2025 Eleventh Annual BHI Symposium

The 2025 Eleventh Annual Rutgers Brain Health Institute (BHI) Symposium will be held on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at the Busch Student Center in Piscataway, NJ. Registration for the 11th Annual Rutgers Brain Health Institute Symposium is still open! Register now

The event will kick off with introductions by Chancellor Brian Strom of Rutgers Health and Dr. Gary Aston-Jones, Director of BHI. The keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Moses Chao from NYU. 

Dr. Chao’s keynote lecture, “Mysteries of Neurotrophic Factors,” will explore the role of neurotrophic factors in neuronal and glial cell function. As Professor of Cell Biology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and Psychiatry, Dr. Chao’s innovative work integrates molecular biology, receptor signaling, and behavioral neuroscience to unravel the brain’s complex mechanisms. His visionary leadership has established him as a pivotal figure in advancing neuroscience research. Learn more

We will hear presentations from faculty and trainees from across Rutgers. Watch the videos to learn more about the speakers’ research focus. More videos from the speakers will be launched soon. View the full event agenda. 

Back by popular demand are the two-minute flash talks by poster presenters prior to the poster session, as well as the trainee “Brain Art” exhibition. We will also feature a special afternoon presentation by the Lewis-Burke Group on the ever-changing federal funding landscape. We look forward to welcoming you as we celebrate neuroscience and brain health research at Rutgers! Learn more and register now

BHI Plenary Seminar: Dr. Michael J. Frank

Frontosubthalamic Control Over Motivated Action

The BHI is thrilled to welcome Dr. Michael J. Frank, Edgar L. Marston Professor of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences and Director of the Carney Center for Computational Brain Science at Brown University, as our speaker for the BHI Plenary Seminar on November 6. Dr. Frank’s talk, “Frontosubthalamic Control over Motivated Action,” will spark innovative dialogue at the intersection of computational neuroscience, decision-making, and basal ganglia circuits — key to understanding motivated behaviors and disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. Learn more

As the host, Dr. Travis E Baker, Associate Professor in the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience at Rutgers–Newark, shares: "Dr. Frank’s groundbreaking work on reinforcement learning and basal ganglia-prefrontal circuits has fundamentally shaped my research since graduate school, from early investigations into genetic vulnerability and reinforcement learning deficits to my current neuromodulation work restoring impaired decision-making in substance use disorder."

Brain-Wide Mapping of Mouse Decisions: 

Insights from Dr. Juan Mena-Segovia

Dr. Juan Mena-Segovia, Associate Professor at the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience at Rutgers University–Newark, shared insights on two landmark studies published by the International Brain Laboratory in Nature (Findling et al., 2025 and Angelaki, Benson, et al., 2025) that reveal how sensations, choices, and expectations engage brain-wide networks in mice, providing key insights for neuroscience research. Learn more

PNI x BHI Postdoc and Graduate Student Mixer

On October 24, more than 60 postdoctoral fellows and graduate students gathered at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute for the first-ever BHI × PNI Social Science Mixer, a new initiative by the Rutgers Brain Health Institute and Princeton Neuroscience Institute to strengthen scientific and social connections across New Jersey’s two major neuroscience hubs. Co-organized by Dr. Jac Eisdorfer (Chair, BHI Postdoctoral Alliance Working Group), Maia Choi (Co-Chair, BHI PAWG), Hannah Nacht (Rutgers, NIH Fellow), and Dr. Dan Vahaba (Princeton, Scientific Engagement Manager), the event fostered meaningful cross-institutional interactions through lab tours, engaging discussions, and lively trivia and bingo competitions. The mixer sparked new collaborations and friendships among trainees and laid the groundwork for future partnerships. Following its success, Rutgers will host the next BHI × PNI Mixer on March 27, 2026, continuing this exciting new tradition. Learn more

World Mental Health Day 2025:

Access Mental Health Tools with BHI

On October 10, World Mental Health Day 2025, themed “Access to Services – Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies”, the BHI is proud to share our Brain Health Toolkit—a practical, science-based resource for resilience during crisis. When life feels unpredictable—whether through natural disasters or personal emergencies—your brain has the remarkable ability to adapt. Backed by BHI’s leading neuroscience research, this toolkit offers tools like breathing exercises, crisis coping cards, and daily brain routines to support clarity and strength when it matters most. Learn more

BHI Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Morgan Firestein Receives NICHD R00 Grant to Study Prenatal Biological Mechanisms of Neurodevelopmental Risk

Dr. Morgan Firestein, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at RWJMS and CHINJ, and BHI core faculty member, has received an R00 grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Her project, “Prenatal Extracellular Vesicles and Steroid Hormones as Biological Mechanisms Underlying Gestational Factors Associated with Neurodevelopmental Risk”, investigates how maternal, fetal, and placental physiology, through extracellular vesicles and steroid hormones, influence fetal brain development and risk for neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder. The study aims to uncover early biomarkers of neurodevelopmental risk to inform earlier detection and intervention strategies. Learn more

