Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota

Free Virtual Biomed Grad School Fair on July 28!

Connect with Faculty and Grad Students from Minnesota and 22 other top .

This virtual event is free for all prospective students to attend.

For More Information and to Register: https://www.careereco.com/join/Biomed

Biomed Virtual Grad School Fair: July 28, 2020 The institutions participating in this virtual fair encourage a diverse group of students, including minority, first-generation, veteran, and disabled students, to participate in the fair.

Exciting news - the University of Minnesota received a $9.9M grant to establish a Center for Neural Circuits in Addiction!

The Center will be a national resource for developing neural circuit research technologies and high-impact science to address addiction.

University of Minnesota receives $9.9M federal grant to establish new center for the brain science of addiction NIDA has awarded the U of M $9.9 million to establish the Center for Neural Circuits in Addiction.

The Graduate Program in Neuroscience will be participating in a free virtual information session for PhD programs in biomedical science at the University of Minnesota.

***Thursday, July 9 from 10 am to 2 pm CDT***

Come meet us and learn more about our program!

Register here: https://z.umn.edu/biomed_virtual_fair

Biomedical Sciences PhD and MD/PhD Virtual Recruitment Fair  

Join in this important discussion hosted by the Society for Neuroscience, today at 11am CDT

🗣️📣 Tomorrow, join moderator Joanne Berger-Sweeney, PhD, and panelists Nii Addy, PhD, Marguerite Matthews, PhD, and Fitzroy ‘Pablo’ Wickham from noon – 1 p.m. EDT, for their panel discussion “Black Lives Matter and Neuroscience: Why This Moment Matters.”

Neuroscience is stronger with diverse perspectives. Register today https://bit.ly/BLM_Neuroscience

The following Statement on Diversity and Inclusion can be found on the Graduate Program in Neuroscience home page: http://www.neuroscience.umn.edu

Like others throughout the world, we the students, faculty, and staff of the Graduate Program in Neuroscience are angered by the unconscionable murder of George Floyd in our city. It is not enough to say Black Lives Matter, but it is important to say it. Inspired by that statement, we are dedicated to increasing our ongoing efforts to improve diversity and inclusion in every aspect of our program. While these issues are not easily rectified, we are committed to doing all we can to improve our community.

Despite our best intentions and prior efforts, it is clear that we have significant work ahead of us to promote a just and equitable graduate program. We are taking the first steps by identifying what we can do in our own community. Together with the office of Biomedical Graduate Research, Education, and Training (BGREAT), we are developing and implementing plans to change how we recruit and support students, how we learn and teach, how we recognize accomplishments, and how we reach out to the broader Twin Cities community. We want to make meaningful changes that will last, and lasting change takes time. We are listening, we are learning, and we are committed.

Graduate Program in Neuroscience | Our goal is to provide students with a broad and deep understanding of Neuroscience The Graduate Program in Neuroscience (GPN) at the University of Minnesota is a large interdisciplinary PhD program, made up of over 125 faculty members. Our goal is to provide students with a broad and deep understanding of Neuroscience, ranging from the molecular and genetic level to computational....

We're thrilled to welcome Professor Jocelyn Richard to the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota!

Dr. Richard is a member of the Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, and she visited our new graduate students at Lake Itasca this week, to share her research on the the neurobiological mechanisms of motivated behavior.

Learn more about research in the Richard lab at
https://www.richard-lab.org/

Home The central goal of research in the Richard Lab is to understand how external cues and internal states act together to powerfully modulate motivated behaviors. Physiological and affective states modulate both positive and negative motivated behaviors in unexpected ways not well accounted for by cur...

We're thrilled to welcome Professor Benjamin Saunders to the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota! Dr. Saunders is a member of our Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, and his research on the motivational function of dopamine was just published in Nature Neuroscience. Learn more about the Saunders lab here: https://saunderslab.com

Dopamine neurons create Pavlovian conditioned stimuli with circuit-defined motivational properties

Congratulations to our newest PhD recipient, Dr. Matt Green, pictured here in his native habitat: “Greenland” in the Thayer lab!

Coverage of new research from Dr. Brian Sweis and Professors David Redish, Mark Thomas, and Angus MacDonald!

Mice Don’t Know When to Let It Go, Either Animals, like humans, are reluctant to give up on pursuits they’ve invested in, psychologists report.

Belated congratulations to Dr. Brian Sweis, a University of Minnesota MSTP (MD/PhD) student who successfully defended his PhD in Neuroscience on May 24!

Since then, Brian's dissertation research with Professors Mark Thomas and David Redish has appeared in four first-authored publications, including one yesterday in Science. Great work!

