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Home / Centers of Excellence / Center for Molecular Investigation of Neurological Disorders

Center for Molecular Investigation of Neurological Disorders

Center for Molecular Investigation of Neurological Disorders

Facilitating research collaborations on neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer's, autism, epilepsy, depression, and schizophrenia

The Center for Molecular Investigation of Neurological Disorders (CMIND) facilitates research collaborations among its researchers and university wide.

Research laboratories include state of the art instrumentation for electrophysiology, imaging, molecular and cell biology, and behavioral analysis of mice.

Mission

The Center's mission is to use the latest and most appropriate tools to advance the understanding of molecular, cellular and system wide function of the nervous system, with special emphasis on mechanisms that regulate neural excitability, synaptic transmission and intracellular mechanisms of signal transduction that are relevant for understanding of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer's, autism, epilepsy, depression, and schizophrenia.

Recent publications
Researchers identify gene required for nerve regeneration
Researchers identify gene required for nerve regeneration A team led by Melissa Rolls has found that a mutation in a single gene can completely shut down the process by which axons, nerve-cell components responsible for sending signals to other cells, regenerate after being damaged.
Protein required for flexible behavior is identified
Protein required for flexible behavior is identified Researchers have identified in mice a protein that is necessary for maintaining behavioral flexibility, the ability to adapt to changing circumstances; their findings may offer new insights for addressing such human afflictions as autism and schizophrenia, in which this ability is significantly impaired.
New model synapse could shed light on disorders such as epilepsy and anxiety
New model synapse could shed light on disorders such as epilepsy and anxiety A team of scientists led by Huck Institutes faculty member Gong Chen has developed a new way to study the role of a critical neurotransmitter in disorders such as epilepsy, anxiety, insomnia, depression, schizophrenia, and alcohol addiction.
News
Autism linked to increased genetic change in regions of genome instability
Children with autism have increased levels of genetic change in regions of the genome prone to DNA rearrangements, so called "hotspots," according to a research discovery by a team of scientists that includes Huck Institutes affiliates Scott Selleck, Marylyn Ritchie, and Santhosh Girirajan. Autism linked to increased genetic change in regions of genome instability - Full article
Nine Huck Institutes faculty members featured in Discovery U videos
Peter Hudson, Scott Selleck, David Hughes, Melissa Rolls, Paula Droege, Tracy Langkilde, Phil Bevilacqua, Stephen Schaeffer, and Robert Paulson talk about research that's driving scientific discovery at Penn State. Nine Huck Institutes faculty members featured in Discovery U videos - Full article
Yingwei Mao receives two major grants
The American Heart Association and the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation have each awarded Dr. Mao with a grant intended to provide support for promising beginning scientists. Yingwei Mao receives two major grants - Full article