Paul Moes


Paul Moes

Education

  • M.S. (Montana State, 1979)
  • Ph.D. (Texas Christian, 1982)

    Professional experience

    • Regular participant in the International Neuropsychology Society Meeting
    • Conducts student outcomes assessment
    • Member, APS

    Biography

    Professor Moes teaches Introduction to Psychology (151), Behavioral Neuroscience (343), and Statistics, Research Design (255), and Psychology and Religion (399). He received his Ph.D. in experimental psychology, with an emphasis in the "Chemistry of Behavior," from Texas Christian University combining his interest in psychology and physiology. In addition to teaching at Dordt College in Iowa for 18 years, Professor Moes had the opportunity to spend a year in St. Andrews, Scotland doing research with Professor Malcom Jeeves, a well-known Christian neuropsychologist and author of many books focusing on the integration of the left and right cerebral hemispheres, including a special focus on individuals born without the corpus callosum, which connects left and right hemispheres. He continues to reflect on, and write about Christian approaches to understanding brain function, personal responsibility and human nature.

    External funding list

    Presentation list

    Research and scholarship

    What happens when the brain doesn't become organized in the "typical" way? Professors Paul Moes (Psychology) and Loren Haarsma (Physics) have been studying what happens when a structure called the corpus callosum, which is a set of nerve cells connecting the two sides of the brain, doesn't develop as it should. Instead of growing to the other side ("hemisphere") of the brain, these nerve cells grow back into the same hemisphere. Professor Moes has studied human patients with this condition who show a variety of social and emotional difficulties (similar to autism), along with possible coordination problems and learning difficulties. But now the two professors are studying mice with this same condition. The primary goal of the study is to determine if the nerve cells that should have grown to the other side of the brain form communication networks with cells in the same hemisphere. Professor Haarsma's expertise in electrophysiology of nerve cells (using a "patch clamp" procedure) has allowed the two collaborators to explore the nature of brain reorganization and to learn more about the basic mechanisms of brain function. The advanced instruments used for this interdisciplinary study was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation and the summer research students (Charlotte DuLaney — Physics; Dan Evans — Engineering; Jonathan Wong — Biochemistry) have been funded by the college's Integrated Science Research Institute (ISRI).

    Publications

    *Smith, J. S., LaFrance, *M., Knol, K. H., Tellinghuisen, D. J., & Moes, P. (2015). Surprising smiles and unanticipated frowns: How emotion and status influence gender categorization. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 39(2), 115-130.

    Moes, P. & Tellinghuisen, D. (2014). Exploring Psychology and Christian Faith: An Introductory Guide. Grand Rapids, MI, Baker Academic and Brazos Press. http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/exploring-psychology-and-christian-faith/347180

    Smith, J. S., LaFrance, M.,Knol, K. H., Tellinghuisen, D. J., & Moes, P. (2015). Surprising smiles and unanticipated frowns: How emotion and status influence gender categorization. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 39(2), 115-130.

    Moes, P. (2010).  Minding Emotions: The Embodied Nature of Emotional Self-regulation.  Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith; Special issue on Psychology, Neuroscience and Issues of Faith, 62(2), 75-86. http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/2010/PSCF6-10Moes.pdf

    Moes, P., Schilmoeller, K., & Schilmoeller, G. (2009). Physical, motor, sensory and developmental features associated with agenesis of the corpus callosum. Child: Care, Health and Development, 35(5), 656-672. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2214.2009.00942.x/pdf

    Moes, P.E., Brown, W.S., & Minnema, M.T. (2007).  Individual differences in interhemispheric transfer time (IHTT) as measured by event related potentials.  Neuropsychologia, 45, 2626-2630. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028393207001261

    Selected Presentations: 

    (starred names represent student co-authors)

    Moes, P., *Jaroh, R., *Kim, E., *Mathews, E. (2016). Left Happy Female. Right Angry Male: Hemisphere Differences in the Perception of Gender and Emotion.  Presented at the International Neuropsychological Society Annual Meeting. Boston, MA Feb. 2016.

    Krehbiel, D., Erber, M., Greene, H., Moes, P., Boylan, M. (2013). Undergraduate Education at the NSF: An Underutilized Source of Funding for Teaching and Research in Psychology. Invited Symposium presented at the Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention, Washington, DC. May, 2013.

    Moes, P. (2013). Evoked Potentials: "The Probst Bundles," Presented at: "Making Connections: White matter disorders in development & agenesis of the corpus callosum, a scientific salon," San Francisco, California. March, 2013.

    Moes, P. (2013). "What Are Bodies For? How Our Bodies and Brains Make Us Human," Presented at: Faith & Science: A Dialogue (Series funded by Templeton Foundation). Church of the Servant Christian Reformed Church. Grand Rapids, Michigan. March, 2013.

    Professional services

    • Regular participant in the International Neuropsychology Society Meeting
    • Conducts student outcomes assessment
    • Member, APS

    Awards

    External Funding Awards

    2005 NSF Division of Biological Infrastructure, Major Research Instrumentation.  Proposal Number: 052084. “Acquisition of Electrophysiology Patch-Clamp Equipment to Support Cross-Disciplinary Research and Undergraduate Research Training.”  Principal Investigator: Loren Haarsma, Co-PI’s: Steve Matheson, John Ubels and Paul Moes.

    2002-2003  NSF Department of Undergraduate Education, Track: Course Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement, Adaptation and Implementation. CDFA Number 47.076. "Adaptation and Implementation of an Electrophysiological Laboratory for Undergraduate Psychology and Physics Students."  Principal investigator.  ($12,689)

    1987-1989  U.S. Dept. of Education Grant Recipient – Principal Investigator, ($42,000) Independent Schools: What Works.  Washington D.C.. The Office of Education Research and Improvement (OERI), U.S. Department of Education.

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