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Click Here to view information and register for the 2024 Fall PNB Graduate Recruitment Open House

Department of
Physiology and Neurobiology

We carry out research and education that is innovative, collaborative, and centered on cutting-edge science. We bring together researchers and educators focused on the molecular, cellular, and circuit-based mechanisms that underlie diverse functions orchestrated by the brain and body. By integrating work across the spectrum of Physiology and Neurobiology, we aim to advance our understanding of brain-body functions and interactions under normal conditions and disease. 

Our department is home to nationally recognized researchers in neuroscience, physiology, and education.
A Message From The Department Head

'Welcome to the Department of Physiology and Neurobiology (PNB) website at the University of Connecticut. PNB, formerly the Physiology section of the Department of Biological Sciences, was established as a department in 1986. Today, PNB is one of the twenty-five departments in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. We are a vibrant, collegial, interactive, and inclusive department, housed in the Pharmacy/Biology and Torrey Life Science Buildings on the UConn Storrs main campus.

PNB is the home to twenty-six faculty members with diverse cultural and educational background who are investigating fundamental physiology and neurobiology questions using a variety of approaches. Research areas include neurobiology, reproductive biology, development, RNA processing, and human disease models, as well as research on STEM education. We also oversee the Bioscience Electron Microscopy Laboratory, which provides service and training to users across the Storrs campus.'

READ FULL MESSAGE

'Welcome to the Department of Physiology and Neurobiology (PNB) website at the University of Connecticut. PNB, formerly the Physiology section of the Department of Biological Sciences, was established as a department in 1986. Today, PNB is one of the twenty-five departments in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. We are a vibrant, collegial, interactive, and inclusive department, housed in the Pharmacy/Biology and Torrey Life Science Buildings on the UConn Storrs main campus.'

READ FULL MESSAGE
Departmental Officers
Nishiyama, Akiko
Akiko Nishiyama

Department Head

Walikonis, Randy
Randall Walikonis

Acting Department Head

Mulkey, Dan
Dan Mulkey

Associate Department Head

Menuz, Karen
Karen Menuz

Director of Graduate Studies

Chen, Xinnian
Xinnian Chen

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Boundless Research Boundless Research

