Melissa J. Glenn, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Chair of Psychology

I received my B.Sc. in Psychology from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1994, and my M.A. and Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Concordia University in 1997 and 2003, respectively. My graduate theses focused on the functional neuroanatomy of memory systems. From 2003 until 2007, I was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Duke University and while there I was funded by the National Institute on Aging to study the neural and behavioral mechanisms mediating a lifelong enhancement in cognition with prenatal choline supplementation. I joined the Psychology Department at Colby College in August 2007 where I am continuing to ask questions about the behavioral, neural, and physiological effects of choline supplemenation or deficiency at different stages of life. We also study the ways it is neuroprotective against psychological disorders, in particular schizophrenia and depression. I teach the Biological Basis of Behavior (PS 233), a seminar and a companion Collaborative Research course on Neural Plasticity and Behavior (PS 349 and 350), and a seminar on Psychology and Neuroscience (PS 374).

Undergraduate student researchers pursue original research questions about brain and behavior in my lab, as described on this web site. Students may work as research assistants, conduct independent research for course credit, and/or do senior projects. If you are interested in doing research in the lab please feel free to contact me about research opportunities.