UCONN HEALTH

Neuroscience Department

Exploring Minds, Illuminating Futures

PhD Application portal now open.

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Application portal deadline is December 1, 2025.

Neurobiology of Disease Research

NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES

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NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISEASES

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PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS

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SENSORY PATHOLOGIES

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Basic Neuroscience Research

CELLULAR & MOLECULAR

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CIRCUIT & SYSTEMS

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DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROSCIENCE

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NEUROTRANSMISSION

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Welcome From The Chair

Riqiang Yan, PhD

Riqiang Yan, PhD

The Department of Neuroscience has a rich history of research excellence since it had been formally established by Dr. Richard Mains in the year 2000. Currently, we have 26 faculty members, who are actively funded their research from various sources including the federal grants and philanthropic support. Our faculty and their laboratories utilize an interdisciplinary approach to research with the goal of understanding the normal function and disorders of the nervous system that may hold the key to developing novel therapies. We nurture an exceptionally collegial academic environment with high level of interaction and collaboration among laboratories in the Department and with other laboratories at UConn Health Center and at the UConn Storrs campus, all of which make the Department of Neuroscience a vibrant and dynamic place to do science.

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Upcoming Events

  1. Oct 8 Neuroscience Journal Club - Lustig 12:00pm
  2. Oct 9 Neuroscience Seminar Series - Anna Devor, Ph.D. 11:00am
  3. Oct 15 No Neuroscience Journal Club Today 12:00pm
  4. Oct 16 Neuroscience Seminar Series - Wen-Jun Gao, M.D./Ph.D. 11:00am
Ways To Give

Program Resources

Helpful contacts and series of milestones as you progress toward obtaining a Doctor of Philosophy degree from UConn Health.

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PhD in Biomedical Science

Our graduate students receive comprehensive interdisciplinary training in all areas of neuroscience and perform translational research at the highest level.

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Study Abroad Program

Held in Salamanca, Spain, this course is for graduate students in Neuroscience and Hearing Research and upper-level undergraduate students.

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Department and Program News

  • BBRF 2025 Grant Supports PTSD Memory Research at UConn Health
    Dr. Sebnem Tuncdemir of UConn Health has been awarded a 2025 Young Investigator Grant from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation to explore how the brain forms and recalls traumatic memories. Her team studies how specific hippocampal cell types may drive PTSD-related memory problems—insights that could lead to innovative therapies for trauma and anxiety disorders. […]
    Posted on October 6, 2025
  • First Year Teaching Award to Dr. Antic
    Ms. Suzanne Tate, Director of Curricular Affairs, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, UConn Health, has communicated the following information. “On 05-SEP-2025, Dr. Antic was recognized by the Class of 2028 for excellence in teaching”. The award ceremony was accompanied by video clips made by students. Below, two video frames showing students discussing their experience […]
    Posted on September 17, 2025
  • Neuroscience Faculty promotions
    September first marked a milestone for three of our faculty. Drs. David Martinelli and Ephraim Trakhtenberg received academic tenure and promotion to the rank of Associate Professor, while Dr. Stephen Crocker, who had previously been awarded tenure, was promoted to the rank of full professor. All three faculty, along with the other faculty in the […]
    Posted on September 4, 2025
  • Hartford Courant & UConn Today feature Dr. Verma’s research
    Dr. Rajkumar Verma from the UConn Health Neuroscience Department and Dr. Raman Bahal from UConn’s Storrs campus have joined forces in the pursuit of novel stroke treatments. Their collaborative research, which bridges cutting-edge Stroke research and innovative therapeutic design, was recently highlighted in both the Hartford Courant and UConn Health news. To read more about […]
    Posted on August 18, 2025