FAU’s Brain Institute Commemorates ‘Brain Awareness Week’

Newswise — Florida Atlantic University’s Brain Institute is commemorating “Brain Awareness Week” (March 13-19) to promote the public and personal benefits of brain research. FAU’s Brain Institute, headed by molecular neuroscientist Randy Blakely, Ph.D., represents a multi-million-dollar investment for interdisciplinary, cutting-edge neuroscience research across FAU’s multiple campuses. Inaugurated in 2016 on the John D. MacArthur Campus in Jupiter, Fla., the Institute supports research, education and community outreach among more than 70 neuroscience faculty investigators at FAU and its affiliate research centers. One of FAU’s four pillars that guide the University’s goals and strategic actions, the Institute seeks to unlock the secrets of brain development, function and plasticity and how the mechanisms uncovered can be compromised to drive devastating brain disorders. From human behavior such as mother/infant bonding, addiction and communication disorders to devastating brain diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, neuroscientists and other researchers from FAU’s Brain Institute are at the forefront of innovative research that will generate knowledge to benefit society.

Members of FAU’s Brain Institute are:

• Rindy Anderson, Ph.D., assistant professor, biological sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• Nicole Baganz, Ph.D., research assistant professor, biomedical science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine

• Elan Barenholtz, Ph.D., associate professor, psychology and Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• Randy Blakely, Ph.D., professor, biomedical science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine andexecutive director, FAU Brain Institute

• Steven L. Bressler, Ph.D., professor of psychology and interim director, Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• Brenda Claiborne, Ph.D., professor, biological sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• Predrag Cudic, Ph.D., professor, chemistry and biochemistry, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• Ali A. Danesh, Ph.D., professor, director of Audiology Clinic, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders; and professor of clinical biomedical science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine

• Ken Dawson-Scully, Ph.D., associate professor, biological sciences and associate director, FAU Brain Institute, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• Erik D. Engeberg, Ph.D., associate professor, ocean and mechanical engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science

• Edward Ester, Ph.D., assistant professor, psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• Gregg Fields, Ph.D., professor and chair, chemistry and biochemistry, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and director, Center for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

• Armen Fuchs, Ph.D., professor, physics and Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• James Galvin, M.D., M.P.H., professor, integrated medical science and associate dean for clinical science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine; professor, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing

• Tanja A. Godenschwege, Ph.D., associate professor, biological sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• Paul Gresch, Ph.D., research associate professor, biomedical science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine

• Kathleen Guthrie, Ph.D., associate professor, biomedical science, Charles E, Schmidt College of Medicine

• Jason Hallstrom, Ph.D., professor and director of FAU’s I-SENSE

• Sang Hong, Ph.D., assistant professor, psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• Ceylan Isgor, Ph.D., associate professor, biomedical science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine

• Hideki Iwamato, Ph.D., research associate professor of biomedical science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine

• Kailiang Jia, Ph.D., associate professor, biological sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• Nancy Aaron Jones, Ph.D., associate professor, psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• Marc Kantorow, Ph.D., professor, biomedical science, assistant dean for graduate programs, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine

• Alex Keene, Ph.D., associate professor, biological sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• J.A. Scott Kelso, Ph.D., professor, psychology, and the Glenwood and Martha Creech Chair in Science, Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• Gregory Macleod, Ph.D., associate professor, biological sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• Sarah Milton, Ph.D., associate professor, biomedical science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• Rodney Murphey, Ph.D., professor and chair, biological sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• John Newcomer, M.D., professor, integrated medical science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine

• Michele Pergadia, Ph.D., associate professor, integrated medical science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine

• Howard Prentice, Ph.D., associate professor, integrated medical science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine

• Janet Robishaw, Ph.D., professor and chair, biomedical science, and interim vice dean for research, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine

• Monica Rosselli, Ph.D., professor and assistant chair, psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• Wen Shen, Ph.D., associate professor, biomedical science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine

• Summer Sheremata, Ph.D., assistant professor, psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• Robert Stackman, Ph.D., associate professor and interim chair, psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• Rui Tao, Ph.D., associate professor, biomedical science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine

• Ruth Tappen, Ed.D., R.N., professor and Christine E. Lynn Eminent Scholar, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing

• Emmanuelle Tognoli, Ph.D., research associate professor, psychology, Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• Robert Vertes, Ph.D., professor, psychology, Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

• Jianning (Jenny) Wei, Ph.D., associate professor, biomedical science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine

• Herbert Weissbach, Ph.D., distinguished research professor, biological sciences, Charles E. College of Science

• Christine Williams, R.N., DNSc, professor and director, Ph.D. in Nursing Program, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing

• Dale Williams, Ph.D., professor, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Education

• Amy Wright, Ph.D., research professor, marine biomedical and biotechnology research, FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute

• Jang-Yen (John) Wu, Ph.D., professor, biomedical science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine

- FAU -

About Florida Atlantic University:Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.