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6398/178
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-04967-2
http://www.pnas.org/content/115/27/E6347.long
http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.2005853

Sensitivity to “sunk costs” in mice, rats, and humans

Congratulations to Professor David Redish, our Director of Graduate Studies as well as the director of a new training program in computational neuroscience, supported by the National Institute of Mental Health - NIMH and The National Institute on Drug Abuse - NIDA.

This training grant, "Using computation to achieve breakthroughs in neuroscience", will provide predoctoral and postdoctoral opportunities to learn and apply state-of-the-art computational analysis techniques to neuroscience research projects.

This new opportunity adds to a number of existing training programs for neuroscience graduate students at the University of Minnesota:
- Predoctoral training of neuroscientists
- Training program in translational vision sciences
- Neuroscience training in drug abuse research
- Training in pharmaconeuroimmune substance abuse research

You can learn more about these opportunities on our website: http://www.neuroscience.umn.edu/admissions/training-opportunities

Training Opportunities | Graduate Program in Neuroscience

Congratulations to Dr. Martha Streng, whose PhD thesis won the Best Dissertation Award in the Biological and Medical Sciences for 2018!

Congratulations to Dr. Jennifer Zick on her successful thesis defense, becoming our newest recipient of a PhD in Neuroscience - bravo!

Jennifer Zick will be defending her PhD thesis today (Thursday, April 19) at 9:00 AM in Room 2-650 MoosT. The title of Jennifer's thesis is "Effective Disconnection of Intrinsic Networks in the Prefrontal Cortex: Convergence across Primate and Mouse Models of Schizophrenia".

Good news has been pouring in for our neuroscience graduate students! First, Amy Nippert has been awarded an individual predoctoral NRSA fellowship (F31) from the National Institutes of Health! This award supports her research on how diabetes impacts regulation of blood flow in the brain.

Second, Nora McCall and Matt Green have both received Beatrice Z. Milne and Theodore Brandenburg Awards this year! This award recognizes exceptional thesis research by graduate students across all fields of basic biomedical science.

Congratulations and great work Amy, Nora, and Matt!

Beatrice Z. Milne and Theodore Brandenburg Award The Beatrice Z. Milne and Theodore Brandenburg Award recognizes exceptional thesis research by graduate students in the basic biomedical sciences. The award reflects the thoughtfulness and generosity of Ms. Beatrice Z. Milne and serves as a lasting expression of her commitment to improving the healt...

Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1: Molecular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration and Preclinical Studies. - PubMed - NCBI Adv Exp Med Biol. 2018;1049:135-145. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-71779-1_6.

New research from GPN alum Dr. Valerie Hedges (Ph.D. 2011) - a collaboration between the labs of Professors Tim Ebner and Paul Mermelstein.

Dr. Hedges is now a faculty member at Michigan State University: https://neuroscience.natsci.msu.edu/about-us/directory/teaching-faculty/valerie-hedges-phd/

Local Estrogen Synthesis Regulates Parallel Fiber–Purkinje Cell Neurotransmission Within the Cerebellar Cortex | Endocrinology | Oxford Academic Estrogens affect cerebellar activity and cerebellum-based behaviors. Within the adult rodent cerebellum, the best-characterized action of estradiol is to enhance glutamatergic signaling. However, the mechanisms by which estradiol promotes glutamatergic neurotransmission remain unknown. Within the mo...

Beautiful new study of functional interactions between neurons and glial cells, recently published in eLife by Dr. Ana Covelo Fernández and Professor Alfonso Araque!

Neuronal activity determines distinct gliotransmitter release from a single astrocyte

Congratulations to Professor Yasushi Nakagawa, who was selected by our neuroscience graduate students to receive this year's faculty mentorship award!

The award was presented at our annual retreat, which included outstanding student talks by Michelle Corkrum and Zachary Zeidler, and a distinguished alumni presentation by Professor Anusha Mishra from OHSU.

Thanks to our prospective graduate students and the entire neuroscience community for attending!

Faculty Mentorship Award | Graduate Program in Neuroscience This award was created to recognize outstanding faculty members in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience. A subcommittee made up of five graduate students, one from each year, will review nominations. At the Spring Retreat, the award will be presented to a faculty member who has shown outstanding wor...

Plan to join us on May 2 for the Third Annual Wallin Neuroscience Discovery Day!

Congratulations to Professor Esther Krook-Magnuson, who has been named a McKnight Land-Grant Professor - the highest honor that the University of Minnesota bestows on Assistant Professors!

