Welcome!

For animals who live in an unpredictable world, the ability to process and remember their sensory environment accurately is crucial for survival. Our lab focuses broadly on how such sensory representations form (learning) and persist (memory).

Our group is dedicated to undergraduate-driven neuroscience research. We pair behavioural studies with neuropharmacology and techniques in molecular biology to study the molecular mechanisms of olfactory memory.

The TONG RESEARCH GROUP  is at Earlham College in Richmond, IN, USA.

News/Updates:

Did you know that both the Psychology and Neuroscience Award winners this year have been part of the Tong Research Group? Just sayin’ 🤷🏻‍♀️ Congrats to Arish and Flannery! #STEMatSLAC #findwhatswrong
Did you know that both the Psychology and Neuroscience Award winners this year have been part of the Tong Research Group? Just sayin’ 🤷🏻‍♀️ Congrats to Arish and Flannery! #STEMatSLAC #findwhatswrong
Arish Mudra Rakshasa holding it down at the West Coast Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Conference (WCBSUR) in San Diego this past weekend. Congratulations on your presentation, Arish! #STEMatSLAC #UndergradResearch #FirstSoloConference
Arish Mudra Rakshasa holding it down at the West Coast Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Conference (WCBSUR) in San Diego this past weekend. Congratulations on your presentation, Arish! #STEMatSLAC #UndergradResearch #FirstSoloConference
Amazed and inspired by these neuroscientists! Aishat helped to organize a conference today for students of colour, and Kendra Parker (who will join #TRG this summer!) led a workshop on access to medicine and representation in medical research. #STEMatSLAC #STEMforThePeople #amazed
Amazed and inspired by these neuroscientists! Aishat helped to organize a conference today for students of colour, and Kendra Parker (who will join #TRG this summer!) led a workshop on access to medicine and representation in medical research. #STEMatSLAC #STEMforThePeople #amazed
But wait there’s more?? congratulations to Aishat Sadiq for winning the Earlham Peace Prize! Aishat’s proj hopes to bring mental health education and resources to immigrant communities in the US. #STEMatSLAC #TRG
But wait there’s more?? congratulations to Aishat Sadiq for winning the Earlham Peace Prize! Aishat’s proj hopes to bring mental health education and resources to immigrant communities in the US. #STEMatSLAC #TRG
Whoa! It’s a good week for #TRG! Congrats to Maren Schroeder! Her paper on “The Effects of Curcumin on Glial Morphology Following Spinal Cord Injury in Lampreys” was published in IMPULSE! #STEMatSLAC #UndergradResearch https://impulse.appstate.edu/articles/2019/effects-curcumin-glial-morphology-following-spinal-cord-injury-lampreys
Whoa! It’s a good week for #TRG! Congrats to Maren Schroeder! Her paper on “The Effects of Curcumin on Glial Morphology Following Spinal Cord Injury in Lampreys” was published in IMPULSE! #STEMatSLAC #UndergradResearch https://impulse.appstate.edu/articles/2019/effects-curcumin-glial-morphology-following-spinal-cord-injury-lampreys
Congratulations to Anthony Maggard who will be starting a Ph.D. program in Neuroscience at Brandeis University in the fall! Yes, Anthony!! #STEMatSLAC #TRG #UndergradResearch
Congratulations to Anthony Maggard who will be starting a Ph.D. program in Neuroscience at Brandeis University in the fall! Yes, Anthony!! #STEMatSLAC #TRG #UndergradResearch
Congratulations to Arish Mudra Rakshasa for getting the Watson Fellowship! Next year, Arish will travel to Australia, South Africa, Spain, Chile and France, to observe the impact that the HIV/AIDS has on the people in these different countries. Congratulations, Arish! #STEMatSLAC #Watson #FutureDiplomat
Congratulations to Arish Mudra Rakshasa for getting the Watson Fellowship! Next year, Arish will travel to Australia, South Africa, Spain, Chile and France, to observe the impact that the HIV/AIDS has on the people in these different countries. Congratulations, Arish! #STEMatSLAC #Watson #FutureDiplomat
Congratulations to Flannery Currin! Flannery will be pursuing her PhD in computer science at the University of Iowa next year. Her work will focus on accessibility in brain-machine interfaces. Wow! #STEMatSLAC #BMI #GradSchoolBound
Congratulations to Flannery Currin! Flannery will be pursuing her PhD in computer science at the University of Iowa next year. Her work will focus on accessibility in brain-machine interfaces. Wow! #STEMatSLAC #BMI #GradSchoolBound
Sam, the robot animal, getting crowded by young visitors at the Joseph Moore Museum open house. Many congratulations to my PSYC/CS340 for hosting such an engaging showcase of complex cognitions from simple computations! #STEMatSLAC #SciComm
Sam, the robot animal, getting crowded by young visitors at the Joseph Moore Museum open house. Many congratulations to my PSYC/CS340 for hosting such an engaging showcase of complex cognitions from simple computations! #STEMatSLAC #SciComm
A big congratulations to Aishat Sadiq for winning the Davis Peace Prize for her proposal to host mental health education workshops for new immigrant communities. Proud of you, Aishat! And proud to see TRG members being active in and out of the laboratory! #STEMatSLAC #undergradresearch #davisprojectsforpeace
