Director Spotlight

On location with Neuroscience Program Director Daniel Tranel, PhD

"Join the Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Iowa and become part of the bright team of scientists trying to solve the mystery of the human brain."


09242024 Distinguished Mentor Ceremony 1

Iowa Neuroscience Institute

Provides collaborative support for the neuroscience community.

IDGP Neuroscience Events

Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Program Thesis Defense Seminar: Brooke Yeager promotional image

Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Program Thesis Defense Seminar: Brooke Yeager

Tuesday, April 14, 2026 10:00pm
Bowen Science Building

Brooke Yeager is a PhD candidate in the Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Graduate Program. Her research has been conducted in Dr. Nandakumar Narayanan's laboratory.

If you are unable to attend in person, please consider showing your support and attending via Zoom. Please email britt-hokanson@uiowa.edu for the zoom link.

Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Program Thesis Defense Seminar: Annie Rohl promotional image

Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Program Thesis Defense Seminar: Annie Rohl

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 2:00pm
Medical Education Research Facility

Annie Rohl is a PhD candidate in the Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Graduate Program. Her research has been conducted in Dr. Jeremy Greenlee and Joel Berger's laboratory.

If you are unable to attend in person, please consider showing your support and attending via Zoom. Please email britt-hokanson@uiowa.edu for the zoom link.

Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Program Thesis Defense Seminar: Sara Mitchell promotional image

Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Program Thesis Defense Seminar: Sara Mitchell

Tuesday, June 2, 2026 11:00am
Medical Education Research Facility

Sara Mitchell is a PhD candidate in the Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Graduate Program. Her research has been conducted in Drs. Hanna Stevens and Rainbo Hultman laboratories.

If you are unable to attend in person, please consider showing your support and attending via Zoom. Please email britt-hokanson@uiowa.edu for the zoom link.

Outstanding Alumni 

Alex Petrucci

Alex Petrucci

Eric Emmons

Eric Emmons

Katelyn Joyal

Katelyn Joyal

Victoria Muller Ewald

9

DISSERTATION PRIZE WINNERS AWARDED BY THE GRADUATE COLLEGE.

Joseph Parvizi, Michael Koenigs, and Benton Purnell (right), Katelyn Joyal EARNED THE SPRIESTERSBACH DISSERTATION PRIZE.

Matthew Sutterer, Arianna Rigon, Banu Gumusoglu, Victoria Muller E
Benton Purnell
Serena Gumusoglu
"The fact that I was able to perform at this level and do this work is representative of this program. The strength of the Neuroscience Program at the University of Iowa is what makes it such a destination program for people.”

Banu Gumusoglu, PhD

2020 winner, Rex Montgomery Dissertation Prize

News & Events

20260408-Utsav-Mukherjee-Thesis-Congratulations

Utsav Mukherjee, PhD, Successfully Defends Doctoral Thesis in Neuroscience

Thursday, April 9, 2026
Utsav Mukherjee successfully defended this defense on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. His research was conducted under the guidance and mentorship of Ted Abel, PhD. Utsav joins a growing list of new PhDs graduating during the 2025 - 2026 academic year.

Carver College of Medicine Research Events

Neuroscience and Pharmacology Seminar - Scott Mittelstadt, PhD promotional image

Neuroscience and Pharmacology Seminar - Scott Mittelstadt, PhD

Tuesday, April 14, 2026 10:30am to 11:30am
Medical Education Research Facility

Preclinical Safety in Drug Development

Scott Mittelstadt, PhD
Vice President of Preclinical Safety
AbbVie Inc.

Pain Interest Group Workshop - Zahra Amerian (Ruth Chimenti Lab) promotional image

Pain Interest Group Workshop - Zahra Amerian (Ruth Chimenti Lab)

Wednesday, April 15, 2026 9:00am to 10:00am
Bowen Science Building

Preliminary Exploration of Ultrasound Imaging Biomarker for the Myofascial Component of Heel Pain

Zahra Amerian, MS
PhD Student in Dr. Ruth Chimenti's Lab

Study Hall promotional image

Study Hall

Wednesday, April 15, 2026 10:00am to 12:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
The Museum of Natural History welcomes students each week for a study session in our galleries. We'll provide the snacks, cushions, and ambiance. You bring your planners, textbooks, or assignments. Together, we'll stay ahead of our goals this semester.
Neuroscience and Pharmacology Workshop - Nathan Gentilman (Roman Lab) and Hannah Hazzard (Gumusoglu Lab) promotional image

