Centre College's Ben Cocanougher Published in Research Journal

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Ben Cocanougher of Springfield, a senior at Centre College

DANVILLE, KY (04/01/2011)(readMedia)-- Ben Cocanougher of Springfield, a senior at Centre College, is part of a group whose collaborative research has been published in the Feb. 3, 2011 edition of the journal Brain Research.

The paper, "Increasing proportions of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive interneurons colocalize with choline acetyltransferase or vasoactive intestinal peptide in the developing rat cerebral cortex," is authored by Centre Professor Steve Asmus and eight student collaborators.

"Our study examined the neurotransmitters produced in a subset of neurons in the rat cerebral cortex, which is the region of the brain that functions in higher cognition," Asmus says.

"Working with Dr. Asmus is a privilege," says Cocanougher, "because he's thorough in his explanations, making difficult concepts accessible and fully explaining the purpose of each step in a procedure. He also allows students to learn and work independently and formulate their own ideas about the results."

Cocanougher is the son of Tim and Ruth Ann Cocanougher of Springfield and is a graduate of Washington County High School.

Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Forbes magazine ranks Centre 24th among all the nation's colleges and universities and has named Centre No. 1 among all institutions of higher education in the South for two years in a row. Consumers Digest ranks Centre No. 1 in educational value among all U.S. liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices.