:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T19:17:15","slug":"neuroscience-launches-seminar-series-with-talk-on-brain-circuitry-volition-by-renowned-neurobiologist-peter-strick-p98","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/01\/neuroscience-launches-seminar-series-with-talk-on-brain-circuitry-volition-by-renowned-neurobiologist-peter-strick-p98\/","title":{"rendered":"Neuroscience launches seminar series with talk on brain circuitry by renowned neurobiologist Peter Strick P\u201998"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Bates Program in Neuroscience kicked off its new Neuroscience Seminar Series with a talk from Peter Strick P\u201998, Thomas Detre Professor and Chair of Neurobiology at the University of Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neuroscience faculty and staff launched the new seminar series in response to student desire to learn more about developments in the field outside of campus, said Justin Hulbert, Bates associate professor of neuroscience and chair of the program. Gwendolyn Calhoon, instructional specialist in neuroscience, is overseeing the creation of the series, which is funded in part by a donation from psychiatrist Robin Bitner \u201995.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe more exposure our students get to different types of questions and types of evidence-gathering in neuroscience, the better,\u201d Calhoon said. \u201cIt equips them with more tools for coming up with their own great ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Wednesday, Sept. 30, Strick discussed his research on mapping brain circuitry and central nervous system control with a group of faculty, staff, and about 30 students in Bonney Science Center. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strick\u2019s interest in neuroscience originally began with a desire to understand human volition and the ability to act on it. He wanted to know what neurological steps were involved in something as simple as lifting a finger \u2014 and what was happening when the body prevented volition from evolving into movement, as is the case with diseases like Parkinson\u2019s and ALS. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Moments
Peter Strick P\u201998, Thomas Detre Professor and Chair of Neurobiology at the University of Pittsburgh, gives a seminar in Bonney Science Center, the inaugural installation of the Program in Neuroscience’s new seminar series. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While on the faculty at the State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Strick pioneered a technique to more intricately trace neural connections in the brain. He discovered that after infecting a brain with a neurotropic virus \u2014 one that impacts nerve tissue, such as herpes simplex virus or rabies \u2014 scientists could follow the disease\u2019s path from one neuron to the next, mapping large portions of the brain\u2019s wiring diagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt allows us to look at brain circuits in a way that we\u2019ve never been able to before,\u201d Strick told Bates News<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That expanded knowledge has helped Strick and colleagues research how the central nervous system controls feeling, cognition, and movement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t think often about all of the housekeeping that the brain has to do for normal movement, but we\u2019re very aware of it whenever it fails,\u201d Strick said. \u201cAnd rabies viruses allowed us for the first time to look at those large-scale networks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strick studies the nervous system\u2019s complex neural networks and the neural basis for the mind-body connection, as well as the generation and control of voluntary movement by the cerebral cortex, the brain\u2019s outermost layer of neural tissue. He also studies the motor, cognitive, and affective functions of the basal ganglia and cerebellum, brain structures beneath the cerebral cortex. His research supports evidence that dysfunction in these areas is correlated with behavioral disorders, a conclusion that could lead to more tangible solutions for mental health patients and, in certain instances, interrogate the label \u201cpsychosomatic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese are brain-based problems, and that means there are brain-based solutions,\u201d Strick said. \u201cWhen people understand that, it can be very gratifying to see that something isn\u2019t imaginary, that it\u2019s a real issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the University of Pittsburgh, Strick trains graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, as well as resident doctors in neurosurgery and pediatric neurology. One such graduate student of Strick\u2019s was Bates Professor of Neuroscience Jason Castro, who completed his Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh in 2008. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHis classes were crystal clear, theatrical in the best sense, and made the material feel alive and relatable. \u2026 Peter\u2019s teaching has shaped not just his students, but his students\u2019 students as well,\u201d Castro said while introducing Strick before the seminar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Moments
Bates Professor of Neuroscience Jason Castro (right) introduces Peter Strick P\u201998, Thomas Detre Professor and Chair of Neurobiology at the University of Pittsburgh, before Strick’s seminar in Bonney Science Center. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Strick is the co-director of the university\u2019s Center for Neuroscience and, beginning in 2027, will be the president of the Society for Neuroscience, the world\u2019s largest organization of scientists and physicians dedicated to studying the brain and nervous system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Program in Neuroscience \u201ccouldn’t ask for a better first speaker to launch this series,\u201d Hulbert said. Prior to the talk, neuroscience students had the opportunity to have lunch with Strick and ask questions. Making connections with leaders in the field and learning about how major research institutions like the University of Pittsburgh operate is key for students preparing for internships and graduate school, Hulbert said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot only can Strick speak to his own research, which is incredible, but also, he is one of the major players guiding the field of neuroscience at large,\u201d Hulbert said. \u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful opportunity for students, faculty, staff alike.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neuroscience major Molly Sullivan \u201928 of Raleigh, N.C., who\u2019s interested in the biological side of neuroscience, attended the talk and was excited about the opportunity to learn more about the brain-body connection from Strick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI feel like we\u2019re really lucky, especially to have such cool researchers like him come here,\u201d Sullivan said. \u201cIt\u2019s incredible that we were able to get him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strick\u2019s Bates connection is the cherry on top of his credentials; a self-proclaimed \u201cProud Bates parent,\u201d his son Benjamin Strick \u201998 is the vice president of outpatient and community services at Spurwink, a Maine behavioral health nonprofit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen Benjamin got to Maine, he felt like he was at home,\u201d Strick said. \u201cHe instantly thought the school, the quality of the education, its location were terrific, and it was an instant love affair.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Moments
Faculty, staff, and students attend Peter Strick’s seminar in Bonney Science Center (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, the series is part of a larger goal to bolster community and connection in the neuroscience program, which, because of its interdisciplinary nature, involves players from around the college. Neuroscience just opened its new student lounge, which it shares with the Department of Physics and Astronomy in Carnegie Hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe students are so excited to have a place to come study together,\u201d Calhoon said. \u201cWe\u2019re very thrilled to be putting together more community building initiatives in neuroscience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After Strick\u2019s talk, attendees were invited to a reception with refreshments in the Bonney Living Room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOftentimes, that’s where the most brilliant ideas emerge from \u2014 these more relaxed settings where you can bounce ideas off one another,\u201d Hulbert said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s not every day that our students get to hobnob with the incoming president of the Society for Neuroscience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aside from conducting research, Strick also enjoys mentoring budding scientists, especially in a moment characterized by unreliable federal funding for research. He experienced similar challenges himself when he began his career during the Vietnam War, which diminished research opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany people wonder, should they go into science? And my answer is, you\u2019ve got to be obsessed with it and enjoy it and want to answer questions,\u201d Strick said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Moments
Peter Strick P\u201998, Thomas Detre Professor and Chair of Neurobiology at the University of Pittsburgh, addresses attendees at his seminar in Bonney Science Center. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now, perhaps more than ever, the world needs neuroscientists, Strick said. Baby boomers are aging, instances of Parkinson\u2019s and Alzheimer\u2019s are rising, and 178,000 Americans die from alcohol use disorders each year. He hopes that his tenure as president of the Society for Neuroscience can advance access to research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese are incredibly difficult times in science,\u201d Strick said. \u201cMy hope is that we can take our message to the public, and that I can do things that facilitate the careers of the 30,000 scientists that are members of the Society for Neuroscience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strick\u2019s seminar is the sole installation of the series this semester; the neuroscience program hopes to eventually host three seminars each semester, Calhoon said, and will begin scaling up the series with two speakers during the upcoming winter semester.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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