Mark McNamee

I retired in 2015 after 40 years as a professor of biochemistry and university administrator, both at UC Davis (1975-2001) and Virginia Tech (2001-2015). My research focused on the structure and function of the acetylcholine receptor, a key protein involved in brain and muscle function. My degrees are from MIT (BS) and Stanford (PhD) and I did postdoctoral work at Columbia. I taught neuroscience courses in a Life Long Learning program in Massachusetts before moving to Vermont in 2020. (2/7/24)

It’s Your Brain: An Introduction to Neuroscience (Winter Term 2024)

Participant Testimonials:

I knew very little about the brain.   Now I can read scientific articles in newspapers and magazines, and have an understanding of the content.

Mark is a fantastic instructor, mixing lectures and videos to explain brain functions. He targeted the understanding level of the audience well. Some material went over my head as a non-scientist but I got a lot out of the course for having no neuroscience background.

It's Your Brain: An Introduction to Neuroscience (Fall Term 2022)

Participant Testimonials:

This was a fascinating, lively, well-paced, and very well-prepared course. Mark offered a great mix of lecture, slides, video, and references for further reading. He fully allowed time for questions, which often led in interesting directions for all of us. And he has a deep knowledge of the subject matter, including recent developments in the field.

Mark is an outstanding professor. Knows his stuff and very warm and welcoming.