Concordia College will host its 11th annual Nornes neuroscience lecture at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, in the Centrum, Knutson Campus Center.
Dr. Chloe Erikson, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Dr. Marisa Roberto at Scripps Research, La Jolla, California, will give a talk titled “How Stress and Alcohol Change the Brain.”
Erikson studies how long-term alcohol use affects the brain, with a focus on the cerebellum, which has been largely understudied in addiction research. Her work has found that chronic alcohol exposure disrupts stress-related signaling in this region, suggesting the cerebellum may play a larger role in addiction than previously understood.
Her research aims to deepen understanding of how chronic alcohol use interacts with the brain’s stress system, which could ultimately support better prevention and treatment strategies.
While on campus for the week, Erikson will also guest-teach Concordia’s introductory neuroscience course, participate in advanced neuroscience classes, and serve as a judge for the college’s Innovation Challenge presentations. The Innovation Challenge is a semester-long competition in which students explore real-world problems, develop hypotheses, and research potential solutions.
Students from Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton High School have also been invited to meet with Erikson prior to the lecture. The DGF students previously partnered with Concordia neuroscience majors for a hands-on brain anatomy class.
The lecture is free and open to the public with a dessert reception following the presentation. It will also be livestreamed at ConcordiaCollege.edu/Streaming.
The event coincides with Brain Awareness Week, a global campaign organized by the Dana Foundation.
Learn more about Concordia's neuroscience program at ConcordiaCollege.edu/Neuroscience and CobberNeuro.org.
About the Nornes Lectureship in Neuroscience
The Nornes Lectureship in Neuroscience brings leading scientists to campus to share current research and engage students and the community in conversations about emerging discoveries in science and medicine. It is supported through generous gifts from Concordia College alumni Dr. Howard and Sonia Nornes and the LaVern and Lois Nornes families.