UCONN HEALTH

Neuroscience Department

Exploring Minds, Illuminating Futures

PhD Application portal is open and closes on December 1, 2026.

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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 21 Neuroscience Journal Club - Lustig 12:00pm
  2. Oct 22 Neuroscience Seminar Series - Burghard 11:00am
  3. Oct 28 Neuroscience Journal Club - Tallman 12:00pm
  4. Oct 29 Neuroscience Seminar Series - Antic 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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Master of Science (MS) Program

Soon Accepting Applications for Fall 2026.

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Department and Program News

  • Trakhtenberg Lab Uncovers New Regulators of Neuronal Self-Repair
    Recent advances from the Trakhtenberg lab have uncovered promising targetable regulators of neuronal self-repair, which fail to self-activate sufficiently in the injured mammalian CNS and thus require therapeutic activation. To find out more, see the below links to a Cover Page research article in Experimental Neurology, a research report in Brain Research, and research reports […]
    Posted on September 14, 2026
  • Jacob Brady from Trakhtenberg lab wins NIH F30 Fellowship Award
    Jacob Brady, an MD/PhD student in the Trakhtenberg lab, has won a highly competitive National Institutes of Health (NIH) F30 fellowship titled “Transcriptional regulation of axon regeneration by Klf9 inhibition”. Jacob studies the molecular mechanisms that could be targeted for repairing injured central nervous system, with the focus on the optic and cortico-spinal/thalamic circuits. Jacob […]
    Posted on September 14, 2026
  • Moumita, Jacob and Shreya win at Graduate Student Research Day
    Moumita Bhattacharya, 2026 Biomedical Science Program Student Leadership Award This award honors a student who has made sustained and outstanding contributions in leadership activities during his or her studies in the program that improve graduate student life and further the educational mission of the university or the community.  Jacob Brady, 2026 GSRD Oral Presentation Award-1st […]
    Posted on August 28, 2026
  • Lucille Papile receives 2026-27 Lepow Award
    Lucille Papile of the Crocker and Spellman labs has been selected as the recipient of the Lepow Award for the 2026-27 academic year. The Lepow Award was established in 1986 in honor of Dr. Irwin H. Lepow, a well-known faculty member, researcher, and founding father of the Health Center.  This award is given to the outstanding fourth-year […]
    Posted on August 28, 2026