Recently, Under the Microscope reported on work being done in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior on neurogenesis, or the birth of new neurons. Work on this subject is also taking place in the Psychology Department in the lab of Alice Powers. Her studies come with a twist. While many in the neurogenesis field study mice, rats or primates, Dr. Powers studies turtles.

For many years it was believed that the human brain did not produce new neurons after birth, a process called neurogenesis. However, in the past few decades, researchers have discovered that distinct areas of the adult brain do produce new cells.