Neuroscience and Pharmacology Workshop - Nathan Gentilman (Roman Lab) and Hannah Hazzard (Gumusoglu Lab)

Thursday, April 16, 2026 12:30pm to 1:30pm
Medical Education Research Facility

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Alter GPCR Activity

Nathan Gentilmann
Pharmaceutical Sciences & Experimental Therapeutics PhD Student
Dr. Dave Roman Lab

Extracellular vesicle interactions with fetal brain microglia

Hannah Hazzard
Neuroscience PhD Student
Dr. Serena Banu Gumusoglu's Lab

Ramon and Victoria Lim Medical Science Lectureship - Wei Yang, PhD promotional image

Ramon and Victoria Lim Medical Science Lectureship - Wei Yang, PhD

Thursday, April 16, 2026 3:00pm to 4:00pm
Medical Education Research Facility

The Ramon and Victoria Lim Medical Science Lectureship Fund was created in 2004 with a generous gift from Drs. Ramon and Victoria Lim. The fund supports the visits to Iowa City of eminent scientists working in neuroscience and internal medicine.

2026 Lecture:
Wei Yang, PhD

NIH Distinguished Investigator
Section Chief: Mechanism of DNA Repair, Replication, and Recombination
Section, Laboratory of Molecular Biology
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

"From RAG to...

Hardin Open Workshops - EndNote Desktop (Zoom) promotional image

Hardin Open Workshops - EndNote Desktop (Zoom)

Friday, April 17, 2026 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Virtual

EndNote is a reference management tool that helps you to easily gather together your references in one place, organize them, and then insert them into papers and format them in a style of your choosing. This session will walk you through the basics of using EndNote to collect and format your citations. The class will be hands-on, and there will be time for questions at the end.

PLEASE NOTE

Enrollment in HOW is open to all University of Iowa affiliates and residents of the state of Iowa. Advance...

Study Hall promotional image

Study Hall

Wednesday, April 22, 2026 10:00am to 12:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
The Museum of Natural History welcomes students each week for a study session in our galleries. We'll provide the snacks, cushions, and ambiance. You bring your planners, textbooks, or assignments. Together, we'll stay ahead of our goals this semester.
Spring Undergraduate Research Festival (SURF) promotional image

Spring Undergraduate Research Festival (SURF)

Wednesday, April 22, 2026 3:30pm to 6:00pm
Iowa Memorial Union (IMU)
The Office of Undergraduate Research's Spring Undergraduate Research Festival (SURF) is held in celebration and recognition of undergraduate researchers' contributions to research, scholarly, and creative work at the University of Iowa.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Seminar: Dr. Cynthia Nau Cornelissen promotional image

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Seminar: Dr. Cynthia Nau Cornelissen

Thursday, April 23, 2026 10:30am to 11:20am
Medical Education Research Facility

This event is open to the public.

Urgent threat Neisseria gonorrhoeae utilizes human-specific protein receptors to overcome nutritional immunity

Cynthia Nau Cornelissen, PhD
Georgia State Washington

https://biomedical.gsu.edu/profile/cynthia-nau-cornelissen/

Faculty Co-Hosts: Miles Pufall, PhD and Jessica Tucker, PhD

Study Hall promotional image

Study Hall

Wednesday, April 29, 2026 10:00am to 12:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
The Museum of Natural History welcomes students each week for a study session in our galleries. We'll provide the snacks, cushions, and ambiance. You bring your planners, textbooks, or assignments. Together, we'll stay ahead of our goals this semester.

Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs Events

Cindy Cohn in conversation with Rishab Nithyanand - "Privacy's Defender: My Thirty-Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance." promotional image

Cindy Cohn in conversation with Rishab Nithyanand - "Privacy's Defender: My Thirty-Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance."

Friday, April 10, 2026 7:00pm to 8:00pm
Prairie Lights Books
Cindy Cohn will read from her new book, Privacy's Defender: My Thirty-Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance, and will be joined in conversation by University of Iowa associate professor Rishab Nithyanand.

Women In Micro & Immuno Coffee Hour

Monday, April 13, 2026 11:00am to 12:00pm
Carver Biomedical Research Building

Join us for the Women in Micro & Immuno Coffee Hour. It is the monthly coffee hour on the second Monday of the month from 11 a.m. to noon in 1289 CBRB. Enjoy coffee, pastries and contribute to the discussion!

