Psychology News
Julie Yonker
Part of the homework Professor Yonker assigns in psychology 209 is
creating the life histories of older adults.
Scott Stehouwer
Professor Scott Stehouwer wins professor of the year. Read more.
Blake Riek
Professor Blake Riek studies the motivators behind asking for forgiveness.
Julie Yonker
Professor Julie Yonker spoke to the parents of the 2011 Calvin graduates at the Parent's Breakfast during Commencement weekend.
Paul Moes
What happens when the brain doesn’t become organized in the “typical” way? Professors Paul Moes (Psychology) and Loren Haarsma (Physics) have been studying what happens when a structure called the corpus callosum, which is a set of nerve cells connecting the two sides of the brain, doesn’t develop as it should. Instead of growing to the other side (“hemisphere”) of the brain, these nerve cells grow back into the same hemisphere. Professor Moes has studied human patients with this condition who show a variety of social and emotional difficulties (similar to autism), along with possible coordination problems and learning difficulties. But now the two professors are studying mice with this same condition. The primary goal of the study is to determine if the nerve cells that should have grown to the other side of the brain form communication networks with cells in the same hemisphere. Professor Haarsma’s expertise in electrophysiology of nerve cells (using a “patch clamp” procedure) has allowed the two collaborators to explore the nature of brain reorganization and to learn more about the basic mechanisms of brain function. The advanced instruments used for this interdisciplinary study was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation and the summer research students (Charlotte DuLaney – Physics; Dan Evans – Engineering; Jonathan Wong – Biochemistry) have been funded by the college’s Integrated Science Research Institute (ISRI).
Sergio da Silva
Calvin psychology professor Sergio da Silva conducts research that puts people to sleep.
Laura DeHaan and Julie Yonker
Calvin psychology professors Laura DeHaan and Julie Yonker are working on research about faith and adolescence.
Julie Yonker
Read more about Julie's research on cognitive aging and the Dutch Famine.
