2025 Eleventh Annual Rutgers Brain Health Institute Symposium
The Eleventh Annual Rutgers Brain Health Institute (BHI) Symposium will be held on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at the Busch Student Center in Piscataway, NJ. 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.
You can register for the live stream option ($75)
or
Register at the door (Cash Only- Faculty $75; Trainee/Staff $30)
Directions and Parking Information
The symposium is being held in the Busch Student Center. The main event will be in the BSC Multipurpose Room at 604 Bartholomew Rd Suite 152, Piscataway, NJ 08854. The afternoon poster session will be in the Fireside and International Lounge in the same student center.
The Google Map directions to Busch Student Center and parking- Lots 51, 59, 60B & 67 (see map for lot locations)– https://maps.app.goo.gl/LNeY9WhQbHMMGPHQ9
The Special Event parking request for the BHI Symposium on Dec 3rd has been processed. Visitors may park in Lots 51, 59, 60B & 67 using the link below. Attendees will click “Visitor” then enter their email and vehicle information to complete registration. Once completed they will receive an email and or text confirmation. Rutgers affiliated Faculty, Staff and Students must have a Rutgers parking permit (Semester, Daily, or Event) and park accordingly. Faculty, Staff, and Students parking without a parking permit or outside their parking permit assignment will be subjected to ticketing and/or towing.
https://parkingbase.com/c/rutgers/d/3676664?eventId=917901c7-e61f-4581-b900-4b1722d64c90
Keynote Speaker
Moses V. Chao, PhD
Professor of Cell Biology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center
Research areas: metabolism, molecular, cellular, & translational neuroscience, molecular mechanisms of trophic factor action
“Mysteries of Neurotrophic Factors”
Trainee Poster Session
Students & Post-docs who are presenting posters can put up their posters during the morning break and lunch in the Fireside and International Lounge in the Busch Student Center. The Poster Session will start at ~4.15 PM after the last talk session. The foam poster boards are 60 inches long and 40 inches wide and on tripods- so they can be oriented horizontally or vertically. We will provide push pins. Your poster board number will be on your name badge and pinned on your poster board and also in the Symposium Booklet. Please make sure that the poster board number is visible over your poster so that the judges can find you.
There is at least one judge assigned to your poster. So please make sure that you stay by your poster till the judge has come by. We expect all judging to be over by 5.15 PM at the latest. The best poster awards will be presented between 5.15 PM and 5.30 PM. The top three posters will receive certificates and award of $200, $150 and $100, respectively. BHI communications and marketing coordinator, Lily Zhang will be taking a short 2–3-minute video of the winners with their posters!
Two-Minute Flash Talks
Brain Art Exhibition
We have 15 amazing submissions for the Brain Art exhibition celebrating the artist in the researcher. Trainees whose submitted artwork were selected to display at the Brain Art Exhibition will have their artwork on the poster wall in BSC Multipurpose room.
We will select three winners for prizes: 1st place: $200, 2nd place: $150, 3rd place: $100. Submissions for 2025 are now closed.
Agenda
| Time | Speaker | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
8.15 AM | Registration and Continental Breakfast | |
8.45 – 9.00 AM | Welcome Remarks- Dr. Brian Strom | Chancellor of Rutgers Health |
9.00 – 9.15 AM | BHI Updates- Gary Aston-Jones | Director of BHI |
9.20 – 9.30 AM | Detlev Boison, PhD- Professor | RWJMS- Neurosurgery/BHI |
9.35 – 9.45 AM | David Barker, PhD- Assistant Professor | RU-NB- Psychology/BHI |
9.50 – 10.00 AM | Juan Mena Segovia, PhD- Associate Professor | RU-Newark- CMBN |
10.05 – 10.15 AM | Ioana Carcea, MD, PhD- Assistant Professor | NJMS- Pharm, Phys, Neuro/BHI |
10.20 – 10.35 AM | Coffee/Tea Break | |
10.40 – 10.50 AM | Luciana Mascarenhas Fonseca, PhD- Assistant Professor | RWJMS-Psychiatry/BHI/IFH/KKARC |
10.55 – 11.05 AM | Suchismita Ray, PhD- Associate Professor | SHP- Health Informatics/BHI |
11.10 – 11.20 AM | Morgan Firestein, PhD- Assistant Professor | RWJMS-Pediatrics/BHI/CHI/RUCARES |
11.30 – 12.30 PM | Keynote– Moses V. Chao, PhD | NYU Grossman School of Medicine |
12.30 – 1.30 PM | Hot Buffet Lunch | |
1.30 – 1.40 PM | Hyung Jin Ahn, PhD- Assistant Professor | NJMS- Pharm, Phys, Neuro/BHI |
1.45 – 1.55 PM | Pabitra Sahoo, PhD- Assistant Professor | RU-Newark- Biology |
2.00 – 2.10 PM | Miriam Bocarsly, PhD- Assistant Professor | NJMS- Pharm, Phys, Neuro/BHI |
2.15 – 3.00 PM | Special presentation: “Current Federal Funding Landscape” | Lewis Burke |
3.15 – 4.15 PM | Two-Minute Trainee Flash Talks | Top 25 poster submissions |
4.15 – 5.30 PM | Trainee Poster Session | |
4:00 – 5.30 PM | Wine and Cheese & Reception Awards Ceremony |
Pictures from the 2024 Tenth Annual BHI Symposium
The 2024 BHI Symposium marked the 10th anniversary of the Rutgers Brain Health Institute, a milestone for celebrating a decade of innovation, collaboration, and groundbreaking advancements in neuroscience. Held on November 14–15 at the Douglass Student Center, the two-day event brought together more than 300 academic leaders, researchers, trainees, and industry professionals. Learn more
