Exploring the Biology Behind Human Ritual and Imagination

To many, science and magic sit on opposite ends of a spectrum. One relies on empirical data, peer-reviewed hypotheses, and logic. The other invokes unseen forces, intuition, and rituals. But for Siddharth Ramakrishnan, professor of biology and the Jennie M. Caruthers Chair of Neuroscience at the University of Puget Sound, the two worlds are intimately connected.

Sophia Haynes ’27 spent three weeks this summer researching one of these species: the striped plateau lizard. Living and working out of the Southwestern Research Station, located about 5,400 feet above sea level, Haynes studied how the cold-blooded lizard thermally regulates in the heat of the Arizona mountains, and more specifically, whether the lizards take refuge in trees when it’s hotter in order to regulate their temperature.

Dominique Langevin ’26 stood in front of a small crowd of students in the Harned Hall atrium. They weren't just presenting a class assignment. They were sharing research they helped shape — work rooted in the same datasets used by scientists at the Allen Institute.

For four weeks, University of Puget Sound students received a unique glimpse into the future of neuroscience when scientists from the Allen Institute brought cutting-edge, hands-on training to Professor of Biology Siddharth Ramakrishnan's advanced neuroscience class.

As a Fulbright scholar at Western Sydney University, Kyra Lee ’24 spends her days developing brain-inspired technologies that could one day reshape healthcare and robotics. 

At the university’s International Centre for Neuromorphic Systems, Lee is part of a research team designing neuromorphic systems — computing technologies modeled after the human brain. These bio-inspired tools could improve machine learning, enhance robotic responsiveness, and expand how artificial intelligence supports patient care.