Summer 2026

BHRI Day of Neuroscience

Fourth-grade students from the LeBron James Family Foundation's I Promise program in Akron, Ohio filled the ISB halls with energy during their day of exploring neuroscience on April 16, 2026. For the third straight year, Brain Health Research Institute faculty and student volunteers led the fourth graders in activities at five different neuroscience stations. At each, students learned about the brain, its control over movement, memory and senses, and the way it both protects from and is affected by concussions.

Thanks to KSU University Outreach and Engagement who helped coordinate the event.

Devin Rubbo Memorial Scholarship

We are pleased to announce the recipient of the Devin Rubbo Memorial Scholarship – Kodai Noguchi! Kodai is a doctoral candidate in the Communication Sciences and Disorders PhD program. He works with Drs. Jennifer Roche and Hayley Arnold, both Associate Professors in Speech Pathology and Audiology. With this scholarship Kodai plans to investigate the impact of comorbidities such as OCD, ADHD, and depression on stuttering self-report measures.

The Devin Rubbo Memorial Scholarship was established by Michael and Madhavi Rubbo in memory of their beloved son, Devin James Rubbo, and is administered by the BHRI.

2027 Pilot Grant Program

Request for applications will be posted by the start of academic year 2026-27, prioritizing junior faculty and collaborations. The deadline for applications will be 10/15/26.

Multi-Investigator Lab Space We are looking for one new faculty to move into our Multi-Investigator Lab space where they will have easy access to the BHRI facilities. Please contact Dr. Coifman if you are interested and see the space description below for more information. The BHRI space contains a large integrated laboratory area ("labs without walls") where BHRI affiliated faculty, their trainees and staff can carry out collaborative research. It is outfitted with laboratory-grade refrigerators and ultralow freezers, and provides room for extra equipment. Nearby is office space, carrel space and informal meeting areas for faculty and their students and staff.

New Events for the Coming Academic Year

Because of changes in leadership and crowded university calendar we have decided not to hold the Annual Neuroscience Symposium in the coming year (AY2627). This is unfortunate, of course, but it does give the BHRI leadership team a bit more time to think through how the event could continue to be successful in future years.

However, for AY2627, we have instead decided to hold several new events designed to showcase BHRI faculty and graduate student/trainee research:

Data & Drinks!

    This event will showcase 2-3 BHRI faculty researchers doing work along a common theme and is designed to celebrate our faculty accomplishments and also facilitate discussion and collaboration. Each faculty speaker will provide a brief talk. There will be drinks and food and the event is open to the public.

    Our first set of talks will be on research that focuses on Circadian Rhythms and will take place the week of 10/19 – stay tuned for more details!

Trainee Research Showcase

Our undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral researchers do amazing research and this event will showcase their efforts. We will have a poster session, flashtalks as well as an award celebration. The event will be held in the ISB and BHRI in late January of 2027. Stay tuned for the call for submissions this Fall.

Fall 2026

• Brains on Tap - Thursday, September 10 - Precision Psychiatry
• Data & Drinks - Thursday, October 22 - Circadian Rhythms
• Trainee Workshop - Wednesday, October 28 - Presenting Research
• Brains on Tap - Thursday, December 3 - Mindfulness & Mind Wandering
• Trainee Research Showcase - End of January