2025 Eleventh Annual Rutgers Brain Health Institute Symposium
The 2025 Eleventh Annual Rutgers Brain Health Institute (BHI) Symposium will be held on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at the Busch Student Center in Piscataway, NJ. Highlights include a keynote lecture by Moses V. Chao, PhD, talks by BHI faculty on their cutting-edge research programs, two-minute flash talks by trainees, an update on the federal funding landscape from Lewis Burke, a Brain Art Exhibition, and a trainee poster session.
We are no longer accepting abstracts for the poster session.
We are accepting Brain Art submissions through November 7.
Early registration deadline has also been extended to November 7, 2025.
Keynote Speaker
Moses V. Chao, PhD
Professor of Cell Biology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center
Research areas: metabolism, molecular, cellular, & translational neuroscience, molecular mechanisms of trophic factor action
Seminar title: “Mysteries of Neurotrophic Factors”
Trainee Poster Session
Please submit your poster title, author names, PI name, and abstract (250-word limit) to bhi@bhi.rutgers.edu. Only one poster submission per lab will be accepted. Due to limited space, only first 50 poster abstract submissions will be accepted.
Poster Abstract Submission Deadline: November 1, 2025.
Brain Art Exhibition
We will hold a Brain Art exhibition to celebrate the artist in the researcher. We invite Rutgers trainees to submit artwork related to neuroscience, brain, or mental health research. Whether it is a research image captured in the lab, or a de novo creation inspired by neuroscience, let your creativity shine! We will select up to 20 pieces to display during the symposium. Based on the number and quality of submissions, we will select three winners for prizes: 1st place: $200, 2nd place: $150, 3rd place: $100.
How to submit your photographs or original artwork: Upload a high-definition image of your artwork to OneDrive (accessible via myRutgers portal); The image should be uploaded into a newly created folder with your name; Share this folder with kuzhikev@bhi.rutgers.edu; Include a caption for your artwork; Submit by November 7.
Agenda
| Time | Speaker | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
8.15 AM | Registration and Continental Breakfast | |
8.45 – 9.00 AM | Welcome Remarks- Dr. Brian Strom | Chancellor of Rutgers Health |
9.00 – 9.15 AM | BHI Updates- Gary Aston-Jones | Director of BHI |
9.20 – 9.30 AM | Detlev Boison, PhD- Professor | RWJMS- Neurosurgery/BHI |
9.35 – 9.45 AM | David Barker, PhD- Assistant Professor | RU-NB- Psychology/BHI |
9.50 – 10.00 AM | Juan Mena Segovia, PhD- Associate Professor | RU-Newark- CMBN |
10.05 – 10.15 AM | Ioana Carcea, MD, PhD- Assistant Professor | NJMS- Pharm, Phys, Neuro/BHI |
10.20 – 10.35 AM | Coffee/Tea Break | |
10.40 – 10.50 AM | Luciana Mascarenhas Fonseca, PhD- Assistant Professor | RWJMS-Psychiatry/BHI/IFH/KKARC |
10.55 – 11.05 AM | Suchismita Ray, PhD- Associate Professor | SHP- Health Informatics/BHI |
11.10 – 11.20 AM | Morgan Firestein, PhD- Assistant Professor | RWJMS-Pediatrics/BHI/CHI/RUCARES |
11.30 – 12.30 PM | Keynote– Moses V. Chao, PhD | NYU Grossman School of Medicine |
12.30 – 1.30 PM | Hot Buffet Lunch | |
1.30 – 1.40 PM | Hyung Jin Ahn, PhD- Assistant Professor | NJMS- Pharm, Phys, Neuro/BHI |
1.45 – 1.55 PM | Pabitra Sahoo, PhD- Assistant Professor | RU-Newark- Biology |
2.00 – 2.10 PM | Miriam Bocarsly, PhD- Assistant Professor | NJMS- Pharm, Phys, Neuro/BHI |
2.15 – 3.00 PM | Special presentation: “Current Federal Funding Landscape” | Lewis Burke |
3.15 – 4.15 PM | Two-Minute Trainee Flash Talks | Top 25 poster submissions |
4.15 – 5.30 PM | Trainee Poster Session | |
4:00 – 5.30 PM | Wine and Cheese & Reception Awards Ceremony |
Speaker Spotlight
Pictures from the 2024 Tenth Annual BHI Symposium
The 2024 BHI Symposium marked the 10th anniversary of the Rutgers Brain Health Institute, a milestone for celebrating a decade of innovation, collaboration, and groundbreaking advancements in neuroscience. Held on November 14–15 at the Douglass Student Center, the two-day event brought together more than 300 academic leaders, researchers, trainees, and industry professionals. Learn more