This is open to ALL — students, staff, postdocs, and faculty interested in promoting women in science.

Speakers change monthly. Contact: jessica-tucker@uiowa.edu for details.

ACB Seminar Series - Dr. Kristen Kwan  promotional image

ACB Seminar Series - Dr. Kristen Kwan

Wednesday, April 15, 2026 9:30am to 10:30am
Bowen Science Building

Dr. Kristen Kwan, Professor of Human Genetics & Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences from the University of Utah will present a seminar titled "Cellular and Molecular Dynamics Shaping the Vertebrate Eye."

Women In Micro & Immuno Coffee Hour

Monday, May 11, 2026 11:00am to 12:00pm
Carver Biomedical Research Building

Join us for the Women in Micro & Immuno Coffee Hour. It is the monthly coffee hour on the second Monday of the month from 11 a.m. to noon in 1289 CBRB. Enjoy coffee, pastries and contribute to the discussion!

This is open to ALL — students, staff, postdocs, and faculty interested in promoting women in science.

Speakers change monthly. Contact: jessica-tucker@uiowa.edu for details.

Women In Micro & Immuno Coffee Hour

Monday, June 8, 2026 11:00am to 12:00pm
Carver Biomedical Research Building

Join us for the Women in Micro & Immuno Coffee Hour. It is the monthly coffee hour on the second Monday of the month from 11 a.m. to noon in 1289 CBRB. Enjoy coffee, pastries and contribute to the discussion!

This is open to ALL — students, staff, postdocs, and faculty interested in promoting women in science.

Speakers change monthly. Contact: jessica-tucker@uiowa.edu for details.

6th Annual BioBlitz at the Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory promotional image

6th Annual BioBlitz at the Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory

Saturday, July 11, 2026 9:00am to 11:00am
Ashton Cross Country Course

What types of plants, animals, and fungal life might you find at the Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory? Let's find out! 

Join researchers in collecting, observing, and recording biodiversity at the Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory in our 6th Annual BioBlitz. Your findings will inform a major research project and will contribute to the fifth data point in a multi-year documentation of how diversity changes at this site over time. Collections will be housed with the UI Museum of Natural History...

Women In Micro & Immuno Coffee Hour

Monday, July 13, 2026 11:00am to 12:00pm
Carver Biomedical Research Building

Join us for the Women in Micro & Immuno Coffee Hour. It is the monthly coffee hour on the second Monday of the month from 11 a.m. to noon in 1289 CBRB. Enjoy coffee, pastries and contribute to the discussion!

This is open to ALL — students, staff, postdocs, and faculty interested in promoting women in science.

Speakers change monthly. Contact: jessica-tucker@uiowa.edu for details.

Women In Micro & Immuno Coffee Hour

Monday, August 10, 2026 11:00am to 12:00pm
Carver Biomedical Research Building

Join us for the Women in Micro & Immuno Coffee Hour. It is the monthly coffee hour on the second Monday of the month from 11 a.m. to noon in 1289 CBRB. Enjoy coffee, pastries and contribute to the discussion!

This is open to ALL — students, staff, postdocs, and faculty interested in promoting women in science.

Speakers change monthly. Contact: jessica-tucker@uiowa.edu for details.

Women In Micro & Immuno Coffee Hour

Monday, September 14, 2026 11:00am to 12:00pm
Carver Biomedical Research Building

Join us for the Women in Micro & Immuno Coffee Hour. It is the monthly coffee hour on the second Monday of the month from 11 a.m. to noon in 1289 CBRB. Enjoy coffee, pastries and contribute to the discussion!

This is open to ALL — students, staff, postdocs, and faculty interested in promoting women in science.

Speakers change monthly. Contact: jessica-tucker@uiowa.edu for details.

Women In Micro & Immuno Coffee Hour

Monday, October 12, 2026 11:00am to 12:00pm
Carver Biomedical Research Building

Join us for the Women in Micro & Immuno Coffee Hour. It is the monthly coffee hour on the second Monday of the month from 11 a.m. to noon in 1289 CBRB. Enjoy coffee, pastries and contribute to the discussion!

This is open to ALL — students, staff, postdocs, and faculty interested in promoting women in science.

Speakers change monthly. Contact: jessica-tucker@uiowa.edu for details.