UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and the Penn State Neuroscience Institute present their spring 2026 Seminar Series, created to foster engagement and collaboration of ideas in the neuroscience community, beginning on Jan. 22. Hosted in conjunction with the Neuroscience Intercollege Graduate Degree Program, the spring 2026 seminar series brings together an international slate of leading experts in neuroscience, biodevices and brain research.
Sonia Cavigelli, chair of the neuroscience program and associate professor of biobehavioral health, highlighted how the seminar series enriches the student experience.
"The Neuroscience Seminar Series provides a unique opportunity for graduate and undergraduate students and post-doctoral scholars to learn from and network with national and international neuroscience experts," Cavigelli said.
The series is free to attend, and complimentary coffee and snacks will be available from 10:30 a.m. during informal discussion sessions preceding each speaker. These hour-long talks give students, faculty and community members the opportunity to hear about pioneering research being conducted across the country. Penn State community members who wish to meet with guest speakers should contact hosting faculty members directly. More information can be found here.
Ki Jun Yu – Jan. 22, 11 a.m.–noon, 110 Henderson Building, University Park
- Yu, associate professor in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Yonsei University in Korea, will be hosted by Larry Cheng, Henderson Memorial Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics
"Neuroimaging Capabilities" – Jan. 29, 11 a.m.–noon, Zoom only (Pregistration is required for "Neuroimaging Capabilities" at this link.)
- Hosted by the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Xiaoxiao Bai and Thomas Neuberger will provide an overview of the neuroimaging resources available at the Social Life and Engineering Imaging Centre (SLEIC) spanning clinical and preclinical MRI systems up to 14 tesla as well as human imaging techniques including EEG and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)
Peter Penzes – Feb. 12, 11 a.m.–noon, 110 Henderson Building, University Park
- Penzes, director of the Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Ruth and Evelyn Dunbar Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; and professor of neuroscience, pharmacology, psychiatry, and behavioral sciences will be hosted by Santhosh Girirajan, department head and T. Ming Chu Professor of Genomics in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
W. Hong Yeo – Feb. 26, 11 a.m.–noon, 110 Henderson Building, University Park
- Yeo, G.P. "Bud" Peterson and Valerie H. Peterson Endowed Professor, and Harris Saunders Jr. Endowed Professor, in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, will be hosted by Larry Cheng, Henderson Memorial Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics
Heidi Meyer – March 5, 11 a.m.–noon, 110 Henderson Building, University Park
- Meyer, assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences at Boston University, will be hosted by Janine Kwapis, associate professor of biology
Martin Paulus – March 19, 11 a.m.–noon, 102 Benkovic Building, University Park
- Paulus, scientific director and president of the Laureate Institute for Brain Research at Tulsa University, will be hosted by Stephen Wilson, professor of psychology
Duygu Kuzum – March 26, 111 a.m.–noon, 102 Benkovic Building, University Park
- Kuzum, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Joan and Irwin Jacobs-Kavli Foundation Chancellor Endowed Faculty Fellowship for Engineering the Brain and the Mind II at the University of California, San Diego, will be hosted by Aida Ebrahimi, Thomas and Sheila Roell Early Career Associate Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Junjie Guo – April 9, 11 a.m.–noon, 102 Benkovic Building, University Park
- Gou, associate professor of neuroscience at Yale University, will be hosted by Yingwei Mao, professor of biology.
Mathieu Wimmer – April 23, 11 a.m.–noon, 102 Benkovic Building, University Park
- Wimmer, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience, and director of the Neuroscience Masters Program at Temple University, will be hosted by Kimberly Wiersielis, assistant professor of biobehavioral health
Michael Goard – April 30, 11 a.m.–noon, 102 Benkovic Building, University Park
- Goard, associate professor at University of California, Santa Barbara, will be hosted by Grayson Sipe, assistant professor of biology.
About the Penn State Neuroscience Institute
The Penn State Neuroscience Institute, housed within the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, brings together over 120 faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and staff to foster cutting-edge research and collaboration across disciplines to advance the understanding of brain function and behavior. With a mission to support discovery, education, and translation, the Institute connects scientists across Penn State campuses and clinical partners, cultivating innovation that impacts both science and society. Penn State community members can join the Penn State Neuroscience Institute here, and questions about the Institute can be directed to Nikki Crowley, Huck Chair in Neural Engineering, associate professor of biology, and Penn State Neuroscience Institute Director at University Park.