May 26, 2026. The COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity co-sponsored a seminar by COBRE Phase 2 Pilot Project awardee Dr. Stefanie Hampel. The seminar was entitled: From Touch to Action: Connectome-guided Circuit Mechanisms of Movement Selection and Repetitive Behavior.

December 19, 2025. We are proud to share that a Nature paper co-authored by INB researchers Drs. Stefanie Hampel and Andrew Seeds, in collaboration with Drs. Philip Shiu and Kristin Scott lab at UC Berkeley, was nominated for the Aspirational Neuroscience Award at this year’s Society for Neuroscience meeting.

August 5, 2025. Institute personnel presented their research at the Biomedical Research Institute (BRI) in Rockville, MD. The group was invited by Dr. Margaret Mentink Kane, BRI Executive Director, to present their research "Neural Parasitology: Nervous System Structure and Function in Biomphalaria, an Intermediate Host for Schistosomiasis. Photo of session participants: Arelys Rivas Jiménez, Natali Colón Santiago, Dr. Jonathan Crooke Rosado, Dr. Laura Vicente Rodríguez.

March 28-29, 2025. Institute investigator Dr. Cristina Velázquez-Marrero served as an Invited Student Advisor at the Biomedical Science Careers Program (BSCP) Annual Meeting, organized by the ODCP of the Harvard Medical School. This opportunity  provided an excellent opportunity for Dr. Velázquez-Marrero to connect with rising stars in research: "It was truly rewarding to offer guidance and mentorship to students navigating challenging periods in their academic journeys. Thank you, BSCP, for this wonderful experience!"

An image generated by Institute investigators was selected for the cover of the Journal of Comparative Neurology (January 2025 issue). The image shows a portion of the central nervous system of the snail Biomphalaria glabrata, a major intermediate host for Schistosoma mansoni, the causative agent for schistosomiasis. The wholemount tissue was processed for immunohistochemical detection of the cholecystokinin/sulfakinin (CCK/SK) neuropeptide (green) and the mRNA that encodes the CCK/SK precursor protein (magenta).