Rutgers Brain Health Institute

10/09/2026

Emergency Classification of Potent Kratom-related Compounds as Schedule I Drugs by the DEA: Why Now?

Dr. Jenny Wilkerson, an assistant professor of anesthesiology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and a core faculty member at the Rutgers Brain Health Institute, describes kratom and how it is pharmacologically different from its derivative products.

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10/08/2026

🎙️ New BHI Podcast! Understanding starts with recognizing changes that can be easy to overlook.

Dr. Shalini Gupta, MD, FACOG, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist, assistant professor at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, speaks with Dr. Latha Devi of the Rutgers Brain Health Institute about recognizing symptoms and navigating care in this episode.

Their conversation explores:
• Early symptoms and when to speak with a clinician
• Menstrual changes that need evaluation
• Hormone testing and how perimenopause is diagnosed
• Treatment decisions and misconceptions about hormone therapy
• Brain fog and supporting long-term brain health
• How family and friends can offer meaningful support

Dr. Gupta also shares how caring for women through this transition has shaped her own approach to midlife and healthy aging. This episode is part of the Menopause Series from the Rutgers Women’s Brain Health Initiative (RWBHI).

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Estrogen Across A Woman’s Life Estrogen is one of the main hormones shaping a woman’s health, and its level rises and falls in distinct patterns across life. Click a label […]

10/08/2026

New research links insomnia to higher risks of dementia, stroke, su***de, and other serious health outcomes.
🔗 ABC News covered a recent umbrella review examining these connections: https://abcnews.com/Health/insomnia-linked-higher-risk-dementia-su***de-stroke-major/story?id=136747580

We asked sleep expert Dr. Andrea Spaeth, Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health at Rutgers University and Director of the Rutgers Sleep Lab, for her perspective:

“The article is consistent with prior work demonstrating that sleep problems are often comorbid with mental health disorders. It is important for patients to discuss their sleep health with their clinician and treat sleep problems in parallel with mental health care. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) has been shown to be safe and effective for improving sleep in patients with mental health issues like depression and anxiety. There are therapists who specialize in CBT-I, and now there are mobile apps that have been developed for patients to use either on their own or with their health care provider."
🔗 https://mobile.va.gov/app/cbt-i-coach

🔗 Rutgers Sleep Lab: https://kines.rutgers.edu/sleep-lab-home
🔗 Sleep Medicine Reviews: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079226001449

***deprevention Rutgers Brain Health Institute

Insomnia may be linked to an increased risk of stroke, dementia and several mental health conditions, a new study finds.

10/07/2026

Where neuroscience is heading matters to the future of brain health.

The 12th Annual Rutgers Brain Health Institute Symposium brings the scope of neuroscience at Rutgers into focus: new discoveries, emerging priorities, and their potential to improve lives.

From scientific discovery to the potential for new treatments, this is a day to engage with the advances and priorities shaping the field. That perspective matters to researchers, biotechnology and pharmaceutical leaders, and everyone invested in better brain health.

Join us December 2 in New Brunswick, NJ.

Early registration deadline: November 6.

Event details and registration:�https://www.brainhealthinstitute.rutgers.edu/2026/09/30/2026-twelfth-annual-rutgers-brain-health-institute-symposium/

10/07/2026

Navigating digital media is one of modern parenting’s most persistent challenges. Recent large‑scale data helps parents cut through the noise, showing modest correlational links between screen‑based media and children’s learning, mental health, and behavior rather than dramatic, uniform harm.

Screens are not inherently harmful, but concerns emerge mainly when they displace sleep, physical activity, face‑to‑face conversation, and free play.

🔗 Learn more: https://brainhealthinstitute.rutgers.edu/2026/10/05/screen-time-and-young-brains-what-the-latest-research-really-means-for-parents/

Rutgers Brain Health Institute

News Test Topic Mental HealthScreen Time and Young Brains: What the Latest Research Really Means for Parents A promotional image isn't necessary when using the hero - with headline on image. The image used in the hero will be automatically pulled into components where this article is pulled into.ByL...

10/06/2026

How do intersecting social, psychological, and biological factors shape a woman’s vulnerability to and post‑traumatic stress ?

This vital question took center stage at our inaugural Rutgers Women’s Brain Health Initiative (RWBHI) virtual plenary seminar, featuring guest speaker Dr. Jennifer Stevens, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine.

Dr. Stevens’ presentation explored the complex neuroendocrine mechanisms driving traumatic stress in women, bridging large-scale epidemiological data with cutting-edge experimental insights into reproductive aging and brain health.

🔗 Full recap article: https://brainhealthinstitute.rutgers.edu/2026/10/05/neuroendocrine-contributors-to-traumatic-stress-understanding-womens-risk/
🔎 Learn more about RWBHI and women’s brain‑health research: https://brainhealthinstitute.rutgers.edu/rutgers-womens-brain-health-initiative/

Rutgers University

News Test Topic Rutgers Women's Brain Health InitiativeNeuroendocrine Contributors to Traumatic Stress: Understanding Women’s Risk A promotional image isn't necessary when using the hero - with headline on image. The image used in the hero will be automatically pulled into components where this ar...

10/05/2026

📩 Check out the Rutgers Brain Health Institute (BHI) September Monthly Newsletter. Stay up to date with our latest faculty achievements, upcoming events, activities, opportunities, and more.
🔗 https://conta.cc/4rIhYZn
Rutgers University

Email from Rutgers Brain Health Institute Stay up-to-date with the latest faculty achievements, upcoming events, activities, and opportunities and more   2026 Twelfth Annual Rutgers Brain Health Inst

10/01/2026

Registration is open for the 12th Annual Rutgers Brain Health Institute (BHI) Symposium!
🗓️ Wednesday, December 2, 2026
📍 College Avenue Student Center, New Brunswick, New Jersey

The full-day event features:
• Keynote: Dr. Joseph E. LeDoux, PhD (New York University) – “The Troubled History of the Emotional Brain”
• Cutting-edge research talks from BHI faculty
• Special panel: Rutgers Women’s Brain Health Initiative
• Trainee two-minute flash talks & Poster session – Submit poster abstract by Nov 6
• Brain Art Exhibition – Submit neuroscience/brain-related artwork by Nov 6

🔗 Register here: https://brainhealthinstitute.rutgers.edu/2026/09/30/2026-twelfth-annual-rutgers-brain-health-institute-symposium/

Rutgers University