World Brain Day on July 22 aims to raise awareness about neurological disorders. We celebrated World Brain Day by spotlighting Dr. Detlev Boison, Professor and Vice Chair of Research and Training in the Department of Neurosurgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) and BHI Core Faculty. Dr. Boison studies epilepsy and traumatic brain injury, and his research has found that brain insults that trigger epilepsy cause a maladaptive overexpression of adenosine kinase. This overexpression drives the epileptogenic process that turns a healthy brain into an epileptic brain. Watch the video to learn more! 

Congratulations to Dr. Avram Holmes, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at RWJMS and BHI Core Faculty, for co-authoring a study published in Science Advances. The study, “Functional brain networks are associated with both sex and gender in children”, shows that sex can inform the risk of psychiatric disorders. The news was covered by CNN, Scientific American, Newsweek, etc.

Dr. Michal Schnaider Beeri, Director of the Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center in BHI, was interviewed by ITV Gold to introduce and recruit for the new study aimed at better understanding the characteristics that place South Asian populations at heightened risk for Alzheimer’s disease. The study is recruiting individuals aged 45 to 70 with ethnic or racial backgrounds from the South Asian subcontinent who have one or more parents with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Participants at Rutgers can receive up to $175. For eligibility and inquiries, please contact adrd@bhi.edu or visit www.adrd.rutgers.edu.

A new study titled “Blood Biomarkers to Detect Alzheimer Disease in Primary Care and Secondary Care”, published in the journal JAMA, shows that the blood test correctly diagnosed Alzheimer’s in patients with memory issues about 90% of the time.

Dr. Michal Schnaider Beeri, Director of the Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center in BHI, and Dr. Marc Tambini, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and BHI Core Faculty, shared insights to the study. The results for the blood biomarkers were better than those of clinicians, both general practitioners and dementia experts. Further research is needed to determine if these biomarkers could predict the onset of cognitive problems in cognitively intact individuals.

Dr. Morgan James, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at RWJMS and BHI Core Faculty, and Dr. Troy Roepke, Associate Professor of Animal Sciences at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS), received a $432,000 R21 grant from the National Institute on Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) for the project “The orexin system as a novel mediator of depression-like outcomes in female rats exposed to an endocrine-disrupting compound during the peripubertal period.” The project examines a hypothalamic-midbrain circuit as a mediator of depression outcomes in a model of accelerated puberty onset in female rats. The goal of these studies is to identify targets for pharmacological interventions designed to prevent the development of depression in young women who experience early puberty.

Dr. Mark Gradwell, a postdoc in Dr. Victoria Abraira’s lab, received a $1,008,220 NIH/NINDS K99 Pathway to Independence Award for the project “The Role of Distinct Dorsal Column Nuclei Outputs in Persistent Pain,”. The award will provide funds for Dr. Gradwell to finish his postdoctoral studies and transition to an independent faculty position.

Dr. Sarah Brislin, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at RWJMS, BHI Core Faculty, and researcher in Rutgers Addiction Research Center (RARC), received a five year $783,727  NIH K23 grant award for the project “Neural, genetic, and environmental indicators of treatment outcomes for adolescent substance use”.

Dr. Sarah Swinford-Jackson, from BHI Core Faculty Dr. Chris Pierce’s lab, received a five year $1,056,055 K01 grant for the project “Molecular mechanisms of incubation of methamphetamine craving”. The studies will elucidate the neurocircuitry and molecular mechanisms underlying the incubation of methamphetamine craving.

Hannah Lamont, a PhD Candidate in BHI Core Faculty Dr. Ioana Carcea’s and Dr. Vanessa Routh’s labs at Rutgers New Jersey Medical school, received the D-SPAN Award (NIH F99/K00 award) from the NIH Blueprint and BRAIN Initiative for the project “Social Isolation and Metabolic Homeostasis: Investigating the Role of Oxytocin in Modulating Hypothalamic Glucose Sensing.” Hannah’s doctoral research focuses on the neural mechanism underlying the relationship between social isolation and glucose homeostasis.

The New Jersey Autism Center of Excellence (NJACE) led by Dr. Wayne Fisher, Director of RUCARES in BHI, aims to help New Jersey researchers connect with individuals with autism and their families who may be interested in participating in research. We anticipate funding up to four seed grants with a maximum of $2,000 per award. Please complete the request form and submit it to Hnorris@childrensspecialized.org to be considered for funding.