RSS Recent Publications

  • Advancements in Immunity and Dementia Research: Highlights from the 2023 AAIC Advancements: Immunity Conference December 18, 2024
    The immune system is a key player in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative disorders. While brain resident immune cell-mediated neuroinflammation and peripheral immune cell (eg, T cell) infiltration into the brain have been shown to significantly contribute to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology, the nature and extent of immune responses in the brain in the […]
    Courtney M Kloske, Simin Mahinrad, Christopher J Barnum, Andre F Batista, Elizabeth M Bradshaw, Brittany Butts, Maria C Carrillo, Paramita Chakrabarty, Xiaoying Chen, Suzanne Craft, Sandro Da Mesquita, Luke C Dabin, Davangere Devanand, Violeta Duran-Laforet, Wassim Elyaman, Elizabeth E Evans, Patricia Fitzgerald-Bocarsly, Kate E Foley, Ashley S Harms, Michael T Heneka, Soyon Hong, Yu-Wen A Huang, Stephanie Jackvony, Laijun Lai, Yann Le Guen, Cynthia A Lemere, Shane A Liddelow, Alfonso Martin-Peña, Anna G Orr, Francisco J Quintana, Grace D Ramey, Jessica E Rexach, Stacey J S Rizzo, Claire Sexton, Alice S Tang, Jose G Torrellas, Andy P Tsai, Lynn van Olst, Keenan A Walker, Whitney Wharton, Malú Gámez Tansey, Donna M Wilcock
  • Honoring the legacy of Joseph E. LeDoux: introduction to the Special Issue December 14, 2024
    No abstract
    Daniela Schiller, Joshua Johansen, Linnaea Ostroff
  • CalDAG-GEFI acts as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for LRRK2 to regulate LRRK2 function and neurodegeneration November 22, 2024
    Mutations in LRRK2 are the most common genetic cause of Parkinson's disease (PD). LRRK2 protein contains two enzymatic domains: a GTPase (Roc-COR) and a kinase domain. Disease-causing mutations are found in both domains. Now, studies have focused largely on LRRK2 kinase activity, while attention to its GTPase function is limited. LRRK2 is a guanine nucleotide-binding […]
    Qinfang Liu, Bingxu Huang, Noah Guy Lewis Guiberson, Shifan Chen, Dong Zhu, Gang Ma, Xin-Ming Ma, Jill R Crittenden, Jianzhong Yu, Ann M Graybiel, Ted M Dawson, Valina L Dawson, Yulan Xiong
  • Actomyosin contraction in the follicular epithelium provides the major mechanical force for follicle rupture during <em>Drosophila</em> ovulation September 18, 2024
    Ovulation is critical for sexual reproduction and consists of the process of liberating fertilizable oocytes from their somatic follicle capsules, also known as follicle rupture. The mechanical force for oocyte expulsion is largely unknown in many species. Our previous work demonstrated that Drosophila ovulation, as in mammals, requires the proteolytic degradation of the posterior follicle […]
    Stella E Cho, Wei Li, Andrew M Beard, Jonathan A Jackson, Risa Kiernan, Kazunori Hoshino, Adam C Martin, Jianjun Sun
  • C1ql1 expression in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells promotes oligodendrocyte differentiation September 11, 2024
    Myelinating oligodendrocytes arise from the stepwise differentiation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). Approximately 5% of all adult brain cells are OPCs. Why would a mature brain need such a large number of OPCs? New myelination is possibly required for higher-order functions such as cognition and learning. Additionally, this pool of OPCs represents a source of […]
    Zeynep M Altunay, Joyshree Biswas, Hiu W Cheung, Robert S Pijewski, Lucille E Papile, Yetunde O Akinlaja, Andrew Tang, Lyndsay C Kresic, Alexander D Schouw, Maksym V Ugrak, Keaven Caro, Perla A Peña Palomino, Susanne Ressl, Akiko Nishiyama, Stephen J Crocker, David C Martinelli
  • Glial modulation of synapse development and plasticity: oligodendrocyte precursor cells as a new player in the synaptic quintet September 11, 2024
    Synaptic communication is an important process in the central nervous system that allows for the rapid and spatially specified transfer of signals. Neurons receive various synaptic inputs and generate action potentials required for information transfer, and these inputs can be excitatory or inhibitory, which collectively determines the output. Non-neuronal cells (glial cells) have been identified […]
    Yetunde O Akinlaja, Akiko Nishiyama
  • Ultraplex microscopy: versatile highly-multiplexed molecular labeling and imaging across scale and resolution September 4, 2024
    The molecular organization of cells and tissue is challenging to study due to the inefficiency of multiplexed molecular labeling methods and the limited options for combining microscopy modalities in a single specimen, especially when high spatial resolution is needed. Here we describe ultraplex microscopy, which combines serial multiplexing, ultrathin sectioning, and reversible embedding to circumvent […]
    Janeth Pérez-Garza, Jairo Orea, Zachary Deane, Gianna Raimondi, Rebecca Tripp, Imani Charles, Linnaea Ostroff
  • Evaluation of Pain-Associated Behavioral Changes in Monoiodoacetate-Induced Osteoarthritic Rats Using Dynamic Weight Bearing Analysis August 29, 2024
    Pain is the primary clinical indication of osteoarthritis (OA), and behavioral assessments in rodent pain models are widely used to understand pain patterns. These preclinical pain assessments can also help us to understand the effectiveness of emerging therapeutics for prolonged OA pain management. Along with evoked methods like mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, non-evoked methods […]
    Devika Kishnan, Erick Orozco Morato, Aydin Calsetta, Kyle M Baumbauer, Lakshmi S Nair
  • LRRK2 in Parkinson's disease: upstream regulation and therapeutic targeting August 17, 2024
    Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are the most common causes of Parkinson's disease (PD) to date. Dysfunction in LRRK2 enzymatic activities and elevated protein levels are associated with the disease. How is LRRK2 activated, and what downstream molecular and cellular processes does LRRK2 regulate? Addressing these questions is crucial to decipher the disease […]
    Yulan Xiong, Jianzhong Yu
  • Ventricular-subventricular zone stem cell niche adaptations in a mouse model of post-infectious hydrocephalus August 15, 2024
    Congenital post-infectious hydrocephalus (PIH) is a condition characterized by enlargement of the ventricular system, consequently imposing a burden on the associated stem cell niche, the ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ). To investigate how the V-SVZ adapts in PIH, we developed a mouse model of influenza virus-induced PIH based on direct intracerebroventricular injection of mouse-adapted influenza virus at […]
    Julianna Herman, Nicole Rittenhouse, Francesca Mandino, Mushirah Majid, Yuxiang Wang, Amelia Mezger, Aidan Kump, Sumeet Kadian, Evelyn M R Lake, Paulo H Verardi, Joanne C Conover
  • The prevalence and patterns of hearing loss in Jordan: A cross-sectional study August 15, 2024
    CONCLUSION: The rate of hearing loss in Jordan is higher than worldwide prevalence, which was assumed to be due to genetic factors impacting the auditory system. These findings will assist in creating effective hearing conservation programs to reasonably prevent or minimize the spread of hearing loss in Jordan.
    Safa Alqudah, Margaret Zuriekat, Saja Hassan, Heba Mahafdeh, Zainab Alqudah, Aya Shatarah, Ghufran Smadi
  • Neural Delays in Processing Speech in Background Noise Minimized after Short-Term Auditory Training July 26, 2024
    Background noise disrupts the neural processing of sound, resulting in delayed and diminished far-field auditory-evoked responses. In young adults, we previously provided evidence that cognitively based short-term auditory training can ameliorate the impact of background noise on the frequency-following response (FFR), leading to greater neural synchrony to the speech fundamental frequency(F0) in noisy listening conditions. […]
    Erika Skoe, Nina Kraus
  • Myelin basic protein mRNA levels affect myelin sheath dimensions, architecture, plasticity, and density of resident glial cells July 18, 2024
    Myelin Basic Protein (MBP) is essential for both elaboration and maintenance of CNS myelin, and its reduced accumulation results in hypomyelination. How different Mbp mRNA levels affect myelin dimensions across the lifespan and how resident glial cells may respond to such changes are unknown. Here, to investigate these questions, we used enhancer-edited mouse lines that […]
    Hooman Bagheri, Hana Friedman, Amanda Hadwen, Celia Jarweh, Ellis Cooper, Lawrence Oprea, Claire Guerrier, Anmar Khadra, Armand Collin, Julien Cohen-Adad, Amanda Young, Gerardo Mendez Victoriano, Matthew Swire, Andrew Jarjour, Marie E Bechler, Rachel S Pryce, Pierre Chaurand, Lise Cougnaud, Dajana Vuckovic, Elliott Wilion, Owen Greene, Akiko Nishiyama, Anouk Benmamar-Badel, Trevor Owens, Vladimir Grouza, Marius Tuznik, Hanwen Liu, David A Rudko, Jinyi Zhang, Katherine A Siminovitch, Alan C Peterson
  • 3D Biological/Biomedical Image Registration with enhanced Feature Extraction and Outlier Detection July 15, 2024
    In various applications, such as computer vision, medical imaging and robotics, three-dimensional (3D) image registration is a significant step. It enables the alignment of various datasets into a single coordinate system, consequently providing a consistent perspective that allows further analysis. By precisely aligning images we can compare, analyze, and combine data collected in different situations. […]
    Sahand Hamzehei, Jun Bai, Gianna Raimondi, Rebecca Tripp, Linnaea Ostroff, Sheida Nabavi
  • KATNAL2 mutations link ciliary dysfunction to hydrocephalus and autism July 15, 2024
    No abstract
    Videep Soni, Joseph J LoTurco

