UK is home to nearly 300 neuroscience faculty members, who are appointed in the Colleges of Arts & Science, Medicine, Pharmacy, Agriculture and even Economics !  This cross-campus collaboration makes our Neuroscience major very unique and allows our students to be exposed to cutting-edge technological research and in-class approaches throughout their time at UK !

1 of every 7 neuroscience majors at UK is conducting independent research in the laboratory of a UK faculty member !  This hands-on experience with neuroscience often begins in the student's first or second year and involves a close mentoring relationship with a UK professor and other lab members. All students may gain course credit for conducting independent research !

Areas of research emphasis at UK include drug and alcohol dependence treatment, aging and Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's

By Gabriela Antenore

The University of Kentucky Gaines Center for the Humanities has selected 12 undergraduate students as new scholars for the Gaines Fellowship Program.

The Gaines Fellowship is presented in recognition of outstanding academic performance, demonstrated ability to conduct independent research, an interest in public issues and a desire to enhance understanding of the human condition through the humanities. Founded in 1984 by a gift from John and Joan Gaines, the Gaines Center for the Humanities functions as a laboratory for imaginative and innovative education on UK’s campus. The Gaines Center is designed to enrich the study of the humanities at the

By Richard LeComte

Started in 2015, the STEMCats Living Learning Program has helped students majoring within the many and varied areas of the sciences or mathematics find their way to success at UK. And STEMCats peer mentors are a big part of that effort. 

“I have a group chat with my mentees about how things are going,” said Keanu Exum, a STEMCats peer mentor majoring in biology and neuroscience. “I want to make myself known to my mentees — that I am a resource for them.” 

Getting students situated in STEMCats is having a positive effect on the academic careers of the participants, says a study conducted by Carol D. Hanley of International Programs in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. STEMCats is

By Jenny Wells-Hosley

Eve Schneider, an assistant professor in the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Biology, has been named a 2020 Sloan Research Fellow by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The award honors early-career researchers.

Schneider is one of 126 selected across the U.S. and Canada, and is first UK scholar to receive the fellowship in 25 years. She is also the first woman from UK to receive the honor. 

"I’m incredibly honored to join the ranks of all the distinguished researchers who’ve won this award. It’s a lot to live up to! This fellowship is an amazing vote of confidence that my burgeoning lab is on the right path," Schneider said.

BIO 199 provides first-year students in the STEMCats program 3 hour/week immersion in the laboratory of a UK faculty member. 

Dr. Chen joined the University of Kentucky Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center and Department of Neuroscience in early 2020. She came from the Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX

Dr. Brandon Miller joined the teams at the Kentucky Neuroscience Institute and the Kentucky Children’s Hospital as UK HealthCare’s pediatric neurosurgeon in 2017. Dr. Miller is expanding UK’s pediatric neurosurgery program and conducting research on pediatric brain injury in UK’s Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center.

He completed his MD and PhD degrees in the Medical Scientist Program at The Ohio State University in Columbus and completed his neurosurgery residency at Emory University in Atlanta. He then completed his pediatric neurosurgery fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis before coming to UK HealthCare.

Dr. Miller has authored more than 30 journal articles and book chapters in basic and clinical neuroscience. At UK HealthCare, Dr. Miller’s research lab focuses on strategies to improve neurological recovery in children.

https://neuronline.sfn.org/diversity/building-a-scientific-culture-that-supports-women

Dr. Jill Turner received her PhD in Neuroscience from Georgetown University in the lab of Dr. Ken Kellar. Following her graduation, she completed post-doctoral training in behavioral genetics and pharmacogenomics at the University of Pennsylvania with Dr. Julie Blendy. Dr. Turner is now currently an Assistant Professor in the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, where her NIDA funded research investigates the biological mechanisms underlying the high relapse rate among smokers using electrophysiology, behavior, and Next Gen Sequencing technologies. To do this, Dr. Turner’s group combines Next-Gen sequencing approaches and behavioral pharmacology to identify candidate molecules for pharmacogenomic evaluation in both rodent models and in the human population. For example, sequencing technologies identified a novel molecule, Neuregulin 3, in mechanisms underlying nicotine

Piper Aldrich is a junior Neuroscience and Psychology major on the pre-medical path. She is from Oxford, Michigan and  was homeschooled through high school

Piper has been playing violin for 16 years, and is working on a violin performance minor.

2019-2020 is her third year playing in the University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra (UKSO).

Over the summer of 2019, Piper performed at Carnegie Hall with the UKSO

By Jenny Wells

Faculty from the University of Kentucky Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Behavioral Science in the College of Medicine have received two, five-year Research Project Grants (R01) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study neurobehavioral processes involved in drug use disorders.

The first project, which addresses cocaine use disorder, totals over $3 million. The second project addresses opioid use disorder and totals over $3.1 million.

