College Introduces New Neuroscience Tracks

In an unprecedented interdisciplinary initiative, four new undergraduate concentration tracks--the first of their kind--have already attracted over 100 Harvard undergraduates, who will study topics ranging from neural networks to addiction to primate social psychology.

Beginning this year, concentrators in psychology, computer science, history and science and biology can choose to pursue a specialized mind/brain/behavior (MBB) track within their respective concentrations, the culmination of a unique three-year initiative of President Neil L. Rudenstine to improve interdisciplinary study at the College.

Initial student reaction to the new program has been positive.

"Neuroscience and issues of the mind are such exciting fields right now," says Amy E. Herman '97, biology concentrator and co-chair of the Undergraduate Society for Neuroscience. "It's really great to get undergraduates interested in all the varying ideas coming forth right now."

According to Shawn Harriman, undergraduate program coordinator of the MBB initiative, about 100 students, mostly psychology concentrators, have already contacted him regarding the new program. And even more students are believed to be contracting administrators in other departments.

A handbook describing the new tracks sets forth the goals of the MBB initiative: "By bringing together diverse representatives from Harvard's different schools and disciplines, MBB hopes to provide an alternative to the self-reinforcing isolation of scholarship, which has been particularly severe between the natural sciences and the humanities."

The new tracks allow students to integrate MBB courses--ranging from the molecular biology of the brain to the evolution of the mind--into their basic concentration course-work.

High student interest and the faculty's commitment to interdisciplinary study motivated the formation of the new tracks, according to Associate Professor of Psychiatry Steven E. Hyman, who is director of the MBB initiative.

Subsequently, MBB enables psychology students to pursue a joint psychology and biology concentration in cognitive neuroscience. The MBB program also offers a computational neuroscience track in computer science; a mind, brain and behavioral sciences track in history and science; and a neurobiology track in biology.

Though the tracks differ with concentration, all of them require three foundation courses: Science B-29, "Human Behavioral Biology," commonly known among students as "Sex;" Biological Sciences 25, "Behavioral Neuroscience"; and an interdisciplinary seminar of the student's choosing.

Seniors must also write an MBB/neuroscience-related thesis and take a non-credit interdisciplinary research workshop designed to foster communication between MBB students in different departments (please see graphic).

Beyond these requirements, concentrations diverge as to the coursework needed to fulfill the MBB tracks. Students who complete the requirements will be awarded a Certificate in MBB/Neuroscience in addition to their A.B. degree.

Although no special mention of MBB will be made on transcripts, students can certainly indicate their completion of the program when applying for graduate school or employment, according to Harriman, the undergraduate program coordinator.

The History of MBB

The MBB initiative arose from President Rudenstine's drive to increase interdisciplinary study at Harvard. As part of the initiative, working groups were formed, drawing faculty members from nine of the University's 10 schools.

"Our initiative is uniquely broad," wrote Hyman in an e-mail message. "We have active participation from the Divinity School, the humanities within [the Faculty of Arts and Sciences], and the Business School, for example. That breadth is both our strength and our challenge."

One demonstration of this interdisciplinarity was a working group addressing memory distortion consisting of academics from such varied areas as neurobiology, economics and religion.

Professor of Psychology Daniel L. Schacter, who leads the group, writes in an e-mail message, "MBB has been one of the most stimulating and worthwhile experiences I've ever had in a university." Schacter's group, which is now studying memory and imagination, organized a conference on memory distortions last year. An edited compilation of material from the conference is due for release in November. "This will be the first in what everyone hopes will be a series of MBB-generated books on a variety of topics," says Schacter.

Other working groups have addressed issues such as addiction, inter-group violence, and pain and suffering. Professor of Psychology Stephen M. Kosslyn, co-chair of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Standing Committee on Neuroscience, says of the initiative, "It's a real case of trying to make the whole more than the sum of its parts."

Kosslyn, who studies visual imagery, says MBB gives the "lone stars" of Harvard's faculty the chance to explore areas outside their respective specialties.

Not only is MBB broadening faculty interests, it is also generating new undergraduate courses. This fall, Porter Professor of Philosophy Robert Nozick is teaching a new course called Philosophy 151z, "Philosophy and Neuroscience."

"I wanted to give a course that didn't just start with pre-existing philosophical questions, but read a lot of neuroscience to see what new philosophical questions would arise," Nozick says.

And this spring, Starch Professor of Psychology Jerome Kagan will team up with Professor of Education Kurt W. Fischer and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Medical School Francine M. Benes to teach Psychology 1202, "Behavioral and Brain Development."

