As part of October National Depression Education & Awareness Month, we are highlighting the work of Dr. Benjamin Samuels, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Rutgers University-New Brunswick and BHI Member. Dr. Samuels’ research focuses on understanding how chronic stress exposure alters behavior in both sexes and whether neural circuits can be leveraged to reverse the maladaptive effects of stress exposure. Projects in the lab include 1) development of mouse chronic stress paradigms for both sexes; 2) understanding how chronic stress exposure alters mouse behaviors associated with motivation and reward; 3) defining the neural circuitry underlying the maladaptive effects of chronic stress; and 4) using mice to better understand antidepressant treatment resistance. Watch the video to learn more!

To mark the 10th anniversary of BHI, we are extending the celebration with a two-day symposium on Thursday, November 14, and Friday, November 15, 2024. The symposium begins with an introduction by Chancellor Brian Strom of Rutgers Health. Over the two days, in addition to engaging with colleagues, attendees will hear from the Directors of BHI Centers, new Rutgers neuroscience faculty, and outstanding post-docs. The keynote address will be delivered by Dr. John Morrison from UC Davis. This year, we are showcasing our trainees with two-minute flash talks by each poster presenter before the daily poster sessions. We have doubled the poster awards, with Best Poster awards for each day! Another new feature is a trainee “Brain Art” exhibition. Up to 20 pieces will be displayed during the symposium, and based on the number and quality of submissions, we will select three winners to receive cash prizes. The deadline for abstract submission and early registration is November 1, with on-site late registration available. We look forward to celebrating the 10th anniversary of BHI with all of you!

Dr. Salman Qasim joined BHI as a Core Faculty and as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at RWJMS. Dr. Qasim’s lab investigates how cells and circuits in the human brain support complex cognitive processes like decision-making, emotion, and particularly memory. The lab studies how cognitive experiments alter direct-brain recordings (using intracranial EEG) in neurosurgical patients. The goal of this research is to use these findings to develop new therapeutic approaches for neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Thrive Genetics, a company focusing on innovative solutions for addiction risk management with the goal of transforming addiction prevention and treatment through the integration of cutting-edge genomics and epidemiology, has signed an exclusive license with Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Thrive Genetics will be offering for the first time Thrive CARES (Comprehensive Addiction Risk Evaluation System), which is based on over two decades of research funded by the National Institutes of Health and led by Thrive Genetics Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Danielle Dick, Director of the Rutgers Addiction Research Center (RARC) at the BHI.

Dr. Victoria Abraira, Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience at Rutgers-New Brunswick, was recently featured by Stories of WIN (Women in Neuroscience). Her lab investigates the circuit organization and neuromodulation of spinal cord circuits involved in touch and pain. Currently, her research focuses on how spinal cord circuitry is affected by spinal cord injury and the potential for its recovery. Her team also studies how the brain modulates touch and pain perception at the spinal cord level, as well as the role of spinal touch circuits in social behavior and development.

Dr. Suchismita Ray, Associate Professor in the Department of Health Informatics at the Rutgers School of Health Professions and BHI Member, received her PhD. degree in Cognitive Psychology from Rutgers and completed her post-doctoral training in addiction neuroscience from Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies. Dr. Ray’s research mission is to examine the cognitive, behavioral, and brain mechanisms underlying opioid and cocaine addiction, and to develop new effective pharmacological and behavioral interventions to improve health outcomes.

Dr. Noelle Stiles, Assistant Professor of Neurology at the RWJMS and BHI Core Faculty, received an R00 grant from the National Eye Institute for the project “Restoring Sight to the Blind: Neural Imaging with Retinal Prostheses”. Retinal prostheses restore limited visual perception to the blind by stimulating still viable cells in the eye with an implanted device, particularly for patients with Retinitis Pigmentosa and potentially Age-Related Macular Degeneration. The study will investigate whether the sensory reorganization that occurs during blindness limits the restoration of vision with intraocular retinal prostheses, which may have implications for emerging alternative approaches such as stem cells and gene therapy as well. The study will advance the understanding of how the brain adapts to vision loss and subsequent vision restoration, which are key to improving patient selection, therapeutic choice, and visual rehabilitation outcomes.