The LHS Scholars Training Program aims to cultivate a new generation of leaders in Learning Health Systems (LHS) Science by providing comprehensive education, training, mentorship, and career development opportunities tailored to the professional interests of embedded investigators, clinicians, and health system personnel. Their goal is to nurture LHS Scholars who will contribute to academia, industry, and government.

The BHI and the RARC are pleased to announce the mock grant review program at Rutgers University. The primary objective of this program is to increase the success of grant proposals submitted to NIH by Rutgers investigators from the BHI and/or the RARC.

The Brain Modulation & Control Lab is recruiting paid volunteers to perform computer-based tasks while recording electroencephalography (EEG) data and applying transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to study brain dynamics related to eye movement tasks. If you are interested in this study, please contact bmclab@rwjms.rutgers.edu

The Rutgers Addiction Research Center in BHI is currently running a research study to evaluate a newly developed online platform that provides individuals with personalized risk profiles that combine genetic, behavioral, and environmental information. Participants will receive their personalized risk profile for free as well as up to $40 in compensation for completing research surveys to help the study team evaluate the program.

The Rutgers Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center is launching a study to understand the characteristics that may place South Asian populations at heightened risk for Alzheimer's disease. This study seeks to recruit individuals with ethnic or racial backgrounds from South Asian countries, aged 45-70, who have one or more parents with AD. Participants at Rutgers can receive up to $175. Participants will undergo comprehensive assessments every two years, encompassing surveys, cognitive and language assessments, motor function tasks, blood tests, physical and neurological exams, as well as brain imaging. For eligibility and inquiries, contact the Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer Research Center at adrd@bhi.edu or visit www.adrd.rutgers.edu

The RARC is partnering with the Institute for Prevention and Recovery (IFPR) to establish a streamlined process for enhanced collaboration among Rutgers researchers who want to partner with RWJBarnabas to analyze substance use disorder outcome data and/or implement new studies in the health system.

The Research Community Partnership (RCP), overseen by the RARC, is a central enrollment hub for community members to participate in Rutgers research projects, and for researchers to recruit for their studies. By signing up for the RCP, individuals agree to be contacted by approved researchers to participate in projects. Participants can choose to accept or decline any project to which they are invited. Anyone who wants to be a part of research can enroll in the RCP.

The newly established Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center in BHI will serve as a hub for collaboration, innovation, and transformative research, with the mission of making meaningful strides in the prevention, diagnosis, and care of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD). If you are interested in learning more or collaborating with the center, please submit the form to provide your contact information.

The Rutgers Training in Addiction Research Program (TARP) announced the availability of a postdoctoral position. Interested applicants should email their CV to Chris Pierce at chris.pierce@rutgers.edu.

MidAtlantic Neonatology Associates and Biomedical Research Institute of New Jersey (BRInj) are recruiting scientists to lead and/or assist our Neonatology faculty with developing a research program on the effects of prenatal/perinatal stress on neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes. We are particularly interested in candidates with strong expertise in rodent behavior, and additional experience with immunohistochemistry, microscopy, and/or molecular biology. Applicants should submit a CV and cover letter to Dr. Elizabeth Eckman, Director of Preclinical Research, lizeckman@brinj.org

The Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center at the BHI is recruiting a tenured or tenure-track faculty member at the Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor level to expand our research portfolio in the basic science of neurodegenerative diseases. We seek scholars with innovative, rigorous, and impactful basic research programs focusing on the gut-brain axis related to aging, Alzheimer’s disease, or associated dementias.

The BHI and the Dept. of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, RWJMS are recruiting a tenured or tenure track faculty member at the Associate or Full Professor level to expand our research portfolio in auditory neuroscience, broadly defined to include animal- or human subjects-based research programs. The successful candidate must have a PhD, MD, or equivalent doctoral degree as well as a research program with currently active federal funding addressing key questions regarding auditory neuroscience.

The Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center at BHI seeks a neuroimaging leader for a tenure-track position at the Associate or Full Professor level, a board-certified geriatric psychiatrist with clinical experience in caring for persons with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, and a neuropsychologist with a research career devoted to the neuropsychology of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.

The BHI, RUCARES, and Department of Pediatrics at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) are seeking a tenure-track assistant or associate professor for a clinical research program focused on improving interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorder. 

The CAHBIR is recruiting for multiple faculty positions at all levels (Assistant/Associate/ Professor). We seek investigators who use innovative MRI approaches to image human brain structure and function. Individuals who utilize additional approaches such as EEG, tDCS, and rTMS to study human brain function would also be attractive.