A Versatile Psychoneuroimmunology Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience

Area of Science:

• Psychoneuroimmunology
• Neuroscience Education

Background:

• Undergraduate research experiences are crucial for scientific training.
• Integrating research into coursework can enhance student engagement and learning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a Psychoneuroimmunology Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (PNI CURE).
• To assess the impact of the PNI CURE on students' self-efficacy and research identity.
• To provide students with hands-on experience in research design, data collection, and scientific communication.

Main Methods:

• Students formed teams based on interests, selecting psychosocial variables and assessment tools.
• Volunteers provided blood samples for cytokine analysis and completed questionnaires.
• Data were analyzed to evaluate associations between psychosocial variables and peripheral inflammation, with hypotheses generated about brain inflammation.

Main Results:

• Participation in the PNI CURE significantly increased students' self-efficacy.
• The PNI CURE enhanced students' development of a research identity.
• Students successfully conducted research, analyzed data, and reported findings in manuscripts and posters.

Conclusions:

• The PNI CURE effectively provides a comprehensive research experience for undergraduates.
• This model can be adopted by neuroscience educators to expand undergraduate research opportunities.
• The program successfully linked psychosocial variables to peripheral inflammation markers in an educational setting.