Iowa Neuroscience Institute

07/30/2026

We are proud of our INI Summer Scholars, who presented their work yesterday at the Summer Undergraduate Research Festival. Congratulations to Nathan Fassett, Ava Vaillant, and Christina Yu on your successful summer!

07/27/2026

This team exemplifies our unofficial motto: "the best ideas come from collaboration"!

06/24/2026

Congratulations to our colleagues who received $600,000 to support the Iowa Program in Experimental Neurotherapeutics (IPEN), an interdisciplinary group led by Ted Abel and Aliasger Salem that will integrate molecular, pharmacological, and circuit-based approaches to treat neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. With collaborators from three colleges and seven departments, the team is unique in combining deep clinical exposure to brain disorders such as autism spectrum disorders and Parkinson’s disease with leading scientists and engineers. This multidisciplinary approach– from molecules to circuits, spanning chemistry to bioengineering– will identify highly effective intervention strategies for brain disease. Collaborators include: Chris Ahern, Soura Dasgupta, Kumar Narayanan, Stefan Strack, Joshua Weiner and Aislinn Williams.
https://now.uiowa.edu/news/2026/06/fy2027-p3-funding-support-brain-science-research-infrastructure

06/12/2026

Everyday actions like driving, crossing the street, or answering a phone rely on the brain’s ability to track time.

New University of Iowa Health Care research maps how neurons move through parts of the prefrontal cortex during timing-related activities — findings that could help guide more precise treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders.

06/08/2026

We didn't let the rain dampen our fun at yesterday's INI outing to the Cedar Rapids Kernels. It was a great way to build our community and kick off summer!

05/18/2026

Great to see our University of Iowa Department of Biology colleagues' work highlighted! Cathy Yea Won Sung studies how immune cells contribute to hearing loss caused by certain medications that can affect hearing as a side effect, while Anne Martin examines how the brain forms early connections and their link to neurodevelopmental disorders.

Cathy Yea Won Sung and Anne Martin, who joined CLAS last fall, are advancing research in hearing loss and brain science with support from the National Institutes of Health and the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust.

05/15/2026

Congratulations, Christina! We are excited to support your research this summer as an INI Summer Scholar!

Christina Yu, an undergraduate majoring in Neuroscience and a student in the Iowa Sciences Academy, received 2nd Place at the 2026 Quick Pitch Challenge! The University of Iowa Office of Undergraduate Research Quick Pitch Challenge is a communication competition that challenges undergraduate students from all majors to present their research or creative work to a general audience in three minutes.

Congratulations, Christina! 🎉

05/11/2026

A scientific first for our neurosurgery colleagues! Joel Berger and team recorded responses from single neurons in the human insula.

Your brain is listening — even when you aren’t. 🧠

New research shows that neurons in the human insula respond to sound during passive listening, revealing a whole new dimension to how we process the world around us.

Learn more through the link in the comments.

05/04/2026

Shout out to our postdocs for organizing a fantastic retreat on Friday focused on community building, connecting with resources, and sharing science! Congratulations to Allysa Jones, who won the Best Blitz prize in the Data Blitz and Maddie Mocchi, who won the Best Neuro Art prize!

04/23/2026

Great news for INI Director Ted Abel!

🎉Congratulations to Ted Abel, PhD, on being named the first president and provost distinguished fellow at . The new role within the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost will allow Abel to have an even greater impact on the implementation of the university’s strategic plan, with a focus on faculty success, recognition, and collaboration across disciplines. He will begin May 1.