The multiple principal investigators (PI) include Joshua Beckmann, associate professor of psychology; Joshua Lile, professor of behavioral science;

Careers in Neuroscience

Opportunities for graduates with a BS in Neuroscience are wide-ranging, with median salaries for those who move immediately into the work force  ranging from approximately $30,020 to $48,400. These careers include:

By Madison Dyment

One of the most rewarding aspects of higher education is the chance to train the next generation of leaders and workers. Every so often, students are lucky enough to find opportunities that go above and beyond to give them practical experience in preparing them for their future. Mark Prendergast’s BIO 199 class is one of those opportunities.

Prendergast’s class is designed for freshmen neuroscience majors. The course is part of the STEMCats Living Learning Program at the University of Kentucky in the College of Arts and Sciences, with its students either in that program or the Lewis Honors College. There are many existing sections of the course, each being taught by a different faculty member who conducts different types of research related to biology.

The STEMCats Living Learning Program was founded in 2014 and receives funding from a

By Lori Adams

The University of Kentucky has released its Dean's List for the spring 2019 semester. A total of 6,562 students were recognized for their outstanding academic performance. 

To make a Dean’s List in one of the UK colleges, a student must earn a grade-point average of 3.6 or higher and must have earned 12 credits or more in that semester, excluding credits earned in pass-fail classes. Some UK colleges require a 3.5 GPA to make the Dean’s List.

The full Dean's List can be accessed by visiting: www.uky.edu/PR/News/DeansList/.

The University of Kentucky is increasingly the first choice for students, faculty and staff to pursue their passions and their professional goals. In the last two years, Forbes has named UK among the best employers for diversity and

By Loretta Stafford

Childhood friends Zach Major, Kayne Finley, Keagan Finley, and Austin Major

On the heels of graduation, many new alumni look forward to spending the summer traveling, learning about the world and themselves in the process. However, this summer’s travels hold special significance for two spring 2019 UK grads.

Zach Major, a physical therapy student in the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences who recently graduated with his B.A. in environmental and sustainability studies from the College of Arts and Sciences, and Robby Larson, who earned his degree in neuroscience from the college as well, will join former UK swim team member Keagan Finley on a cross-country bike ride. The team will make “Cannonballs Across America

Psychology and Neuroscience Professors Drs. Lynda Sharrett and Mark Prendergast have been invited to guest edited a special of the neuroscience journal Brain Sciences focused on innovative approaches to teaching neuroscience at the undergraduate level.

Neuroscience is growing globally, as an educational discipline and occupational focus. Recent findings suggest that the impetus for this growth is due to students’ inherent interest in brain-body connections , as well as a recognition that neuroscience, being a multidisciplinary field of study, will provide students with a comprehensive foundation suited for subsequent graduate and professional studies. Teaching undergraduate students in this broad, interdisciplinary field can be challenging and requires integrating instructional techniques from the natural and social sciences, encouraging scientific exploration, and

By Jenny Wells

While most final assignments in science courses involve lab reports or essays, a human anatomy class at the University of Kentucky decided to switch things up this semester by having an art showcase instead.

Nearly a hundred unique works of art, created by students majoring in subjects like neuroscience and biology, adorned the UK College of Nursing Building's auditorium on April 25. Among the art were poems about the blood flow through the human heart, photographs of trees representing the respiratory system, abstract pieces reflecting the processes of neurodegenerative diseases, collages of the digestive system (including one made from print UK advertisements), and depictions of the human kidney created from a variety of materials including foods, plastics and plants.

April Hatcher, an associate professor of neuroscience, describes herself

The 2018-2019 Neuroscience Major Graduating Scholars are LIsted Below:

Each of the students listed below satisfied the following Scholars requirements for outstanding scholarship, which include:

Obtaining a minimum GPA of 3.5 A 6 credit hour independent research experience A scientific presentation at a conference, including one on campus or nationally. Complete two scholars courses or two 400G*,500 or 600** level or a combination of a scholars course and a 400G/ 500/600 BIO course.

Daniel Ma  Aaron Silverstein

Heather Burns  Isaiah Brown

Jessica Ryan  Hayley Baker

Leah Terry   Abigail Samson

Esther Putman  Cassidy Carter

Reeya Khanal  Sneha Rajan

Haley Fluharty

Rebecca Buster

Alysia Kohlbrand

Jessica Ryan 

Manish Bhojwani

Allison Spears

By Whitney Hale, Ellie Wnek and Hannah Edelen

Senior Dealla Samadi discovered a missing piece of the book "La Reine Albemarle," which was published posthumously without the segment. Her discovery has led to an article published in a French philosophy journal.

Seven interns in the University of Kentucky Libraries' Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) Learning Lab will represent UK at the second World Conference of Undergraduate Research (World CUR).

These students will travel to Oldenburg, Germany, May 23-25, to present their research, discuss global issues and create an international research partnership. Funding for their travel is provided through the 

Chemistry Professor and Neuroscientist Dr. D. Allan Butterfield has published a paper, with collegue Dr. Barry Halliwell from the University of Singapore, in the #1 ranked  neuroscience journal in the world.

The publication, entitled "Oxidative stress, dysfunctional glucosemetabolism and Alzheimer disease", was published in the March 2019 issue of the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience.