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 Graduate Program Guest Speaker: Dr. Stephani Sutherland, PhD promotional image

Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Graduate Program Guest Speaker: Dr. Stephani Sutherland, PhD

Tuesday, March 3, 2026 4:00pm
General Hospital

The Neuroscience Graduate Program is pleased to welcome Stephani Sutherland, PhD, a neuroscientist and science communication professional, for a guest seminar focused on careers in science communication.

Dr. Sutherland will begin with an overview of career paths in science communication, drawing on her own wide-ranging professional journey. Trained as a neuroscientist, she has built a multifaceted career as a science communicator, writer, journalist, and educator, translating complex research for...

Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Program Thesis Defense Seminar: Hannah Stutt promotional image

Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Program Thesis Defense Seminar: Hannah Stutt

Monday, March 23, 2026 2:00pm
Medical Education Research Facility

Hannah Stutt 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.

Distinguished Biomedical Scholars Lecture - Ian S. Maze, PhD promotional image

Distinguished Biomedical Scholars Lecture - Ian S. Maze, PhD

Thursday, March 26, 2026 4:00pm to 5:00pm
Medical Education Research Facility
Distinguished Biomedical Scholars Lecture Ian Maze
Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Program Thesis Defense Seminar: Ashby Martin promotional image

Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Program Thesis Defense Seminar: Ashby Martin

Monday, April 6, 2026 11:30pm
Medical Laboratories

Ashby Martin is a PhD candidate in the Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Graduate Program. His research has been conducted in Dr. Dan Tranel'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: Utsav Mukherjee promotional image

Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Program Thesis Defense Seminar: Utsav Mukherjee

Wednesday, April 8, 2026 2:00pm
Medical Education Research Facility

Utsav Mukherjee is a PhD candidate in the Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Graduate Program. His research has been conducted in Dr. Ted Abel'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: 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.

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

Avenir Award Shen

Congratulations to Susan Shen, MD, PhD

Friday, December 19, 2025

Carver College of Medicine Research Events

Neuroscience and Pharmacology Seminar - Justin Wolter, PhD promotional image

Neuroscience and Pharmacology Seminar - Justin Wolter, PhD

Tuesday, February 24, 2026 10:30am to 11:30am
Medical Education Research Facility

Molecular Determinants of Purkinje Neurodegeneration in ARSACS

Justin Wolter, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Genetics, Waisman Center
University of Wisconsin - Madison

Pain Interest Group Workshop - Walter Saide, PhD promotional image

Pain Interest Group Workshop - Walter Saide, PhD

Wednesday, February 25, 2026 9:00am to 10:00am
Medical Education Research Facility

Mutations of PRKAR1B produce robust deficits in learning, development, and nociception

Walter Saide, PhD
Postdoctoral Scholar in Dr. Stefan Strack's Lab

Study Hall promotional image

Study Hall

Wednesday, February 25, 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.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Seminar: Dr. Rui Zhao promotional image

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Seminar: Dr. Rui Zhao

Thursday, February 26, 2026 10:30am to 11:20am
Medical Education Research Facility

This event is open to the public.

Mechanisms and Modulation of 5' Splice Site Recognition

Rui Zhao, PhD
University of Colorado Anschutz

Faculty Host: Lori Wallrath, PhD

Neuroscience and Pharmacology Workshop - Dangran Li & Kyle Rosenberg promotional image

Neuroscience and Pharmacology Workshop - Dangran Li & Kyle Rosenberg

Thursday, February 26, 2026 12:30pm to 1:30pm
Medical Education Research Facility

RalA mediates Nf1-regulated metabolism in Drosophila

Dangran Li
Pharmacology Graduate Student
Dr. Seth Tomchik's Lab

The Role of Bardet Biedl Syndrome Proteins in Cell Cycle Progression

Kyle Rosenberg
Pharmacology Graduate Student
Dr. Kamal Rahmouni's Lab

Study Hall promotional image

Study Hall

Wednesday, March 4, 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 Seminar - Lisa Beutler, MD, PhD promotional image

Neuroscience and Pharmacology Seminar - Lisa Beutler, MD, PhD

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

Dissecting the gut-brain dynamics of anorexia and aversion

Lisa Beutler, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine
Northwestern University

Study Hall promotional image

Study Hall

Wednesday, March 11, 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.
Hardin Open Workshops - PubMed (Zoom) promotional image

Hardin Open Workshops - PubMed (Zoom)

Wednesday, March 11, 2026 1:00pm
Virtual

This hands-on session will help you improve your searching through best practices for basic and advanced searching and show you features for saving or exporting citations. The session will also help you understand medical subject headings (MeSH) and how they improve your search as well as the benefits of a MyNCBI account.

PLEASE NOTE:

Enrollment in HOW is open to all University of Iowa affiliates and residents of the state of Iowa. Advance registration is required for Zoom classes, though walk-ins...

Hardin Open Workshops - EndNote Desktop (Zoom) promotional image

Hardin Open Workshops - EndNote Desktop (Zoom)

Thursday, March 12, 2026 10:00am to 11:00am
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...

Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs Events

The University of Iowa Computing Conference (UICC) 2026 promotional image

The University of Iowa Computing Conference (UICC) 2026

Sunday, February 22, 2026 (all day)
University of Iowa Main Library
Welcome students, faculty, and all members of the community to our annual UIowa Computing Conference!
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Seminar: Dr. Rui Zhao promotional image

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Seminar: Dr. Rui Zhao

Thursday, February 26, 2026 10:30am to 11:20am
Medical Education Research Facility

This event is open to the public.

Mechanisms and Modulation of 5' Splice Site Recognition

Rui Zhao, PhD
University of Colorado Anschutz

Faculty Host: Lori Wallrath, PhD

Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Graduate Program Guest Speaker: Dr. Stephani Sutherland, PhD promotional image

Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Graduate Program Guest Speaker: Dr. Stephani Sutherland, PhD

Tuesday, March 3, 2026 4:00pm
General Hospital

The Neuroscience Graduate Program is pleased to welcome Stephani Sutherland, PhD, a neuroscientist and science communication professional, for a guest seminar focused on careers in science communication.

Dr. Sutherland will begin with an overview of career paths in science communication, drawing on her own wide-ranging professional journey. Trained as a neuroscientist, she has built a multifaceted career as a science communicator, writer, journalist, and educator, translating complex research for...

Colloquium - When 'Good' Systems Fail: What Employment Technologies Miss Under Real-World Constraints promotional image

Colloquium - When 'Good' Systems Fail: What Employment Technologies Miss Under Real-World Constraints

Friday, March 6, 2026 3:30pm to 4:30pm
Schaeffer Hall
We welcome Tawanna Dillahunt, PhD, from the University of Michigan School of Information, who will speak to the design and deployment of employment technologies, considering real-world constraints rather than idealized conditions.

Women In Micro & Immuno Coffee Hour

Monday, March 9, 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, 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.

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.