Dr. Miriam Bocarsly, Assistant Professor at New Jersey Medical School and BHI Core Faculty, received the 2024 Young Investigator Award from the Tourette Association of America (TAA). Each awardee will receive a total of $150,000 across two years to support their groundbreaking work. Recognized for their exceptional commitment to understanding and advancing research in Tourette Syndrome, these individuals embody the spirit of innovation and the dedication required to foster meaningful advancements in the field.

We’re excited to announce the 2024-2025 Rutgers Brain Health Institute Trainee Travel Award winners! These outstanding neuroscience PhD, MD/PhD students, and post-docs were selected by BHI Focus Area Working Groups (FAWGs) and will each receive a $500 award from BHI to help cover the cost of attending a national or international conference focused on neuroscience or mental health research this year.

The Rutgers Brain Health Institute's new annual awards recognize outstanding research and service contributions by BHI faculty and staff. All current BHI-affiliated Rutgers faculty and their staff are eligible for nomination by their faculty colleagues in one of the following four award categories: Early Career Faculty “Rising Star” Research Excellence Award, Mid-Career Faculty “Shining Star” Research Excellence Award, Senior Faculty “Giant Star” Research Excellence Award, and BHI “Exemplary Service” Award. Each recipient will be honored with a plaque and a monetary award at a ceremony on December 10, 2024. Please submit nominations by November 15, 2024.

The New Jersey Health Foundation Grants Program is available for submission, with up to $5 million in available funding. Faculty and personnel will be eligible to apply for a grant beginning September 13, 2024. Applications will be accepted from September 13, 2024, through November 8, 2024, with an anticipated start date of February 17, 2025. Detailed information, including Policies & Procedures, FAQs, and a sample Letter of Agreement, can be found on the website.

The New Jersey Autism Center of Excellence (NJACE) led by Dr. Wayne Fisher, Director of RUCARES in BHI, aims to help New Jersey researchers connect with individuals with autism and their families who may be interested in participating in research. We anticipate funding up to four seed grants with a maximum of $2,000 per award. Please complete the request form and submit it to Hnorris@childrensspecialized.org to be considered for funding.

Learn more about the new NIH-funded undergraduate research training program, “Training in Research Undergraduate Experience through the Rutgers Addiction Research Center at the BHI, the “TRUE RARC” Scholar Program. Our goal is to onboard students into promising career pathways in behavioral data science in addiction and related research, and our program is geared to supporting students through graduate school matriculation. Please reach out to true-scholar@rutgers.edu if you have any questions. 

The LHS Scholars Training Program aims to cultivate a new generation of leaders in Learning Health Systems (LHS) Science by providing comprehensive education, training, mentorship, and career development opportunities tailored to the professional interests of embedded investigators, clinicians, and health system personnel. Their goal is to nurture LHS Scholars who will contribute to academia, industry, and government.

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.

The Brain Modulation & Control Lab is recruiting paid volunteers to perform computer-based tasks while recording electroencephalography (EEG) data and applying transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to study brain dynamics related to eye movement tasks. If you are interested in this study, please contact bmclab@rwjms.rutgers.edu

The Rutgers Addiction Research Center in BHI is currently running a research study to evaluate a newly developed online platform that provides individuals with personalized risk profiles that combine genetic, behavioral, and environmental information. Participants will receive their personalized risk profile for free as well as up to $40 in compensation for completing research surveys to help the study team evaluate the program.

The Rutgers Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center is launching a study to understand the characteristics that may place South Asian populations at heightened risk for Alzheimer's disease. This study seeks to recruit individuals with ethnic or racial backgrounds from South Asian countries, aged 45-70, who have one or more parents with AD. Participants at Rutgers can receive up to $175. Participants will undergo comprehensive assessments every two years, encompassing surveys, cognitive and language assessments, motor function tasks, blood tests, physical and neurological exams, as well as brain imaging. For eligibility and inquiries, contact the Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer Research Center at adrd@bhi.edu or visit www.adrd.rutgers.edu

The RARC is partnering with the Institute for Prevention and Recovery (IFPR) to establish a streamlined process for enhanced 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.