A big congratulations to Aishat Sadiq for winning the Davis Peace Prize for her proposal to host mental health education workshops for new immigrant communities. Proud of you, Aishat! And proud to see TRG members being active in and out of the laboratory! #STEMatSLAC #undergradresearch #davisprojectsforpeace
Well, we’ve got olfactory bulb! Khyrul Khan is piloting a protocol this semester that allows us to label perineuronal nets with a fluorescent protein. We were just looking at some olfactory bulb slices this week, without the label. Science takes time and practice. #STEMatSLAC #GFP #Imaging
Well, we’ve got olfactory bulb! Khyrul Khan is piloting a protocol this semester that allows us to label perineuronal nets with a fluorescent protein. We were just looking at some olfactory bulb slices this week, without the label. Science takes time and practice. #STEMatSLAC #GFP #Imaging
PI Michelle Tong and student Flannery Currin are co-teaching a “Robotic Animals” class this semester. The class will allow students to explore how complex cognition can result from simple computations. We’re also doing a little study on how students learn best in multidisciplinary classes. #STEMatSLAC #CognitiveScience
PI Michelle Tong and student Flannery Currin are co-teaching a “Robotic Animals” class this semester. The class will allow students to explore how complex cognition can result from simple computations. We’re also doing a little study on how students learn best in multidisciplinary classes. #STEMatSLAC #CognitiveScience
We can use genetically encoded fluorescent proteins to selectively label the cells that we want to record from. Remember how hard it was to see the muscle cells? Well, take a look at them now that they have been labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP). #STEMatSLAC #microscopy
We can use genetically encoded fluorescent proteins to selectively label the cells that we want to record from. Remember how hard it was to see the muscle cells? Well, take a look at them now that they have been labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP). #STEMatSLAC #microscopy
‪I’ll be spending my day trying to find and record from transverse muscles in a fruit fly LARVA after ontogenetic stimulation of the motor nerve. The second image is what we see under the microscope. Can you see the muscle cell??????? #neuroscience #fruitfly #STEMatSLAC ‬
‪I’ll be spending my day trying to find and record from transverse muscles in a fruit fly LARVA after ontogenetic stimulation of the motor nerve. The second image is what we see under the microscope. Can you see the muscle cell??????? #neuroscience #fruitfly #STEMatSLAC ‬
The Spring semester is about to start at Earlham, but before PI Michelle Tong goes back to teaching, she’s doing a little learning of her own. This week, she’s up at Cornell learning how to record electrical signals from invertebrates (like fruit flies and crawfish). Never stop learning. #STEMatSLAC #Neuroscience
The Spring semester is about to start at Earlham, but before PI Michelle Tong goes back to teaching, she’s doing a little learning of her own. This week, she’s up at Cornell learning how to record electrical signals from invertebrates (like fruit flies and crawfish). Never stop learning. #STEMatSLAC #Neuroscience
TRG fans, PI Michelle Tong is tweeting about #STEMatSLAC all week at www.twitter.com/realscientists
TRG fans, PI Michelle Tong is tweeting about #STEMatSLAC all week at www.twitter.com/realscientists
A few weeks ago, I found out that I was NOT elected for a councillor position for the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience. I’m disappointed, but I won’t stop supporting great #undergradresearch and great teaching. #DontGiveUp #KeepingOn
A few weeks ago, I found out that I was NOT elected for a councillor position for the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience. I’m disappointed, but I won’t stop supporting great #undergradresearch and great teaching. #DontGiveUp #KeepingOn
Presenting their work during a campus wide research conference. On campus conferences are a great way to practice research presentations in a low stakes environment. They are also a great way to share with your work with campus community (ie show off a little for your friends). #undergradresearch #stematslac
Presenting their work during a campus wide research conference. On campus conferences are a great way to practice research presentations in a low stakes environment. They are also a great way to share with your work with campus community (ie show off a little for your friends). #undergradresearch #stematslac
Oh snap! Earlham students take the mGLuRs Neuroscience #UndergradResearch Conference by storm! TRG students Abhay, Mallory, and Jerilyn won second place for their poster presentation. Congrats, guys!!! #STEMatSLAC #KillingIt
Oh snap! Earlham students take the mGLuRs Neuroscience #UndergradResearch Conference by storm! TRG students Abhay, Mallory, and Jerilyn won second place for their poster presentation. Congrats, guys!!! #STEMatSLAC #KillingIt
What’s the big fuss? Cryosectioning! #undergradresearch student Khyrul Khan has begun to slice brains. Khyrul is working on optimizing a protocol for immunofluorescence imaging of perineuronal nets. We’ll finally get to see our dear PNNs in action! #STEMatSLAC
