On the wall of assistant professor John Christianson’s office hangs a picture of a divi tree from the coast of Aruba. Taken by Christianson himself, the black and white image shows the divi tree’s thin, windswept branches, tangled together as they dart in different directions.

Photography is Christianson’s favorite and most expensive hobby, other than music. When he’s not working at Boston College teaching psychology courses, conducting research projects, or launching the new neuroscience major, he can be found capturing the beautiful scenes of nature, squinting behind the lens of a camera.

“Trees have a lot in common with neurons,” Christianson said. “Neurons have a base called the soma, and projections called neurites that extend out into the space and interact with other cells. … So I find that getting out into nature, and trying to see things from another lens—literally, with a camera—is an interesting way to keep my mind open and flexible to what’s possible in the brain.”

Christianson grew up in Connecticut and earned an undergraduate degree in psychology from Susquehanna University, located in the idyllic Selinsgrove, Pa. While taking the introductory courses for his major, such as Introduction to Psychology and Research Methods in Psychology, one of Christianson’s professors, James Misanin, recommended he get involved in scientific research.