Midwest & Great Lakes Undergraduate Research Symposium in Neuroscience

Baldwin Wallace University’s Neuroscience Department is excited to host the 15th annual Midwest & Great Lakes Undergraduate Research Symposium in Neuroscience (mGluRs) on Saturday, October 7th in the Austin E. Knowlton Center and Center for Innovation and Growth on the BW campus in Berea.

The symposium aims to provide an opportunity for undergraduates to present summer research projects in the field of neuroscience and, for some, to prepare for the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting. The day will include a keynote speaker, oral and poster presentations by students, a career panel, professional development opportunities, and the chance to talk with graduate school representatives.

The cost of the conference is $40 per person. Online registration will be available until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, September 22. After that date, registration will be available onsite the day of the event. If you want to register after this registration closes, please call Katie Adkins at 440-826-3408 or kadkins@bw.edu. Lunch will not be guaranteed after registration closes.

If you have financial concerns that would prevent you from attending the conference, please contact Dr. Clare Mathes by email at cmathes@bw.edu.

Online registration is closed.

Abstract submission is closed. The deadline to submit an abstract is September 22.

Dr. Michael Butler grew up in Florida and received his B.S. from Florida State University in 2013. He remained at FSU for his graduate training and received his PhD in neuroscience in 2019 in the fields of ingestive behavior (food intake/energy balance) and neuroendocrinology. Toward the end of his graduate training he worked on a project investigating the impact of estrogens on microglial responses to a high fat diet in female rats. This project sparked an interest in glial cells and brain-immune system communication, as well as how nutrition and other lifestyle factors can impact brain health and function. In 2019, he began his postdoctoral research at The Ohio State University in the Barrientos lab studying the role of diet and nutrition on neuroimmune signaling and memory impairment in aged rats, with an initial focus on microglia (resident immune cells of the brain). At the beginning of 2023, he transitioned into a Research Scientist position in the Barrientos lab and is currently leading several individual projects looking at the role of peripheral immune cells, specifically T cells, in mediating diet-induced brain inflammation and memory deficits in rodent models of both aging and Alzheimer’s disease. Outside of work, he enjoys rock climbing, hiking, running, camping, and spending time with family and friends.

There is parking at the Austin E. Knowlton Center, which is located at 370 Front Street in Berea. There is additional parking at the adjacent Center for Innovation and Growth, which is located at 340 Front Street.

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