Much of the research in behavioral neuroscience at Kent State is conducted in the modern and extensive Kent Hall Animal Research Facility. The animal facility has consistently received full accreditation from the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Lab Animal Care (AAALAC). Extensive experimental equipment and surgical/histological facilities are available there. Psychobiological research with human subjects is carried out in appropriate rooms in Kent Hall and other facilities on the university campus as well as regional hospitals.
Animal facilities are equipped for studying a very broad range of rat and mouse behavior including classical conditioning, avoidance learning, operant conditioning, cognitive tasks, and social behavior. These studies are supported by equipment including Med-State computer control systems, video monitoring and recording, traditional mazes, avoidance conditioning chambers, operant chambers of various designs, and touchscreen testing chambers for rodents.
The facilities include a new molecular biology wet lab space that is optimized for performing all varieties of mRNA, DNA, protein manipulation and analyses as well as microscopy, and contains all the necessary equipment and accessories required for cell culture, virus production (except ultracentrifuge) and stereotaxic rodent surgery. In addition, there are three 70 square foot each, dedicated behavioral rooms that are separately optimized for different behavioral analysis of rodents, including fear conditioning, elevated-plus maze, open-field activity tests and social interaction tests, as well as optogenetic stimulation. The laboratory also has sufficient refrigerator and freezer space.