Monthly Newsletters

We hosted the 2025 BHI Postdoc Recruitment Event, welcoming 19 outstanding graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from a competitive pool of over 100 applicants for a two-day visit to explore postdoctoral opportunities in neuroscience and brain health research. We’re also excited to welcome Dr. Latha Devi as BHI’s new Program Manager and Jacqueline Fung as our new Grant Administrator. Congratulations to Drs. Anna Konova and Avram Holmes on their promotion to Associate Professor with tenure, and to Dr. David Zald on receiving a new NIMH R01 grant to study the neuroscience of temptation resistance across psychiatric disorders.

• Chair Dr. Detlev Boison introduced the Neurodegeneration & Injury Focus Area Working Group (NDI-FAWG), which investigate neurodegeneration following brain injury and develop neuroprotective and neuroregenerative strategies.

• The 2024 BHI Symposium on Nov 14-15 celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Rutgers Brain Health Institute, marking a decade of innovation and collaboration in neuroscience.
• The launch of BHI’s new website was announced, enhancing accessibility to its resources and programs.
• Drs. Miriam Bocarsly and Linden Parkes introduced the Junior Faculty Working Group (JFWG), highlighting its mission to support early-career researchers.

• The Rutgers Addiction Research Center (RARC) at the BHI hosted the 2024 Fall Symposium, highlighting the extensive addiction research and clinical services across Rutgers.
• The Rutgers Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (RUCARES) at the BHI and the New Jersey Autism Center of Excellence (NJACE) hosted the First Annual Conference, bringing together local and national autism researchers and physicians for a day of presentations and discussions on cutting-edge topics in autism research and clinical care.

We celebrated World Brain Day on July 22 by spotlighting Dr. Detlev Boison, Professor and Vice Chair of Research and Training in the Department of Neurosurgery at RWJMS and BHI Core Faculty. Dr. Boison studies epilepsy and traumatic brain injury, and his research has found that brain insults that trigger epilepsy cause a maladaptive overexpression of adenosine kinase.

• Rutgers Giving Days, highlighting the impact of donor support on advancing neuroscience research.
• The CAHBIR & CCNP Open House showcased cutting-edge brain imaging and computational psychiatry initiatives.
• The Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center Symposium featured talks by leading experts and recognized outstanding research contributions.
• The BHI Postdoctoral Alliance Trainee Retreat provided valuable networking and career development opportunities for trainees.
• The 17th Annual NJ Regional Brain Bee challenged high school students in neuroscience knowledge.

• BHI marked its 10th anniversary with the 2024 Research & Service Awards ceremony, honoring the exceptional contributions of BHI faculty to neuroscience research and service.
• Dr. Travis Lear has joined the BHI as a Core Faculty and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience at NJMS.

• 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. Salman Qasim joined BHI as a Core Faculty and as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at RWJMS.

• We celebrated International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31 by spotlighting Dr. Kristina Jackson, Professor of Psychiatry at RWJMS, Associate Director of Epidemiology, Etiology & Prevention at RARC in the BHI, and BHI Core Faculty. Dr. Jackson’s research largely centers on the etiology and course of substance use among adolescents and young adults.
• Dr. Sarah Brislin joined BHI as Core Faculty and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at RWJMS.
• Dr. Sangmi Chung joined BHI as Core Faculty and is a Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at RWJMS.