The Research Community Partnership (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. Participants can choose to accept or decline any project to which they are invited. Anyone who wants to be a part of research can enroll in the RCP.

The newly established 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.

We seek an accomplished scientist or physician-scientist eligible for the rank of tenured Associate or Full Professor to join the Department of Neurosurgery under new leadership at Rutgers Health and BHI as Director of the new Neurotechnology Innovation Center (NTICe) at BHI. The goal of NTICe is to develop a world-class research center that serves as a platform for interdisciplinary collaborations among basic and translational scientists, clinicians, engineers and industry partners to propel discovery of innovative, groundbreaking neurotechnology that can be brought from the bench to the bedside to treat debilitating neurological and psychiatric diseases.

The Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center at the BHI is seeking data scientists for a tenure-track faculty position at the Associate or Full Professor level at RWJMS and BHI within RBHS. We seek a faculty member who is experienced in using advanced statistical and machine learning techniques to analyze datasets related to aging, Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias.

The Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center at BHI is seeking a board-certified geriatric psychiatrist or geriatric neurologist with clinical and research experience in Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. The candidate will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team including physicians experts in dementia research and care, neuropsychologists and neuropathologists, on a clinician-scientist track. Applicants should have experience in conducting clinical trials (as PI or site PI), experience conducting longitudinal studies, and an interest in studying preclinical Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

The Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center at BHI is seeking a neuroimaging leader for a tenure-track position at the Associate or Full Professor level at BHI, and RWJMS within RBHS. We seek a faculty member who is experienced in using neuroimaging techniques to image human brain structure and activity as it relates to aging, Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. The candidate will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, including neurologists, neuropsychologists, and neuropathologists.

The Department of Psychology in the Rutgers University-New Brunswick, School of Arts and Sciences in Piscataway, New Jersey invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level in Behavioral & Systems Neuroscience (BSN), with a start date of September 1, 2025. The ideal candidate is expected to lead a research program using advanced neuroscience approaches that would complement departmental strengths in one or more of the following pre-clinical areas: 1) sensory and computational neuroscience; 2) motivational and affective neuroscience; and 3) learning and memory.

The Rutgers Training in Addiction Research Program (TARP) announced the availability of a postdoctoral position. Interested applicants should email their CV to Chris Pierce at chris.pierce@rutgers.edu.

MidAtlantic Neonatology Associates and Biomedical Research Institute of New Jersey (BRInj) are recruiting scientists to lead and/or assist our Neonatology faculty with developing a research program on the effects of prenatal/perinatal stress on neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes. We are particularly interested in candidates with strong expertise in rodent behavior, and additional experience with immunohistochemistry, microscopy, and/or molecular biology. Applicants should submit a CV and cover letter to Dr. Elizabeth Eckman, Director of Preclinical Research, lizeckman@brinj.org

The Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center at the BHI is recruiting a tenured or tenure-track faculty member at the Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor level to expand our research portfolio in the basic science of neurodegenerative diseases. We seek scholars with innovative, rigorous, and impactful basic research programs focusing on the gut-brain axis related to aging, Alzheimer’s disease, or associated dementias. Applicants should submit a CV and a brief statement of research accomplishments and plans to Dr. Miriam Bocarsly at bocarsme@njms.rutgers.edu and a copy to bhi@bhi.rutgers.edu.

The Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center at BHI seeks a neuroimaging leader for a tenure-track position at the Associate or Full Professor level, a board-certified geriatric psychiatrist with clinical experience in caring for persons with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, and a neuropsychologist with a research career devoted to the neuropsychology of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.

The BHI, RUCARES, and Department of Pediatrics at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) are seeking a tenure-track assistant or associate professor for a clinical research program focused on improving interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorder. 

The CAHBIR is recruiting for multiple faculty positions at all levels (Assistant/Associate/ Professor). We seek investigators who use innovative MRI approaches to image human brain structure and function. Individuals who utilize additional approaches such as EEG, tDCS, and rTMS to study human brain function would also be attractive.