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
Pigeon power
Thursday, February 5, 2015
New UI study suggests similarity between how pigeons learn the equivalent of words and the way children doBy: Sara Agnew | 2015.02.04 | 02:11 pm The more scientists study pigeons, the more they learn how their brains—no bigger than the tip of an index finger—operate in ways not so different from our own. In a new study from the University of Iowa, researchers found that pigeons can categorize and...
New picture, new insight
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
MRI scan sensitive to metabolic changes reveals brain differences in bipolar disorderSometimes, a new way of looking at something can bring to light an entirely new perspective.Using a different type of MRI imaging, researchers at the University of Iowa have discovered previously unrecognized differences in the brains of patients with bipolar disorder. In particular, the study, published Jan. 6 in...
Crows are smarter than you think
Monday, December 22, 2014
A study involving the University of Iowa finds crows join humans, apes, and monkeys in exhibiting advanced relational thinkingBy: Sara Agnew | 2014.12.18 | 10:55 am Crows have long been heralded for their high intelligence—they can remember faces, use tools, and communicate in sophisticated ways.But a newly published study finds crows also have the brain power to solve higher-order, relational...
"UI's Strack nets NIH grant, GSK Discovery Fast Track award for brain research"
Monday, December 1, 2014
UI's Strack nets NIH grant, GSK Discovery Fast Track award for brain researchBy: Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development | 2014.12.01 | 10:25 am. Stefan Strack, University of Iowa professor of pharmacology and pathology, recently received a $275,000 grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes (NINDS) and today (Monday, Dec. 1) was named a...
Alzheimer's patients can still feel the emotion long after the memories have vanished
Friday, October 3, 2014
UI study offers good news for caregivers, health care workers By: John Riehl | 2014.09.24 | 10:31 AM A new University of Iowa study further supports an inescapable message: caregivers have a profound influence—good or bad—on the emotional state of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. Patients may not remember a recent visit by a loved one or having been neglected by staff at a nursing home, but...
Sleep twitches light up the brain
Friday, October 3, 2014
UI study finds twitches during sleep activate the brain in a unique way By: Sara Agnew | 2014.09.29 | 11:23 AM A UI study finds twitches during REM sleep activate the brain in a unique way, providing further evidence that sleep twitches teach newborns about their bodies. ©istockphoto.com/eaniton A University of Iowa study has found twitches made during sleep activate the brains of mammals...
Compound protects brain cells after traumatic brain injury
Friday, September 12, 2014
New compound prevents neurodegeneration caused by blast injury and protects brain function By: Jennifer Brown | 2014.09.11 | 11:00 AM A new class of compounds has now been shown to protect brain cells from the type of damage caused by blast-mediated traumatic brain injury (TBI). Mice that were treated with these compounds 24-36 hours after experiencing TBI from a blast injury were protected from...
UI study finds potential genetic link between epilepsy and neurodegenerative disorders
Monday, August 11, 2014
New epilepsy pathway was previously shown to be involved in Alzheimer’s By: John Riehl | 2014.07.22 | 11:10 AM A recent scientific discovery showed that mutations in prickle genes cause epilepsy, which in humans is a brain disorder characterized by repeated seizures over time. However, the mechanism responsible for generating prickle-associated seizures was unknown. A new University of Iowa study...
Walking may help patients with Parkinson's disease
Monday, July 7, 2014
Aerobic exercise improves physical and mental symptoms of Parkinson's disease By: UI Health Care Marketing and Communications | 2014.07.02 | 03:00 PM A new study led by University of Iowa researchers suggests that brisk walking may improve the physical and mental symptoms of patients with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease. The study found that regular walking improved motor function, mood...
Bad learning
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
New form of brain signaling affects addiction-related behaviorBy: Jennifer Brown | 2014.06.25 | 02:18 PMUniversity of Iowa researchers have discovered a new form of neurotransmission that influences the long-lasting memory created by addictive drugs, like cocaine and opioids, and the subsequent craving for these drugs of abuse. Loss of this type of neurotransmission creates changes in brains cells...