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Department of Physiology and Neurobiology seeks to provide a nurturing environment for all students. As a department, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive community for instruction, research, and outreach activities congruent with the mission of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the University.

PNB News

Members of our department are making the latest advancements in science and education and obtaining competitive grants and awards. Check out our PNB News site where we highlight members of our community and the latest PNB news!

Undergraduate Program

Our goal is to prepare our students for diverse careers in research, medicine, biotechnology, government, and many other fields. Undergraduate students in PNB courses are trained to think critically about classic and emerging challenges in the field, as well as a diverse range of tools to take them on.

Graduate Program

Our department offers a Ph.D. program, and M.S. programs that are either thesis or coursework. Our graduate program focuses on the development of technical skills, critical thinking, and effective scientific communication. Our faculty are well funded and work closely with students to engage in cutting-edge research. In addition to these advanced degrees, our department offers a one-year M.S. program in Surgical Neurophysiology for students who are interested in intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM).

Featured Posts
  • 2025 UConn Winter Celebration and Gingerbread Competition 2025 UConn Winter Celebration and Gingerbread Competition
    PNB staff participated in the 2025 UConn Winter Celebration and Gingerbread Competition. The Team, consisting of Penny Dobbins, René Rovozzo, Jahn Landrigan, Joseph Ferraro, Cheryl Dudley and Heather Hekkala was called Cognitive Confections. The team was given one hour to build and decorate a gingerbread house with a country western theme, and the team had […]