Dr. Luciana Mascarenhas Fonseca Receives NIA R00 grant to study Cognitive Variability and Alzheimer’s Disease Risk in Adults with Down Syndrome

Dr. Luciana Mascarenhas Fonseca, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at RWJMS and core faculty member in the Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center in the BHI, has received an R00 award from the National Institute on Aging. Her project, “Intraindividual cognitive variability in aging adults with Down syndrome: associations with Alzheimer's disease plasma biomarkers, neuropathology, and clinical dementia”, studies a novel, low-cost, and non-invasive biomarker of neurodegeneration, intraindividual cognitive variability (IICV), to better predict dementia onset in adults with Down syndrome. The study combines cognitive, biomarker, and neuroimaging data to examine links between IICV, Alzheimer’s disease pathology, and cognitive decline, intending to improve early detection and expand inclusion in anti-Alzheimer’s clinical trials worldwide. Learn more

BHI Trainee Spotlight

Drs. Tao Yin and Sanjay Metkar in Dr. Luciano D’Adamio’s Research Team Receive Rutgers Postdoctoral Fellow Innovation Award 

The 2025 Rutgers Innovation Awards honored Drs. Tao Yin and Sanjay Metkar, postdoc at NJMS, with the Postdoctoral Fellow Innovation Award. The research project, led by Dr. Luciano D’Adamio, focuses on developing a brain-targeted anti-TNFα treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, using the NewroBus nanobody platform, which enables biologics to cross the blood-brain barrier and precisely target inflammatory cells in the brain. NanoNewron, a biotechnology company founded by Dr. D’Adamio, a BHI core faculty member of BHI and holder of the Herbert C. and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Endowed Chair, has been awarded a $2.5 million Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase 2 Grant from the NIH. Learn more

Claim your minute (and possibly more) of fame!! If you want to share any news (e.g., awards, grants, publications, patents, donor gifts) in future monthly newsletters, please send them to Lily Zhang (lily.zhangty@rutgers.edu) or use this Microsoft form to submit your news. We will also push these out on social media. So don’t be shy! Share your good news with us! We would love to hear from you!!

New Event Calendar Aggregator on the BHI Website

We encourage the Rutgers Neuroscience community to add their neuroscience and brain health research-related events to the Event Calendar on the BHI website. This will minimize scheduling conflicts for neuroscience and brain health events at Rutgers. To put your events on the BHI website Event calendar, BHI has obtained an event calendar aggregator software that can pull events you post on a shared Outlook or Google calendar created by BHI. If you’d like instructions on how to add your event, or if you have any questions, please contact Lily Zhang (lily.zhangty@rutgers.edu) to request access to the shared BHI Event Outlook or Google Calendar. Learn more

New Banner Ad and Sponsorship

Opportunities at BHI

We’ve launched a new banner ad section on the BHI website to help faculty and trainees promote events, study recruitment, job openings, and news announcements. With monthly traffic projected to reach 10,000 visitors, and placements on the most-visited pages, your message will gain high visibility across Rutgers and beyond. Your ad will reach not only the Rutgers community but also external experts, prospective students, and potential collaborators and donors who visit the site. We will assist with designing engaging graphics and placing your announcement on high-traffic pages across the site. If you are interested in featuring your announcement, please contact Lily Zhang (lily.zhangty@rutgers.edu). Advertise with us

NEW!! We are looking for sponsors to support BHI events. Faculty, Staff and Trainees, please let us know about vendors you all work with who might be interested in sponsoring BHI events. Please reach out to kuzhikev@bhi.rutgers.edu with names and contact information of vendors who might be interested in partnering with BHI to sponsor neuroscience and brain health events at Rutgers.

BHI Feedback Hub

BHI Announcements & Opportunities

Rutgers Training in Addiction Research Program (TARP)

The Rutgers Addiction Research Center (RARC) in the BHI launched the TARP to cultivate the next generation of addiction neuroscience researchers. The TARP will open predoctoral and postdoctoral training slots during the 2025–26 academic year. We welcome applicants committed to advancing addiction neuroscience. All trainees (including international applicants) are eligible to apply. For interested applicants, please send your CV to Dr. Chris Pierce at chris.pierce@rutgers.edu. Learn more

BHI Motivational and Affective Neuroscience FAWG Mock Grant Review Program

The BHI and the RARC are pleased to announce the mock grant review program at Rutgers University. The primary objective of this program is to increase the success of grant proposals submitted to NIH by Rutgers investigators from the BHI and/or the RARC. Learn more

South Asian Memory, Aging, and Risk Tracking for Brain Health study (SAMARTH)

