January 2021

The perfect pilot: How a grant takes flight

The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience is committed to support novel, high-risk research that opens new doors of understanding of the brain and central nervous system. Since 2015, more than $2.7million in pilot funding has generated more than $31 million in external research support. 

Q & A with Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez, Ph.D.

Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez, Ph.D., joined the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience in January 2020 as an assistant professor in Neuroscience. He received his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Puerto Rico and went on to complete his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University College London. His research focuses primarily on advanced understanding of anxiety disorders and stress.

Student Spotlight: Laura Owlett, Ph.D.

Laura Owlett, Ph.D., is a MD/PhD candidate in the Medical Science Training Program and worked in the lab of M. Kerry O’Banion, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Neuroscience and Neurology in the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience and John Olschowka, Ph.D., professor of Neuroscience. She was awarded a competitive National Institute of Health (NIH) F30 grant to support research that is seeking to understand why microglia – the brain’s immune cells – do not effectively clear the plaque associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Motion got you feeling queasy? It may be all in your head... or your ears

New research expands our understanding of how balance stimuli are received by the brain while also offering insights into potential drug targets in the ear, which may be leveraged for treating motion sickness and balance disorders.