Vanderbilt Brain Institute

The Vanderbilt Brain Institute promotes research discovery for understanding how the brain works and for treatment advances.

[Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @VUBasicSciences]

💛 We’re recognizing the people and communities who helped shape our school over the last 10 years—from founding #leaders and pioneering #faculty to dedicated #staff, trainees, and collaborators across every level of #research and #education. Read more 👉 https://t.co/65dZKOeP0y

[Vanderbilt Brain Institute @VanderbiltBrain]

Huge congrats to Roz Johnson, Program Manager for the Neuroscience and Human Genetics Graduate Programs, for receiving the Mentorship Excellence Award at the 2026 Vanderbilt Staff Assembly! We are so proud of her many years of service and dedication to our students!

[Vanderbilt Brain Institute @VanderbiltBrain]

Please join us on Wednesday, May 13, for our FINAL VBI Neuroscience Seminar Series of the 2025-2026 year, with guest speaker Dr. Elizabeth Hillman from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital!

[Vanderbilt Brain Institute @VanderbiltBrain]

JOIN US today at 4:00pm for the Casagrande Lectureship Series with Dr. James Bourne from the NIMH. 🧠Reception to follow!

[Vanderbilt Brain Institute @VanderbiltBrain]

Please join us on Wednesday, April 29, for the Casagrande Lectureship Series with Dr. James Bourne from the NIMH.
The VBI’s annual endowed lecture is presented in loving memory of Dr. Vivien Casagrande and her contributions to area of visual systems.
Reception to follow!

[Vanderbilt MSTP @VanderbiltMSTP]

Join us next Thursday, May 7 at 2:00pm in 1220 MRB III for Nada Elsayed's Dissertation Defense! She will present "Single-Cell Profiling of Forebrain Development and Aberrant Signaling in mTORopathies" completed in the lab of Dr. Kevin Ess through @VanderbiltBrain.

[Vanderbilt Brain Institute @VanderbiltBrain]

Huge congrats to our Neuroscience graduate student, Hari Srinivasan, on this fantastic achievement!

[Hari Srinivasan @HariSri108]

This award recognizes outstanding research by graduate & post doc scholars and honors the legacy of Professor Vivien Casagrande, whose scientific contributions and dedication to mentoring young neuroscientists continue to have a lasting impact.

@VanderbiltBrain @VanderbiltU

[Vanderbilt Brain Institute @VanderbiltBrain]

How does the brain build thoughts, memories, and behavior? Vanderbilt researchers are helping answer one of science’s biggest questions by mapping the mind—advancing discoveries that could transform how we understand and treat brain disorders.

Read more: https://t.co/I9cPz6pPuo

[Vanderbilt Brain Institute @VanderbiltBrain]

Please join us on Wednesday, April 29, for the Casagrande Lectureship Series with Dr. James Bourne from the NIMH.
The VBI’s annual endowed lecture is presented in loving memory of Dr. Vivien Casagrande and her contributions to area of visual systems.
Reception to follow!

[Vanderbilt Brain Institute @VanderbiltBrain]

Please join us next Wednesday, April 15, for the VBI Neuroscience Seminar Series with guest lecturer Dr. Bernardo Sabatini from Harvard Medical School!

[Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @VUBasicSciences]

🌟 During #GraduateStudentAppreciation Week, @VanderbiltU is highlighting the voices and aspirations of students working to make a difference and we’re proud to spotlight Ritika Raghavan, Ph.D. candidate at the @VanderbiltBrain.

Read more about Ritika 👉 https://t.co/vB3BuUUJgo

[Christos Constantinidis @c_constan]

New preprint from the lab!
Prefrontal Mechanisms of Rule Learning
https://t.co/rfPJZ17sm8
(1/10)

[Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @VUBasicSciences]

🎉 Congrats to Ege Kavalali, who has been elected a Fellow of the @aaas. He was recognized for his contributions to understanding synaptic signaling and neurotransmission in the central nervous system. Join us in congratulating him! 👉 https://t.co/DHKYGip66D

[Vanderbilt Brain Institute @VanderbiltBrain]

Join us today at 4:00pm for the VBI Neuroscience Seminar Series with Erik Duboue, PhD, from Florida Atlantic University!

[Vanderbilt Brain Institute @VanderbiltBrain]

No better way to celebrate the springtime! We had a lot of fun hosting the Pharmacology/VBI Spring Social. Even the rainy weather didn’t keep us away ☔️.

Thanks to all who helped make this event a success!

[Vanderbilt Pharmacology @VandyPharm]

Great seeing Pharmacology & Neuroscience grad students and postdocs come together to relax, connect, and enjoy time outside the lab. @VanderbiltBrain @VUBasicSciences

[Christos Constantinidis @c_constan]

Incredibly honored to be named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
This distinction recognizes the work of my students and trainees over the years.
Congratulations to the other Vanderbilt faculty elected AAAS Fellows as well.

[Vanderbilt Brain Institute @VanderbiltBrain]

A HUGE thank you to all our students, staff, and faculty who volunteered, set up booths, and brought their families to the Vanderbilt Brain Institute’s BRAIN BLAST!
We hope everyone left feeling inspired to encourage kids in exploring their interests in neuroscience! 🧠🧬🔬

[Shan Meltzer @shanmeltzer]

My lab had a lot of fun at the @VanderbiltBrain Brain blast event, teaching kids about touch and pain sensations!😄

[Christos Constantinidis @c_constan]

Brain blast in Nashville today!

[Valentina Cigliola @CigliolaLab]

Brain Blast with the @VanderbiltBrain Institute this morning 🧠

We introduced young students to the regenerative capacity of the zebrafish spinal cord (with lots of colorful neurons!). It was so exciting to see how engaged they were.

Science outreach is so important 💡

[Vanderbilt Brain Institute @VanderbiltBrain]

Tomorrow’s the big day! We can’t wait to see you all for the VBI’s annual Brain Blast at Sevier Park Community Center! 🧠🧬