3. South Asian Memory, Aging, and Risk Tracking for Brain Health study (SAMARTH) The study aims to understand the characteristics that may place South Asian populations at heightened risk for Alzheimer's disease. The study seeks to recruit individuals with ethnic or racial backgrounds from the South Asian subcontinents, aged 45-70, who have a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias (one or more parents with Alzheimer’s Disease, high blood pressure, BMI >30, or Type II diabetes/pre-diabetes). Learn more

IFPR – Rutgers Research Collaboration

The RARC is partnering with the Institute for Prevention and Recovery (IFPR) to establish a streamlined process for collaboration among Rutgers researchers who want to partner with RWJBarnabas to analyze substance use disorder outcome data and/or implement new studies in the health system. Learn more

Rutgers Research Community Partnership (RCP)

The RCP, overseen by the RARC, is a central enrollment hub for community members to participate in Rutgers research projects, and for researchers to recruit for their studies. By signing up for the RCP, individuals agree to be contacted by approved researchers to participate in projects. Learn more

Join the ADRD Research Center Community

The Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center in BHI will serve as a hub for collaboration, innovation, and transformative research, with the mission of making meaningful strides in the prevention, diagnosis, and care of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD). If you are interested in learning more or collaborating with the center, please submit the form to provide your contact information. Learn more

Join us and make a lasting impact in neuroscience research and education. Discover current opportunities to advance your career and collaborate with leading experts at Rutgers. View all open positions HERE

If you want to share any opportunities (e.g., open positions, grants, surveys) in future monthly newsletters, please send them to Lily Zhang (lily.zhangty@rutgers.edu) or use this Microsoft form to submit your opportunities.

Save the Date

November 6

12 PM

BHI Plenary Seminar: Michael J. Frank, PhD

Dr. Michael J. Frank, Edgar L. Marston Professor of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences and Director of the Carney Center for Computational Brain Science at Brown University, will present “Frontosubthalamic Control over Motivated Action.” The seminar will spark innovative dialogue at the intersection of computational neuroscience, decision-making, and basal ganglia circuits — key to understanding motivated behaviors and disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. Learn more

December 3

2025 Eleventh Annual BHI Symposium

Registration for the 11th Annual Rutgers Brain Health Institute Symposium is now open! Highlights include a keynote lecture by Moses V. Chao, PhD, talks by BHI faculty on their cutting-edge research programs, two-minute flash talks by trainees, an update on the federal funding landscape from Lewis Burke, a Brain Art Exhibition, and a trainee poster session. We look forward to welcoming you as we celebrate neuroscience and brain health research at Rutgers! Register now

December 12

2025 BHI Holiday & Award Reception

Save the date for the 2025 Rutgers Brain Health Institute Holiday & Awards Reception on Friday, December 12, from 6–9 PM at the Rutgers Club. We recognize outstanding research and service contributions by BHI-member faculty and staff through five annual awards. All current BHI-affiliated Rutgers faculty conducting neuroscience-related research and their staff are eligible for nomination by their faculty and staff colleagues under one of the nomination categories. Learn more

March 24, 2026

Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center Symposium

The Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center at the Brain Health Institute will host its 2026 Symposium at the Busch Student Center in Piscataway. The keynote speaker, Sudha Seshadri, MD, Robert R. Barker Distinguished University Professor of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Cellular and Integrative Physiology at the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, will present a talk titled “Novel Approaches to Preventing and Treating Dementias: Opportunities and Challenges.” Registration is limited to the first 140 attendees and will close on March 1, 2026. Breakfast and lunch will be served. Register now

May 11, 2026

CSN–MAN FAWG Symposium: Rutgers Symposium on The Intersection of Cognitive, Sensory and Affective Neuroscience 

The Cognitive & Sensory Neuroscience FAWG (CSN-FAWG) and Motivational & Affective Neuroscience FAWG (MAN-FAWG) will host a cross-FAWG event on May 11th, 2026, from 10 AM to 4 PM, at Masker’s Barn, Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. The keynote speakers are Luiz Pessoa, PhD, Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, and Jacqueline Gottlieb, PhD, Professor, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University. Learn more

June 2026

Conducting Industry-Sponsored CNS Clinical Trials at Rutgers

Rutgers University offers unique resources to support industry-sponsored clinical trials examining central nervous system (CNS) therapeutics. Key resources include New Jersey’s only Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Center, state-of-the-art neuroimaging facilities, and specialized research cores for biospecimen processing and behavioral assessment. This is a half-day event, and the exact date will be announced. The event is sponsored by Rutgers Brain Health Institute, New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science, and Rutgers Office for Research.  Learn more

Please visit the BHI Event Calendar page to view other upcoming neuroscience and brain health research events. Learn more



If you want to share any events in future monthly newsletters, please send them to Lily Zhang (lily.zhangty@rutgers.edu) or use this Microsoft form to submit your events.

If you want to feature any news, opportunities, and events in future monthly newsletters, please send them to Lily Zhang (lily.zhangty@rutgers.edu) or use this Microsoft form to submit your news. Thank you for your cooperation and support!

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