What’s the big fuss? Cryosectioning! #undergradresearch student Khyrul Khan has begun to slice brains. Khyrul is working on optimizing a protocol for immunofluorescence imaging of perineuronal nets. We’ll finally get to see our dear PNNs in action! #STEMatSLAC
Did you know that both the Psychology and Neuroscience Award winners this year have been part of the Tong Research Group? Just sayin’ 🤷🏻‍♀️ Congrats to Arish and Flannery! #STEMatSLAC #findwhatswrong Arish Mudra Rakshasa holding it down at the West Coast Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Conference (WCBSUR) in San Diego this past weekend. Congratulations on your presentation, Arish! #STEMatSLAC #UndergradResearch #FirstSoloConference Amazed and inspired by these neuroscientists! Aishat helped to organize a conference today for students of colour, and Kendra Parker (who will join #TRG this summer!) led a workshop on access to medicine and representation in medical research. #STEMatSLAC #STEMforThePeople #amazed But wait there’s more?? congratulations to Aishat Sadiq for winning the Earlham Peace Prize! Aishat’s proj hopes to bring mental health education and resources to immigrant communities in the US. #STEMatSLAC #TRG Whoa! It’s a good week for #TRG! Congrats to Maren Schroeder! Her paper on “The Effects of Curcumin on Glial Morphology Following Spinal Cord Injury in Lampreys” was published in IMPULSE! #STEMatSLAC #UndergradResearch https://impulse.appstate.edu/articles/2019/effects-curcumin-glial-morphology-following-spinal-cord-injury-lampreys Congratulations to Anthony Maggard who will be starting a Ph.D. program in Neuroscience at Brandeis University in the fall! Yes, Anthony!! #STEMatSLAC #TRG #UndergradResearch Congratulations to Arish Mudra Rakshasa for getting the Watson Fellowship! Next year, Arish will travel to Australia, South Africa, Spain, Chile and France, to observe the impact that the HIV/AIDS has on the people in these different countries. Congratulations, Arish! #STEMatSLAC #Watson #FutureDiplomat Congratulations to Flannery Currin! Flannery will be pursuing her PhD in computer science at the University of Iowa next year. Her work will focus on accessibility in brain-machine interfaces. Wow! #STEMatSLAC #BMI #GradSchoolBound Sam, the robot animal, getting crowded by young visitors at the Joseph Moore Museum open house. Many congratulations to my PSYC/CS340 for hosting such an engaging showcase of complex cognitions from simple computations! #STEMatSLAC #SciComm A big congratulations to Aishat Sadiq for winning the Davis Peace Prize for her proposal to host mental health education workshops for new immigrant communities. Proud of you, Aishat! And proud to see TRG members being active in and out of the laboratory! #STEMatSLAC #undergradresearch #davisprojectsforpeace Well, we’ve got olfactory bulb! Khyrul Khan is piloting a protocol this semester that allows us to label perineuronal nets with a fluorescent protein. We were just looking at some olfactory bulb slices this week, without the label. Science takes time and practice. #STEMatSLAC #GFP #Imaging PI Michelle Tong and student Flannery Currin are co-teaching a “Robotic Animals” class this semester. The class will allow students to explore how complex cognition can result from simple computations. We’re also doing a little study on how students learn best in multidisciplinary classes. #STEMatSLAC #CognitiveScience We can use genetically encoded fluorescent proteins to selectively label the cells that we want to record from. Remember how hard it was to see the muscle cells? Well, take a look at them now that they have been labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP). #STEMatSLAC #microscopy ‪I’ll be spending my day trying to find and record from transverse muscles in a fruit fly LARVA after ontogenetic stimulation of the motor nerve. The second image is what we see under the microscope. Can you see the muscle cell??????? #neuroscience #fruitfly #STEMatSLAC ‬ The Spring semester is about to start at Earlham, but before PI Michelle Tong goes back to teaching, she’s doing a little learning of her own. This week, she’s up at Cornell learning how to record electrical signals from invertebrates (like fruit flies and crawfish). Never stop learning. #STEMatSLAC #Neuroscience TRG fans, PI Michelle Tong is tweeting about #STEMatSLAC all week at www.twitter.com/realscientists A few weeks ago, I found out that I was NOT elected for a councillor position for the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience. I’m disappointed, but I won’t stop supporting great #undergradresearch and great teaching. #DontGiveUp #KeepingOn Presenting their work during a campus wide research conference. On campus conferences are a great way to practice research presentations in a low stakes environment. They are also a great way to share with your work with campus community (ie show off a little for your friends). #undergradresearch #stematslac Oh snap! Earlham students take the mGLuRs Neuroscience #UndergradResearch Conference by storm! TRG students Abhay, Mallory, and Jerilyn won second place for their poster presentation. Congrats, guys!!! #STEMatSLAC #KillingIt What’s the big fuss? Cryosectioning! #undergradresearch student Khyrul Khan has begun to slice brains. Khyrul is working on optimizing a protocol for immunofluorescence imaging of perineuronal nets. We’ll finally get to see our dear PNNs in action! #STEMatSLAC

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