University of Minnesota: Scholars Walk The goal of the McKnight Land-Grant Professorship Program is to advance the careers of new assistant professors at a crucial point in their professional lives. The designation of “McKnight Land-Grant Professor” is held by recipients for a two-year period.

Congratulations to Professor Marija Cvetanovic, whose research on new treatments for Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) was selected for a Translational Research Grant from Regenerative Medicine Minnesota!

Determining therapeutic potential of BDNF in delaying the onset and progression of Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) | Regenerative Medicine Minnesota Determining therapeutic potential of BDNF in delaying the onset and progression of Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) Translational Research Research Grant Recipient: Marija Cvetanovic, PhD Award Value: $250,000 Research Focus: Neurodegenerative disease Project Summary: Spinocerebellar ataxia type...

Join us this Friday at the Coffman Memorial Union Theater to hear from William C. Moyers from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation about his personal story, the science of addiction and what it really means to recover. Info: ow.ly/Acpb30hHiAP

We're thrilled to announce the arrival of Professor Julia Lemos, the first member of the Medical Discovery Team on Addiction at the University of Minnesota Medical School, and one of eight new faculty members joining the Department of Neuroscience in 2017/2018!

Dr. Lemos investigates how stress alters brain systems that motivate individuals to seek and take addictive drugs. To learn more about her research and the Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, visit https://www.med.umn.edu/addictionmdt

University of Minnesota Hires Julia Lemos to Medical Discovery Team on Addiction MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (April 28, 2017)– The University of Minnesota Medical School today announced that Julia Lemos, Ph.D. has accepted a faculty position in the Department of Neuroscience and is now the first member of the Medical Discovery Team (MDT) on Addiction.“We are thrilled to have Dr. Le...

The University of Minnesota Medical School Medical Discovery Team on Addiction is thrilled to host a public discussion with William C. Moyers, Vice President of Public Affairs and Community Relations at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, on January 19 from 10:30-11:30am at Coffman Memorial Union Theatre. This event is open to the public and all are welcome.

For details, visit https://www.med.umn.edu/news-events/broken-my-story-addiction-and-redemption.

SfN will grant 15 Travel Awards upwards of $2,000 to support PhD and postdoc members attending the 11th Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum from July 7-11, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. Recipients are selected based on the scientific merit of the abstract submitted to the forum and the strength of related application materials. Apply today: bit.ly/2kxSwEB

We're thrilled to welcome Professor Rocio Gomez-Pastor to the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota! Dr. Gomez-Pastor investigates the molecular mechanisms that underlie protein misfolding and neurodegeneration in Huntington's Disease. Learn more about her research here: https://neurosci.umn.edu/bio/department-of-neuroscience/rocio-gomez-pastor

Professor Gomez-Pastor is one of eight new faculty members joining the Department of Neuroscience in 2017/2018 - exciting times for neuroscience at the University of Minnesota!

Rocio Gomez-Pastor, PhD The principal aim of my laboratory is to understand the molecular pathways that drive neuronal death in Huntington´s Disease (HD), an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG triplet repeat expansion within exon-1 of the Huntingtin gene (Htt). Mutant Htt protein aggregates and accumulat...

If you're applying to graduate school and attending the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting in DC, stop by the Graduate School Fair to learn more about the Graduate Program in Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota!

You can chat with current students and faculty at booth 51 in Hall E from 1-3pm Saturday and noon-2pm Sunday-Tuesday.

Society for Neuroscience The Graduate School Fair provides a unique opportunity for prospective students and their advisors to meet face-to-face with representatives from neuroscience graduate programs.

Professor Sarah Heilbronner officially joined us yesterday, and today brings formal announcement of her NARSAD Young Investigator Grant from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation! The title of her research project is "Posteromedial cortex circuits in depression and schizophrenia".

Professor Patrick Rothwell also received a Young Investigator Grant entitled "Optogenetic Measurement and Manipulation of Striatal Microcircuit Dysfunction in Neuroligin-3 Mutant Mice". Congratulations to both neuroscience faculty members!

Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Announces 30th Annual Young Investigator Grants Valued Over $13 Million to 196 Scientists Pursuing Innovative Mental Health Research NEW YORK CITY (November 2, 2017)—The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation announced the 30th annual awarding of its Young Investigator Grants valued at more than $13.6 million to 196 of the world’s most promising young scientists, with the release of the 2017 Young Investigator Grant Program booklet...

Professor Alice Larson, a member of the GPN faculty, is teaching a course on creativity in research careers during the January intersession - you can learn more about the course from this video: https://youtu.be/c16_ga3ZsQ4