This is an image of the mouse nasal cavity taken using confocal microscopy. Pictured are the nasal turbinates, cribiform plate and olfactory sensory neurons. Olfactory sensory neurons are labeled in cyan.

Neuroscience Institute

Facilitating scientific excellence, collaboration, education, and networking between neuroscientists at Penn State

The Neuroscience Institute: Where Insights Turn Unknowns Into Breakthroughs
Learn more about our newly launched undergraduate degree programs in neuroscience here


The Penn State Neuroscience Institute (PSNI) provides oversight and coordination for neuroscience-related activities in education, research, patient care, and outreach while promoting an intellectual environment that enhances the interdisciplinary neuroscience educational experience from the undergraduate to postdoctoral levels.

PSNI at University Park is comprised of over 125 faculty, and over 75 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and staff. Faculty in the institute provide immersive research experiences to over 350 undergraduate students.

Click here to learn more about the recent BIG10 Neuroscience Annual Meeting July 21-22, 2025 at the University Park campus.

Learn more about how your support of the Institute can help accelerate the speed at which we solve the brain and the mind

Penn State Neuroscience Institute Tagline: Where insights turn unknowns into breakthroughs Our Priorities A Vibrant, Multidisciplinary Neuroscience Community at University Park 120+ faculty affiliates 6–10 post-doctoral fellows 60+ graduate students representing over 12 graduate programs 350+ undergraduate students involved in research representing over 30 distinct majors Strong Integration & Collaboration with Other Centers One Health Microbiome Center Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics Center for Reproductive Biology and Health Center for Molecular Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Bidirectional Partnerships that Strengthen Impact Penn State College of Medicine Approximately 25% of University Park faculty actively collaborate with College of Medicine investigators Pillars of Excellence 1. Environmental and Behavioral Neuroscience Focus on interactions between environment, behavior, and neural systems. 2. Brain Development and Aging Research spanning infancy through older adulthood. 3. Neuroplasticity, Mental Health, and Addiction Understanding brain adaptability, psychiatric health, and substance use disorders. 4. Neural Engineering, Biodevices, & Artificial Intelligence Advancing technology-driven neuroscience and computational tools.

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News

Postdoctoral fellow earns NIH award to study neurological effects of alcohol

Gwendolyn Burgess, a postdoctoral fellow in biology at Penn State, has been awarded a Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. This competitive honor is awarded to those who show promise as independent researchers and aims to enhance their training experience.

Fourteen interdisciplinary research teams receive 2026 IEE seed grants

Fourteen interdisciplinary research teams have received funding through the Institute of Energy and the Environment’s (IEE) 2026 Seed Grant Program. The program supports basic and applied research that lays the groundwork to pursue external funding and is guided by IEE’s five strategic research themes. This year, the program awarded seed funding to more than 40 researchers across 10 colleges and campuses and 21 departments and units.

Q&A with Penn State neurobiology student Evelyn Mastaglio

Evelyn Mastaglio is a second-year student pursuing a degree in neurobiology, one of the newest majors in the Penn State Eberly College of Science. Drawn to the field for its unique blend of biology, psychology and anatomy, Mastaglio made the switch from the college’s biology major as soon as the neurobiology major became available. With research experience spanning evolutionary biology and the genetics of Alzheimer's disease, she is already carving out a path toward a career in medicine and neuroscience.

News

Postdoctoral fellow earns NIH award to study neurological effects of alcohol

Gwendolyn Burgess, a postdoctoral fellow in biology at Penn State, has been awarded a Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. This competitive honor is awarded to those who show promise as independent researchers and aims to enhance their training experience.

Fourteen interdisciplinary research teams receive 2026 IEE seed grants

Fourteen interdisciplinary research teams have received funding through the Institute of Energy and the Environment’s (IEE) 2026 Seed Grant Program. The program supports basic and applied research that lays the groundwork to pursue external funding and is guided by IEE’s five strategic research themes. This year, the program awarded seed funding to more than 40 researchers across 10 colleges and campuses and 21 departments and units.

Q&A with Penn State neurobiology student Evelyn Mastaglio

Evelyn Mastaglio is a second-year student pursuing a degree in neurobiology, one of the newest majors in the Penn State Eberly College of Science. Drawn to the field for its unique blend of biology, psychology and anatomy, Mastaglio made the switch from the college’s biology major as soon as the neurobiology major became available. With research experience spanning evolutionary biology and the genetics of Alzheimer's disease, she is already carving out a path toward a career in medicine and neuroscience.

$2M NIH grant to support study of how the brain and body acclimate to stress

Experiencing stress leads to a suite of rapid physiological changes, and over time, the body can acclimate to the stress, eventually changing an individual’s baseline brain state. To improve understanding of the changes in the brain and body during acclimation to stress using a mouse model, the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences has awarded a five-year, $2 million grant to Grayson Sipe, assistant professor of biology in the Penn State Eberly College of Science.