Kagan says the professors have already written scripts for two films made especially for the course: one on psychopathology and the brain and another on magnetic resonance imaging.

The four new MBB undergraduate tracks, however, are the result of the combined efforts of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Standing Committee on Neuroscience (which initially existed independently of MBB) and the MBB Curriculum Committee. According to Kosslyn, the Standing Committee, which Kosslyn co-chairs with Cabot Professor of the Natural Sciences John E. Dowling, grew out of the faculty's desire to advance development of the neurosciences at Harvard, particularly in the psychology and biology departments.

Track Versus Concentration?

While committees initially considered forming an independent MBB concentration rather than tracks within departments, members worried that such a concentration would not equip students with sufficient depth in a particular area. "Neuroscience is such a broad area that a concentration would consist of a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and people taking it wouldn't have the background to go on to graduate schools or even medical school," Dowling says.

Hyman also points out that faculty felt that establishing a separate MBB concentration was "premature." According to Hyman, the faculty would first like to get a better gauge of student interest, raise funds for infrastructure, and further deal with difficulties that stem from interdisciplinary thinking and research.

Yet some students, while acknowledging that the MBB tracks are still in the formative stages, don't think the tracks go far enough. According to Josh H. McDermott '98, a computer science concentrator who has decided not to join the track, "I just think it would be good to have a separate concentration, where you wouldn't have to commit to any one of these concentrations." McDermott, who is now trying to establish a special concentration in cognitive science, explains that he wants to study cognitive neuroscience and computer science more equally than MBB allows. McDermott bemoans requirements such as hardware and graphics courses, which he feels are unrelated to his interests in cognitive science.

According to McDermott, "The main thing MBB accomplishes is that you get this cute little certificate that says you know neuroscience."

Some of these feelings are shared by Laurie R. Santos '97, a psychology concentrator who unlike McDermott, is joining an MBB track. "You do this whole program and all you get is a certificate--it's like, what is that?" says Santos. Santos says she would like to see a neuroscience concentration eventually develop, but for the time being, is looking forward to becoming part of the cognitive neuroscience track.

"You're now incorporated into the initiative," says Santos. "It kind of gives you a more direct link with the faculty involved in MBB, some of whom I wouldn't have known or gotten to work with otherwise."

Santos says she is also excited about meeting undergraduates from other disciplines who are interested in neuroscience. "Rarely in the psych department do you meet the hard core bio and CS people," Santos adds.

Too Late to Join?

Other students, while extremely interested in neuroscience, think it's a bit too late for them to join the track.

Tracey A. Cho '97 a history and science concentrator says, "I already have a plan of study laid out, and I'm very happy with it; but if I were a freshman, I'd definitely consider it."

Still, juniors like Santos, and possibly even seniors, are eager to join the tracks.

"We are certainly encouraging juniors to look at the track as an option for themselves," says Harriman. Dowling also points out that requirements could be modified to accommodate late-comers to the track.

Indeed, some students may have already met the track requirements. Herman A. Sanchez '97, a psychology concentrator, actually reduced his concentration requirements by joining the track. Math and science courses that previously did not count towards his degree in psychology will now meet requirements for the cognitive neuroscience MBB track.

"Value Added"

But like McDermott, some students interested in neuroscience view the MBB track as a limitation.

Regarding the MBB track, biology concentrator Nickolas D. Juliano '96 says, "It just seems like everything you would do if you were interested in the neurosciences and with a little bit less choice." Juliano, who says he's met most of the MBB requirements anyway, admits the MBB track does provide a cohesion with other neuroscience majors that he lacked.

This very cohesion is what those involved in the MBB tracks like to refer to as "value added"--or what students will gain by joining the track. Besides providing students an opportunity to meet and converse with others interested in MBB, the track also promises to broaden understanding of the mind, brain and behavior.

As Hyman writes in an e-mail message, "We do not think that psychology majors, for example should go through Harvard without thinking about the brain."

"We also do not think that neuroscientists should go through Harvard without fully considering their own philosophical commitments or the potential effects of their work on human self-understanding," he continues.

Harriman says the tracks give students more flexibility to amass concentration credit for courses that fall within the rubric of MBB but may be offered outside of their departments. For example, a biology concentrator can receive credit for taking abnormal psychology, just as a psychology concentrator in the MBB track can receive concentration credit for pre-med requirements.

Rather than being forced to hunt through the course catalog to find courses relevant to neuroscience, students in the MBB program now have such courses at their fingertips. In reference to the computational neuroscience track, Loeb Associate Professor of the Natural Sciences Stuart M. Shieber says, "People with MBB interest would have been able to major in computer science anyway, but the track puts in one place courses that are pertinent."

