Congratulations to undergraduate researcher Abigail Wilcox and graduate student Caleb Bailey !!
Abby and Caleb were awarded a grant, entitled "Tauopathic Characterization of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: The Impact of Alcohol-Induced Neuroinflammation on Insulin Insensitivity in Sustained Tau Phosphorylation", from the University of Kentucky Substance Abuse Research Priority Area (SUPRA).
These studies will examine a new theory of how alcohol damages the developing brain !
The College of Arts and Sciences is committed to learning and working environments that are diverse, inclusive, and equitable for students, staff, and faculty.
We stand in solidarity with those working to confront systemic racial injustice in our communities and in the United States. We recognize the disproportionate burden of racism and other forms of violence on many within our A&S community during this time. We affirm our support of faculty, students, staff, and alumni in standing against all forms of racism, discrimination, and bias.
During this time of pandemic and continued racism and violence that especially impact marginalized communities of color, we recognize the disproportionate impact on Black and African-American people. In the context of the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and here in Kentucky, Breonna Taylor and David McAtee, we affirm that
UK professors Dr. John Littleton, CEO of Naprogenix, Inc., and Dr. Mark Prendergast are investigating the effects of COVID-19 “spike proteins” on the brain. COVID-19 spike proteins may be toxic in the brain, particularly in an alcohol-dependent brain. Many patients with COVID-19 are reporting losses of smell and taste, indicating that the virus or proteins associated with it are entering the brain (as HIV-1 does). Because of the unique molecular structure of the virus spike proteins, they are likely to target neurochemical receptors that are "upregulated" by chronic alcohol intake. This suggests that alcohol-abusing individuals may be particularly susceptible to COVID-19- related CNS symptoms. Littleton and Prendergast have submitted a grant, which is a supplement to a National Institutes of Health award to Naprogenix, Inc., to extend their studies on viral proteins in
By Whitney Hale
LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 13, 2020) — The University of Kentucky Office of Nationally Competitive Awards has announced that five students and alumnae have been selected to receive government-funded National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships. In addition, six other UK students received honorable mention recognition from the foundation. Included among the recipients are College of Arts & Sciences alumni and current undergraduates.
NSF Fellows receive a three-year annual stipend of $34,000 along with a $12,000 cost of education allowance for tuition and fees for a research-based master's or doctoral degree in a STEM (science, technology, engineering or mathematics) field.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 4, 2020) — The University of Kentucky has honored two senior students with the Otis A. Singletary Outstanding Senior Award at the virtual Lead Blue: Student Organizations Celebration and Award Ceremony on April 28. This year’s recipients were Michael Hamilton and Joe Walden.
The Otis A. Singletary Outstanding Senior Award was established in 1978 as the first award recognizing overall student leadership at UK. The award is named after former University of Kentucky President Otis A. Singletary.
Students nominated for this award have displayed outstanding leadership while attending the University of Kentucky, made significant contributions to academics and are
Neuroscience Majors at the University of Kentucky are living all over the United States in Spring 2020, taking classes remotely. Hear how they are dealing with remote learning by downloading the short video file below.
https://neuroscience.as.uky.edu/sites/default/files/Dealing%20with%20Re…
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 Disease,
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 University of Kentucky.
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 a program
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
She is an early stage investigator dedicated to advancing knowledge of the biology and treatment of central
nervous system damage, including spinal cord injury (SCI) and ischemic stroke. Initially trained as a molecular
biologist, she studied cellular stress response to proteo-toxicity with my doctoral mentor Dr. Ze’ev Ronai. Seeking
to apply my knowledge in cellular stress signaling to the field of neural repair, she performed postdoctoral training
with Dr. Binhai Zheng, whose lab studies axon regeneration following spinal cord injury. While identifying neuronintrinsic
regulators of CNS axon
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.
During his
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; and Michael Wesley, assistant professor
Careers in Neuroscience
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Careers with a Bachelor's DegreeOpportunities 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:
Pharmaceutical Sales
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
