From innovative brain research happening across multiple departments to the efforts of centers like the Chambers-Grundy Center for Transformative Neuroscience, UNLV is rapidly emerging as a hub for neuroscience excellence. 

The inaugural Neuroscience Research Showcase will highlight the work of faculty and students in the rapidly growing field while spurring collaboration across the disciplines.

The event — to be held Friday, April 25, at the Science and Engineering Building — features oral and poster presentations by students and faculty, presentation awards, networking opportunities, and other activities. 

Neuroscience is one of UNLV’s Interdisciplinary Research Development Areas (iRDA), an initiative that brings together faculty, students, and other collaborators from seemingly disparate fields. With faculty experts spanning neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases, pharmacology and substance use, cognitive science, and clinical trials, the university is building a dynamic ecosystem for their work. 

Kelly Tseng, associate professor in the School of Life Sciences, is the neuroscience iRDA liaison.

"Many of us haven’t even met in person since a lot of our meetings have been online,” Tseng said “We’ve been missing a chance to connect, to learn about each other’s research. That’s really where the idea for this showcase came from — it felt like a great opportunity, especially with funding from the Division of Research, to bring everyone together. It gives students a chance to see each other’s work, helps faculty get to know one another better, and hopefully sparks new collaborations."

According to Gwen Marchand, associate vice president for research, “The [Division of Research] supports Kelly Tseng as the neuroscience iRDA liaison, and we provide modest funding every year to support events, projects, and other activities that the iRDA identifies as important for the growth of neuroscience research and scholarship,” Marchand said.

As a university recognized with its third consecutive R1 designation for research excellence from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, the accelerated growth of neuroscience research and related academic programs is a clear sign that the strategic investments made by UNLV in this area are paying off.

“We are in the process of finalizing an fMRI facility, which will offer faculty a valuable new resource for conducting research,” said David Hatchett, vice president for research. “Additionally, we’ve established laboratories in the Science and Engineering Building (SEB) for neuroscience research and have invested in brain health and neuroscience IRDAs to further support growth in this area.”

Growth of Neuroscience at UNLV

Rochelle Hines, associate professor in the Department of Psychology, recalls that when she was hired in 2015, there were very few faculty members specializing in neuroscience. Since then, the number of faculty affiliated with the interdisciplinary neuroscience doctoral program has grown to nearly 30. 

“I've served on search committees to help recruit some of the new neuroscientists we've brought on board,” Hines said. “I was also involved in some of the earlier initiatives that preceded the iRDAs (Interdisciplinary Research Development Areas), where we discussed cluster hires and worked on developing emphasis areas to guide future hiring and strengthen our research focus. So, I feel like I’ve had a unique perspective, and opportunity, to watch it all unfold over the past 10 years.”

Hines added that the caliber of faculty the university has been able to recruit is especially impressive. Many of the neuroscience faculty arrived at UNLV with secured grant funding, allowing them to hit the ground running with impactful research. Their work is being published in high-value, high-impact journals, and they are actively involved in training students and teaching courses. Their presence is not only elevating the neuroscience program at UNLV, but also contributing to the broader advancement of neuroscience research.

Along with research, UNLV has grown its academic programs in neuroscience. At one point, UNLV only offered a neuroscience minor. It quickly became one of the fastest-growing minors on campus, showing just how much interest students had in the subject. The program consistently attracts hundreds of students. 

UNLV recently launched the Bachelor of Science in Neurosciece degree program, five years after the launch of the Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience program. “We have students who will be able to complete the major this spring,” Hines said. “What started as just a minor has grown into a full undergraduate major, an undergraduate minor, and an interdisciplinary neuroscience Ph.D. program.”