The Future of MBB

Will MBB evolve into its own concentration? Committee members are paying close attention to the new tracks, which they consider to be somewhat of an experiment. "Whether there is a concentration depends on sustained student interest in the tracks and the perception of the faculty and student alike that we are adding value," Hyman writes in an e-mail message.

Although the MBB program is still in its formative stages, the faculty seem confident that this experiment will succeed.

"I am hopeful that MBB will generate novel and important research at the intersections of different disciplines, as well as help to train a new generation of scholars with both discipline-specific expertise and cross-disciplinary breadth," says Schacter. "This new generation of scholars will help to create the synergies that will shape 21st-century science."CrimsonRebecca L. Bennett

Subsequently, MBB enables psychology students to pursue a joint psychology and biology concentration in cognitive neuroscience. The MBB program also offers a computational neuroscience track in computer science; a mind, brain and behavioral sciences track in history and science; and a neurobiology track in biology.

Though the tracks differ with concentration, all of them require three foundation courses: Science B-29, "Human Behavioral Biology," commonly known among students as "Sex;" Biological Sciences 25, "Behavioral Neuroscience"; and an interdisciplinary seminar of the student's choosing.

Seniors must also write an MBB/neuroscience-related thesis and take a non-credit interdisciplinary research workshop designed to foster communication between MBB students in different departments (please see graphic).

Beyond these requirements, concentrations diverge as to the coursework needed to fulfill the MBB tracks. Students who complete the requirements will be awarded a Certificate in MBB/Neuroscience in addition to their A.B. degree.

Although no special mention of MBB will be made on transcripts, students can certainly indicate their completion of the program when applying for graduate school or employment, according to Harriman, the undergraduate program coordinator.

The History of MBB

The MBB initiative arose from President Rudenstine's drive to increase interdisciplinary study at Harvard. As part of the initiative, working groups were formed, drawing faculty members from nine of the University's 10 schools.

"Our initiative is uniquely broad," wrote Hyman in an e-mail message. "We have active participation from the Divinity School, the humanities within [the Faculty of Arts and Sciences], and the Business School, for example. That breadth is both our strength and our challenge."

One demonstration of this interdisciplinarity was a working group addressing memory distortion consisting of academics from such varied areas as neurobiology, economics and religion.

Professor of Psychology Daniel L. Schacter, who leads the group, writes in an e-mail message, "MBB has been one of the most stimulating and worthwhile experiences I've ever had in a university." Schacter's group, which is now studying memory and imagination, organized a conference on memory distortions last year. An edited compilation of material from the conference is due for release in November. "This will be the first in what everyone hopes will be a series of MBB-generated books on a variety of topics," says Schacter.

Other working groups have addressed issues such as addiction, inter-group violence, and pain and suffering. Professor of Psychology Stephen M. Kosslyn, co-chair of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Standing Committee on Neuroscience, says of the initiative, "It's a real case of trying to make the whole more than the sum of its parts."

Kosslyn, who studies visual imagery, says MBB gives the "lone stars" of Harvard's faculty the chance to explore areas outside their respective specialties.

Not only is MBB broadening faculty interests, it is also generating new undergraduate courses. This fall, Porter Professor of Philosophy Robert Nozick is teaching a new course called Philosophy 151z, "Philosophy and Neuroscience."

"I wanted to give a course that didn't just start with pre-existing philosophical questions, but read a lot of neuroscience to see what new philosophical questions would arise," Nozick says.

And this spring, Starch Professor of Psychology Jerome Kagan will team up with Professor of Education Kurt W. Fischer and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Medical School Francine M. Benes to teach Psychology 1202, "Behavioral and Brain Development."

Kagan says the professors have already written scripts for two films made especially for the course: one on psychopathology and the brain and another on magnetic resonance imaging.

The four new MBB undergraduate tracks, however, are the result of the combined efforts of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Standing Committee on Neuroscience (which initially existed independently of MBB) and the MBB Curriculum Committee. According to Kosslyn, the Standing Committee, which Kosslyn co-chairs with Cabot Professor of the Natural Sciences John E. Dowling, grew out of the faculty's desire to advance development of the neurosciences at Harvard, particularly in the psychology and biology departments.

Track Versus Concentration?

While committees initially considered forming an independent MBB concentration rather than tracks within departments, members worried that such a concentration would not equip students with sufficient depth in a particular area. "Neuroscience is such a broad area that a concentration would consist of a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and people taking it wouldn't have the background to go on to graduate schools or even medical school," Dowling says.

