Lauren Rudolph joined the Department of Neuroscience at Kenyon in 2022. Her research is in the field of behavioral neuroendocrinology and she is specifically interested in how hormones affect the nervous system across development and in adulthood. Her current research focuses on how steroid hormones such as estrogens and androgens shape the structure and function of neurons, neural systems and influence a range of behaviors including reproduction. She addresses these questions in rodents using a variety of experimental techniques including immunohistochemistry, neuromorphology and behavioral assays.

Prior to Kenyon, Rudolph was a faculty member in the Biology Department at Allegheny College for three years and a visiting faculty member in the Department of Neuroscience at Pomona College following her postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA.

Areas of Expertise

Behavioral neuroscience, neuroendocrinology, steroid hormones

Education

2014 — Doctor of Philosophy from Indiana University

2008 — Bachelor of Science from Washington Lee University

Courses Recently Taught

This course begins with a definition of neuroscience as an interdisciplinary field, in the context of the philosophy of science. After covering the basics of cellular neurophysiology, the course examines the development and organization of the human nervous system in terms of sensory, motor, motivational, emotional and cognitive processes. The neurological and biochemical bases of various brain and behavioral disorders also are examined. This course paired with any neuroscience course counts toward the natural science diversification requirement. This course is required for the major. Prerequisite or corequisite: BIOL 115, BIOL 116 or equivalent. Offered every year.

This course focuses on the ways in which the brain gathers, processes and interprets information from the external environment in order to construct an internal representation that the organism perceives to be "reality." The goal is to provide students with an understanding of the evolution, structure and function of various sensory systems as well as an understanding of how the brain interprets incoming sensations and turns them into perceptions that allow organisms to act on their environment. This course paired with any neuroscience course counts toward the natural science diversification requirement. This counts toward the elective requirement for the major. Prerequisite: PSYC 100, 110 or NEUR 212. Sophomore standing. Generally offered every year.

This course explores the relationships between hormones and the nervous system. Using a systems-level approach, we examine hormone-brain interactions involved in reproduction, stress, parenting and biological rhythms, focusing on examples from mammalian species. We begin with classical neuroendocrine examples and branch into recent findings, with reading and discussion of primary literature as an integral part of the course. This course paired with any neuroscience course counts toward the natural science diversification requirement. This counts toward an elective requirement for the major. Prerequisite: NEUR 212.

This combined discussion and laboratory course aims to develop abilities for asking sound research questions, designing reasonable scientific approaches to answer such questions, and performing experiments to test both the design and the question. We consider how to assess difficulties and limitations in experimental strategies due to design, equipment, system selected, and so on. The course provides a detailed understanding of selected modern research equipment. Students select their own research problems in consultation with one or more neuroscience faculty members. This course is designed both for those who plan to undertake honors research in their senior year and for those who are not doing honors but who want some practical research experience. A student can begin the research in either semester. When a year of credit is earned, it may counts toward the research methods course requirement for the major. This course is repeatable for up to 1.50 units of credit. Prerequisite: BIOL 109Y-110Y and NEUR 212. Permission of instructor required.