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."
Iowa Neuroscience Institute
Provides collaborative support for the neuroscience community.
IDGP Neuroscience Events
Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Program Thesis Defense Seminar: Avery Van De Water
Wednesday, September 9, 2026 1:00pm
Avery Van De Water is a PhD candidate in the Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Graduate Program. Their research has been conducted in Dorit Kliemann'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: Angela Smith
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 11:00am
Angela Smith is a PhD candidate in the Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Graduate Program. Her research has been conducted in both Kathleen Sluka's and Stephanie Gantz's 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
9
"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.”
Carver College of Medicine Research Events
Biomedical & Health Informatics Community Meeting
Thursday, September 9, 2027 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Biomedical and Health Informatics Community Meeting
Biomedical & Health Informatics Community Meeting
Thursday, August 12, 2027 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Biomedical and Health Informatics Community Meeting
Biomedical & Health Informatics Community Meeting
Thursday, July 8, 2027 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Biomedical and Health Informatics Community Meeting
Biomedical & Health Informatics Community Meeting
Thursday, June 10, 2027 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Biomedical and Health Informatics Community Meeting
Biomedical & Health Informatics Community Meeting
Thursday, May 13, 2027 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Biomedical and Health Informatics Community Meeting
Biomedical & Health Informatics Community Meeting
Thursday, April 8, 2027 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Biomedical and Health Informatics Community Meeting
Biomedical & Health Informatics Community Meeting
Thursday, March 11, 2027 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Biomedical and Health Informatics Community Meeting
Neuroscience News
Congratulations to Master's student Nicholas Holland!
Monday, April 23, 2018
CONGRATULATIONS to Nick Holland for passing his final exam to graduate with a Master’s of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, Neuroscience subtrack! Nick did his Master's work in the lab of Dr. Christopher Benson.
Marco Pipoly receives NSF Grant!
Monday, April 23, 2018
Exciting news! Marco Pipoly, who will be joining us as a grad student in the fall, has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. See the link to read more about these prestigious awards and the UI students who will receiving them. Congratulations Marco! https://www.grad.uiowa.edu/news/2018-04-04/record-six-ui-grad-students-selected-as-nsf-fellows
Jessica Thomas defends Thesis!
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Jessica Thomas successfully defended her thesis on April 6th, 2018!Title: "Elucidating the molecular and biophysical determinants that suppressCa2+-dependent facilitation of Cav2.2 channels”CONGRATULATIONS!Pictured: Jessica (left) and her mentor Amy Lee, PhD (right)
Rachel Cole defends Thesis!
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Rachel (Clark) Cole successfully defended her thesis on March 29th, 2018!Title:“Beneficial contribution of health behaviors to learning and related brain mechanisms in older adults”CONGRATULATIONS!Pictured: Rachel Cole (left) and her Mentor, Michelle Voss, PhD (right)
Catherine Yeates defends Thesis!
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Catherine Yeates successfully defended her thesis recently!Title: “The reversibility and limits of homeostatic synaptic plasticity”CONGRATULATIONS!Pictured: Catherine (left) and her mentor C. Andrew Frank, PhD (right)
Katherine (Katy) Proch defends Thesis!
Friday, April 6, 2018
Katherine (Katy) Proch successfully defended her thesis on March 28th, 2018!Title: “Characterizing the effect of serotonergic input on medullary Phox2b neurons”CONGRATULATIONS!Pictured: Katherine Proch (left) and her Mentor: George Richerson, MD, PhD (right)
INI at AAAS and Family Science Days
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
This year at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) conference in Austin, TX, the University of Iowa was represented by both the Iowa Neuroscience Institute (INI), and by the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience. Dr. Ted Abel, Director of the INI and AAAS Fellow, spoke on Saturday, Feb. 17th on his research regarding sleep and memory consolidation. Dr. Abel’s...
Emmons, Purnell win PBI Best Paper Competition
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
University of Iowa graduate students Eric Emmons and Benton Purnell won first- and second-place, respectively, in the 2017 Pappajohn Biomedical Institute Graduate Student Best Paper Competition.All graduate students working in PBI labs were eligible to enter papers published during 2017. Finalists were invited to present their work to members of PBI labs on Monday, March 5. Postdoctoral associates...
New study probes potential lifesaving sleep-intervention processes
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Scientists long believed that carbon dioxide inhaled during sleep activates neurons responsible for breathing and causes a person to wake up.However, a recent University of Iowa study identifies a group of neurons responsible for arousal that are directly triggered by carbon dioxide and cause mice to wake up without any changes to breathing, according to a press release from the Carver College of...
Jan Wessel receives NIH grant to study inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility
Monday, January 22, 2018
The Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences is pleased to announce that Dr. Jan Wessel, an assistant professor in the Departments of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Neurology, has been awarded an R01 from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) entitled "The Role of a Neural Mechanism for Inhibitory Control in Cognitive Flexibility." The collaborators on this...