Hyman also points out that faculty felt that establishing a separate MBB concentration was "premature." According to Hyman, the faculty would first like to get a better gauge of student interest, raise funds for infrastructure, and further deal with difficulties that stem from interdisciplinary thinking and research.

Yet some students, while acknowledging that the MBB tracks are still in the formative stages, don't think the tracks go far enough. According to Josh H. McDermott '98, a computer science concentrator who has decided not to join the track, "I just think it would be good to have a separate concentration, where you wouldn't have to commit to any one of these concentrations." McDermott, who is now trying to establish a special concentration in cognitive science, explains that he wants to study cognitive neuroscience and computer science more equally than MBB allows. McDermott bemoans requirements such as hardware and graphics courses, which he feels are unrelated to his interests in cognitive science.

According to McDermott, "The main thing MBB accomplishes is that you get this cute little certificate that says you know neuroscience."

Some of these feelings are shared by Laurie R. Santos '97, a psychology concentrator who unlike McDermott, is joining an MBB track. "You do this whole program and all you get is a certificate--it's like, what is that?" says Santos. Santos says she would like to see a neuroscience concentration eventually develop, but for the time being, is looking forward to becoming part of the cognitive neuroscience track.

"You're now incorporated into the initiative," says Santos. "It kind of gives you a more direct link with the faculty involved in MBB, some of whom I wouldn't have known or gotten to work with otherwise."

Santos says she is also excited about meeting undergraduates from other disciplines who are interested in neuroscience. "Rarely in the psych department do you meet the hard core bio and CS people," Santos adds.

Too Late to Join?

Other students, while extremely interested in neuroscience, think it's a bit too late for them to join the track.

Tracey A. Cho '97 a history and science concentrator says, "I already have a plan of study laid out, and I'm very happy with it; but if I were a freshman, I'd definitely consider it."

Still, juniors like Santos, and possibly even seniors, are eager to join the tracks.

"We are certainly encouraging juniors to look at the track as an option for themselves," says Harriman. Dowling also points out that requirements could be modified to accommodate late-comers to the track.

Indeed, some students may have already met the track requirements. Herman A. Sanchez '97, a psychology concentrator, actually reduced his concentration requirements by joining the track. Math and science courses that previously did not count towards his degree in psychology will now meet requirements for the cognitive neuroscience MBB track.

"Value Added"

But like McDermott, some students interested in neuroscience view the MBB track as a limitation.

Regarding the MBB track, biology concentrator Nickolas D. Juliano '96 says, "It just seems like everything you would do if you were interested in the neurosciences and with a little bit less choice." Juliano, who says he's met most of the MBB requirements anyway, admits the MBB track does provide a cohesion with other neuroscience majors that he lacked.

This very cohesion is what those involved in the MBB tracks like to refer to as "value added"--or what students will gain by joining the track. Besides providing students an opportunity to meet and converse with others interested in MBB, the track also promises to broaden understanding of the mind, brain and behavior.

As Hyman writes in an e-mail message, "We do not think that psychology majors, for example should go through Harvard without thinking about the brain."

"We also do not think that neuroscientists should go through Harvard without fully considering their own philosophical commitments or the potential effects of their work on human self-understanding," he continues.

Harriman says the tracks give students more flexibility to amass concentration credit for courses that fall within the rubric of MBB but may be offered outside of their departments. For example, a biology concentrator can receive credit for taking abnormal psychology, just as a psychology concentrator in the MBB track can receive concentration credit for pre-med requirements.

Rather than being forced to hunt through the course catalog to find courses relevant to neuroscience, students in the MBB program now have such courses at their fingertips. In reference to the computational neuroscience track, Loeb Associate Professor of the Natural Sciences Stuart M. Shieber says, "People with MBB interest would have been able to major in computer science anyway, but the track puts in one place courses that are pertinent."

The Future of MBB

Will MBB evolve into its own concentration? Committee members are paying close attention to the new tracks, which they consider to be somewhat of an experiment. "Whether there is a concentration depends on sustained student interest in the tracks and the perception of the faculty and student alike that we are adding value," Hyman writes in an e-mail message.

Although the MBB program is still in its formative stages, the faculty seem confident that this experiment will succeed.

"I am hopeful that MBB will generate novel and important research at the intersections of different disciplines, as well as help to train a new generation of scholars with both discipline-specific expertise and cross-disciplinary breadth," says Schacter. "This new generation of scholars will help to create the synergies that will shape 21st-century science."CrimsonRebecca L. Bennett