News

Emily Lopez has been awarded a CNS Summer Assistantship to support her graduate research. In addition to her outstanding scholarship, Emily has distinguished herself through exceptional leadership within the Neuroscience and Behavior Program, fostering a more inclusive, collaborative, and supportive community for graduate students. This award recognizes both her academic promise and her meaningful contributions to the program and the broader neuroscience community

Donna Ter-Mkrtchyan has been awarded a prestigious Chemistry-Biology Interface (CBI) T32 Fellowship in support of her graduate research. Working in the laboratory of Dr. Jennifer Rauch, Donna is developing in vivo models to investigate why different tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease, selectively affect specific brain regions and cell types. By investigating how tau aggregates interact with the local brain environment, Donna's research seeks to uncover fundamental mechanisms that drive neurodegeneration and identify new opportunities for therapeutic intervention.

Daya Mena earned a prestigious NIH-funded Biotechnology Training Program (BTP) Fellowship at UMass Amherst to support research aimed at uncovering new mechanisms of glial biology that may inform future therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. Working in the laboratory of Dr. Jennifer Rauch, Daya uses transcriptomic, proteomic, and phenomic approaches to investigate how reactive astrocytes process pathological tau protein and how changes in glial function influence the spread of neurodegenerative pathology.

The Neuroscience and Behavior Program congratulates Kathryn Nippert on receiving an NIH National Research Service Award (NRSA) Fellowship. Co-mentored by Elena Vazey and David Moorman, Kathryn's research examines how chronic alcohol exposure and stress alter dorsomedial frontal cortex function to impair cognitive flexibility, a key feature of alcohol use disorder. Using innovative approaches including in vivo calcium imaging, molecular analyses, and pharmacological interventions, her work seeks to identify neural mechanisms through which alcohol and stress contribute to maladaptive behavior

The Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program is delighted to celebrate Dr. Agnès Lacreuse, recipient of the 2025 Massachusetts Society for Medical Research Biomedical Research Day Educator Award. Dr. Lacreuse’s pioneering research has significantly advanced our understanding of neurocognitive aging, with a focus on sex differences, Alzheimer’s disease, and women’s health. Beyond her groundbreaking scientific contributions, she is a dedicated advocate for public engagement in science, highlighting the essential role of biomedical research in improving human health, advancing veterinary

UMass NSB joined other campus organizations and departments in support of funding research. See this website for more information and resources! 

Congratulations to Hannah Cournoyer who was just awarded with the IALS Translational Graduate Student Fellowship regarding her work in the Lacreuse Lab!

Join us this Thursday in the Student Union Ballroom (41 Campus Center Way, Amherst, MA 01002) for the 2024 Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Conference. Onsite registration will be available and the conference is open and also free for students, staff, and faculty. See more information about the keynote speakers here and a schedule here.

Join us for Neuro Network! This is a bi-weekly neuroscience forum for trainees. There was a great turnout at the first event and we would like to give a special thanks to Erika Correll for spearheading this great community building event. This event will take playce every other Friday from 12-1:30pm, starting this week (May 24th).