KINGSTON, R.I. — April 8, 2025 — The Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program (INP) and George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience highlighted student research and explored the neuroscience of drug addiction at the annual University of Rhode Island Neuroscience Symposium on Monday, April 7 in Avedisian Hall, home of the URI College of Pharmacy. 

Rita Goldstein, professor of neuroimaging and addiction at the Friedman Brain Institute, part of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, delivered the keynote speech, “Novel Results and Directions in the Neuroscience of Human Drug Addiction with a Focus on the Prefrontal Cortex: Naturalistic Measures and Treatment Effects.”

Dozens of URI INP graduate and undergraduate students shared research projects in a range of areas during an afternoon poster session, many including work done under the mentorship of Ryan Institute faculty. The INP program brings together a wide range of disciplines—from basic research and clinical studies to new drug development—allowing for a more thorough study of neurological diseases and disorders. URI’s unique neuroscience program offers students access to training and faculty expertise from multiple colleges, including pharmacy, psychology, health sciences, and engineering.

“The URI Neuroscience Symposium showcases the interdisciplinary neuroscience research conducted by URI graduate and undergraduate students who are mentored by URI INP faculty,” said INP Director Lisa Weyandt, who served as co-director of the symposium with Ryan Institute Co-Executive Director John Robinson. “Interdisciplinary neuroscience involves a collaboration among various fields such as biology, psychology, anatomy, chemistry, kinesiology, pharmacology, engineering, physical therapy and more to study the nervous system. It offers a holistic approach to understanding complex neurological and brain- based processes, leading to more comprehensive research, innovative solutions, and a deeper understanding of brain function and clinical and neurodegenerative disorders.”

The Ryan Institute and INP program hosted the first symposium in 2022, featuring 15 student research presentations. This year, dozens of project posters filled the Avedisian Hall lobby as students detailed their research for professors, fellow students and visitors.

“This is the third annual neuroscience symposium offered at URI and it has doubled in size since the first year it was offered,” Weyandt said. “The quality of this year’s poster presentation was superb and reflects neuroscience research conducted over four main colleges, ranging from bench to clinical and translational neuroscience. We are proud of the achievements of our interdisciplinary neuroscience students and faculty.”