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Thomas Mark Newpher

Associate Professor of the Practice of Psychology and Neuroscience
Psychology & Neuroscience
308 Research Drive, LSRC B030, Box 91003, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


I teach, mentor, and advise in Duke’s Neuroscience major, and serve as the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies in Neuroscience.  I also direct the Duke Summer Neuroscience Program, which provides research and professional development opportunities for undergraduate fellows.  I earned my B.A. in Biology from Thiel College and my Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Microbiology from Case Western Reserve University.  In addition, I received postdoctoral training in the Departments of Neurobiology and Cell Biology at Duke University, where my research focused on the molecular mechanisms that underlie learning-related synaptic plasticity.

As a faculty member in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience I teach several courses, including Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology (NEUROSCI 223), Contemporary Neuroscience Methods (NEUROSCI 376), the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (NEUROSCI 461S), and Neuroplasticity and Disease (NEUROSCI 353S). My courses use a variety of team-based learning activities to promote critical thinking skills, foster collaboration among students, and create an engaging, student-centered classroom experience. As a co-PI in the Duke Team-Based Learning lab, I study the impacts of collaborative learning on student performance and classroom dynamics.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Associate Professor of the Practice of Psychology and Neuroscience · 2023 - Present Psychology & Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies in Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience · 2021 - Present Psychology & Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Faculty Network Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences · 2018 - Present Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, University Institutes and Centers

In the News


Published September 18, 2023
These Duke Summer Courses Are a Win for Students and Faculty
Published September 13, 2022
Four Trinity Faculty Honored with 2022 Undergraduate Teaching Awards
Published November 19, 2021
Department announces 2021-2022 Faculty Seed Grant recipients

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Recent Publications


Comparing Student Performance in Emergency Remote and Face-to-Face Collaborative Learning Courses.

Journal Article Journal of undergraduate neuroscience education : JUNE : a publication of FUN, Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience · January 2023 The start of the COVID-19 pandemic forced an unprecedented shift from face-to-face (F2F) instruction to emergency remote teaching (ERT) for over one billion learners worldwide. Studies from K-12 and higher education have begun to address the impact of ERT ... Full text Cite

Class Size and Student Performance in a Team-Based Learning Course.

Journal Article J Undergrad Neurosci Educ · 2021 High-enrollment university courses can be associated with decreased student learning and course satisfaction. In these large classes, students report feelings of isolation, reduced faculty interaction, and less motivation. Here we address whether team-base ... Open Access Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


The Endocytic Machinery of Dendritic Spines

ResearchResearch Associate · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2003 - 2011

Regulation of excitatory synapses by local zones of endocytic cycling

FellowshipPI-Fellow · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2008 - 2011

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Education, Training & Certifications


Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine · 2006 Ph.D.