Starting September 2019
MRes Projects 1-2 – Factors affecting goal-directed motivation in sheep.
MRes Projects 3-4 – Establishing cognitive markers of equine depression.
MRes Projects 1-2 – Factors affecting goal-directed motivation in sheep
The
mechanisms responsible for animal motivation are regulated by specific
neurotransmitter pathways in
the brain and these are highly upregulated and downregulated by
internal (e.g. nutrition) and external (e.g. stressors) factors that the
animal is exposed to. This is important because increasing motivation
for behaviours that the animal cannot perform in
a restricted environment may lead to a reduction in its welfare.
Changes in goal-directed motivation can be indirectly measured via
performance within specific cognitive tasks and the aim of this project
is to investigate factors that affect motivational systems
using measures of cognition and sheep as a animal model species.
Course Details and Application: See details below and
https://courses.aber.ac.uk/postgraduate/biosciences-masters-research/
Applicants should have at least a 2:1 in a relevant subject (e.g. behavioural biology, zoology, psychology,
cognitive neuroscience).
Start date: end of Sept 2019. Finish date: end of Sept 2020
Informal enquiries: Dr Sebastian McBride sdm@aber.ac.uk
Further reading:
Berridge,
K. C., & Robinson, T. E. (2016). Liking, wanting, and the
incentive-sensitization theory of addiction. The American psychologist,
71(8), 670-679.
McBride,
S. D., Perentos, N., & Morton, A. J. (2015). A mobile, high
throughput semi-automated system for testing cognition in large
non-primate animals models of Huntington's
disease. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 265, 25-33.
MRes Projects
3-4 – Establishing cognitive markers of equine depression
Restrictive
environments can lead to abnormal behaviour but they can also lead to
states of behavioural
depression. Abnormal behaviour in horses is well documented but there
is less understanding about whether some of these animals are responding
to chronically stressful situations by entering into depressed states.
The aim of this project is to use cognitive
tests that are sensitive to changes in behavioural depression to
establish the normal population distribution of motivated/depressed
state in the context of factors such as the age, sex and breed of the
horse.
Course Details and Application: See below and
https://courses.aber.ac.uk/postgraduate/biosciences-masters-research/
Applicants should have at least a 2:1 in a relevant subject (e.g. behavioural biology, zoology, psychology,
equine science) and have experience of handling horses.
Start date: end of Sept 2019. Finish date: end of Sept 2020
Informal enquiries: Dr Sebastian McBride
sdm@aber.ac.uk
Further reading:
Roberts,
K., Hemmings, A. J., McBride, S. D., & Parker, M. O. (2017).
Developing a 3-choice serial reaction time task for examining neural and
cognitive function in an equine
model. Journal of neuroscience methods, 292, 45-52.
Wang,
Q., Timberlake, M. A., 2nd, Prall, K., & Dwivedi, Y. (2017). The
recent progress in animal models of depression. Progress in
neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry,
77, 99-109.
Aberystwyth University MRes Bioscience (Large Animal Cognition)
About the Course
This
1 year course leads to an internationally recognised MRes qualification
that provides training in transferable
skills essential for those wishing to pursue post-graduate PhD,
commercial or industrial research opportunities in animal cognition/
cognitive neuroscience. Focusing on large animal cognition, you will
gain expert knowledge on learning theory, brain systems
of action selection, learning and memory. The course (via seminars)
will also explore the relationship between cognitive and emotional
systems and how this is currently being used to assess animal welfare.
Through the process of an investigative project (equine
or ovine), you will be trained in methods of developing cognitive
paradigms for animals, designing operant systems and training animals to
use them, coding Matlab to control operant paradigms and fitting
cognitive data sets to learning algorithm models.
At
the end of the course you will have a range of interdisciplinary skills
that will allow you to progress into the
emerging and exciting areas of animal cognition and cognitive
neuroscience, either within industry (pharmaceutical) or academia.
Why study Large Animal Cognition at Aberystwyth?
IBERS
is a multidisciplinary department that contains international expertise
ranging from molecular to large animal specialisms. This means that
the department has
a full range of facilities (from stables to laboratories) to house and
study a range of large animal species. In addition to this, we have a
dedicated operant research facility with large scale specialist
equipment for the cognitive testing of horses and
sheep. Undertaking an MRes in Aberystwyth University will allow you to
carry out a 12 month investigative project in to large animal cognition
using either horses or sheep as a model.
Why study at Aberystwyth?
With 360 members of staff (principle investigators, technicians and post-doctoral fellows), 1350 undergraduate students
and more than 150 postgraduate students, IBERS is the largest research and teaching institute within Aberystwyth
University.
Excellence in teaching was recognised by outstanding scores in the
National Student Satisfaction Survey (NSS 2017) and being awarded University
of the Year for Teaching Quality by the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2018. Employability data from the Recent Destinations of Leavers from Higher
Education (DLHE, 2017) shows that 97% of IBERS graduates were in work or further study six months after leaving Aberystwyth
University.
The economic and social impact of IBERS research was recognised in 2011
when IBERS won the national BBSRC Excellence with Impact Award.
Course Details
An
aspect of this course that uniquely positions itself from other Masters
level courses in the UK is the 12-month
dissertation project (Semesters 1-3). Working under the supervision of
Dr Sebastian McBride, you will collaboratively develop a research
project on a topic of animal cognition such as the delayed match to
sample paradigm, mechanisms of learning interference,
developing cognitive tasks to measure animal depression and modelling
learning strategies. Your supervisor will mentor you in hypothesis and
experimental design, provide training in lab-based and computer-assisted
methodologies, arrange instruction in analytical
techniques, aid in the trouble-shooting of experimental challenges,
assist you in the interpretation of results and prepare you for
successful oral presentations. You will also be guided in how to most
efficiently communicate your results during the dissertation
write-up. It is expected that during this year long research project
you will become an expert in your topic.
Please refer to our course web
pages for full details of course modules.
Employability
Careers
This course is an ideal training programme for those wishing to:
- Pursue PhD studies;
- Work in industry, charities or funding bodies;
- Improve animal and human health;
- Influence governmental policies.
Skills
Throughout this course you will:
· Develop strong data collection/analysis, fieldwork and laboratory skills;
· Enhance your scientific communication and team work skills;
· Write for a range of audiences including academics and the wider public;
· Enhance your analytical abilities, critical thinking and problem solving skills;
· Develop study and research skills;
· Direct and sustain a self-initiated programme of study underpinned by good time management skills;
· Work effectively and independently;
· Hone your project management skills to deliver a demanding combination of research, analysis, communication
and presentation
How will I learn?
Students
on this course complete 40 credits of core modules centred on research
and laboratory techniques,
and 20 credits giving them an insight into themes/approaches to the
biosciences with a specific emphasis on animal cognition. These modules
are delivered via fieldtrips, practicals, lectures, workshops and
tutorials.
The taught modules are assessed by scientific writing assignments (such
as reports, critical reviews, essays and journalistic articles),
presentations, contribution to group discussions in seminars and online
assignments. The core element of this course is
the 120 credit MRes Dissertation, during which students will have
supervision meetings to give them guidance before undertaking a
prolonged period of experimental work/data gathering, research, and
writing up of the dissertation. All postgraduate students
in IBERS also have a named personal tutor, with whom they can discuss
personal or domestic concerns that impact on their studies. Subsequent
successful submission of your dissertation leads to the award of an
MRes.