Welcome to the Auburn University Center for Neuroscience Initiative.
Auburn researchers work to mitigate against mental, neurological and substance use disorders, which make up a substantial
proportion of the world’s disease burden. The team of experts collaborate to increase fundamental knowledge about the brain
and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease.
News
COSAM Science Pub by Dr. Hashemi on Alzheimer’s: Explore the Mysteries of Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorders
Are you curious about the impact of our improved lifestyles on our aging population? Do you want to understand how scientists are working to unlock the secrets behind Alzheimer’s disease, the most common neurodegenerative disorder? Are you interested in how physics helps us understand biology? Join us at our upcoming Science Cafe led by Dr. Mohtadin Hashemi as we dive into the cutting-edge research that’s reshaping our understanding of brain health and aging. Join us on Tuesday, October 10th from 6:30-8PM on the beautiful back porch of Well Red in Auburn.
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Kaddoumi finds olive oil to improve brain health, memory in mild cognitive impairment individuals
March 6, 2023
Extra virgin olive oil may have positive effects on individuals with mild cognitive impairment, according to a recently completed study by Amal Kaddoumi in Auburn University’s Harrison College of Pharmacy. Her findings, recently published in the journal “Nutrients,” suggest compounds found in olive oil impact brain health and improve the blood-brain barrier.
Kaddoumi, a professor in the college’s Department of Drug Discovery and Development, utilized 25 participants experiencing mild cognitive impairment in her study that included consuming 30 milliliters, or about three tablespoons, of olive oil per day for six months. Thirteen participants consumed extra virgin olive oil, or EVOO, and 12 consumed refined olive oil, or ROO. EVOO is rich in phenols, a class of organic compounds containing a hydroxyl group and a benzene ring, while the ROO has been purified of phenols.
“The participants were subjected to several tests before and after olive oil consumption, including MRI scans, a battery of cognitive tests and blood analysis for biomarkers related to Alzheimer’s disease,” said Kaddoumi. “Our findings showed that EVOO and ROO improved cognitive function as determined by the improved clinical dementia rating and other behavioral scores.
Read more about this work here.
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Auburn Brain Camp provides practical experience, invaluable guidance for promising high school students
September 8, 2022
Nearly 20 students from throughout Alabama and across the country attended the 2022 Auburn University Brain Camp. The Auburn University Brain Camp is a diverse mix of in-class instruction, laboratory experiments and fieldwork that gives attendees a wide variety of experiences. Students attending this summer’s Auburn University Brain Camp performed scans of their brains and analyzed the data during the weeklong, immersive experience.
Read more about Brain Camp here.
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Priyanka Pinky is awarded a 2020 Predoctoral Fellowship in Pharmacology/Toxicology by the PhRMA Foundation
January 7, 2020
Priyanka Pinky – a CNS member co-advised by Drs. Vishnu Suppiramaniam and Miranda Reed – was chosen as recipient of a 2020 Predoctoral Fellowship in Pharmacology/Toxicology from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Foundation.
This award provides $26,000 per year, up to two years, to support career development activities of scientists embarking on research that integrates information on molecular or cellular mechanisms of action with information on the effects of an agent observed in an intact organism, in experimental animal or clinical studies or both. Congratulations Priyanka!
Read more about the award here and about the PhRMA Foundation here .
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Novel drug development at Auburn could combat Alzheimer’s disease progression
September 20, 2019 – By Amy Weaver Office of Communications and Marketing
A researcher in the Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy has developed a novel drug for helping to fight the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Raj Amin, associate professor in the Department of Drug Discovery and Development, said current drugs that activate the class of nuclear receptors, known as PPAR-gamma or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, have traditionally been used for improving insulin sensitivity in diabetic patients…
Read full story here
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Auburn University nutrition researchers investigate promising keys to unlocking the mysteries of Alzheimer’s disease
September 19, 2019 – by Charlotte Tuggle, College of Human Sciences
Alzheimer’s disease affects millions of lives around the world every year according to the 2018 World Alzheimer’s Report, but both the cause and cure to the disease remain a mystery to the medical field. Auburn University College of Human Sciences researchers are tapping into the study of food and diets to examine preventative measures, possible treatments and even potential cures to the disease.
Read full story here
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CNSi Graduate Research Fellowship Program winners have been announced
September 12, 2019 – By Alexis Ramos
Read full story here
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Pharmacy researchers find mom’s marijuana use to impair baby’s memory
September 5, 2019 – By Amy weaver, Office of Communications and Marketing
Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy researchers have found more and more expectant mothers are turning to marijuana and subsequently putting their baby’s memory at risk.
With a recent report claiming the number of women using marijuana during pregnancy had doubled in the last 15 years, Auburn doctoral student Priyanka Pinky sought to examine what effect it would have on the developing baby.
Read full story here
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Students Win Awards at 2019 This is Research: Student Symposium
Read full story here
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Bonner Named a Barry M. Goldwater Scholar; Studies Alzheimer’s Disease
April 30, 2019 – By Wade Berry, Honors College
Auburn University senior Drew Bonner is now a Barry M. Goldwater Scholar, an honor bestowed on only 496 students nationwide. The scholarship is widely considered the most prestigious award in the United States for undergraduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Bonner, originally from Birmingham, is majoring in microbial biology in the College of Sciences and Mathematics and was chosen this April from a field of nearly 5,000 college students.
Read full story here
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Setti Searching for Early Markers of Alzheimer’s
April 19, 2019 – By Matt Crouch, Harrison School of Pharmacy
For many suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, alterations in the brain can begin 10 or more years before the appearance of symptoms and a diagnosis. Early detection in Alzheimer’s is critical and the search for those early markers drives the research of Harrison School of Pharmacy graduate student Sharay Setti.
Setti, a fourth-year doctoral student working under Dr. Miranda Reed in the Department of Drug Discovery and Development, was recently recognized for her work with a $10,000 fellowship from the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education. It marks the third consecutive year for Setti to receive the fellowship, which provides recognition and support for a diverse group of students as they pursue advanced pharmaceutical sciences education. Additionally, she was recently selected for one of the inaugural Auburn University Center for Neuroscience Initiative fellowships.
Read full story here
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Pregnant Women are Using Marijuana for Morning Sickness. Study on Rats Suggests This Could Affect Baby’s Brain
April 9, 2019 – By Kashmira Gander – Newsweek
(Priyanka Das Pinky, a graduate student in Dr. Vishnu Suppiramaniam’s laboratory, co-authored the study.)
Using cannabis while pregnant to ease morning sickness could damage the brain of a fetus, scientists who studied rats have warned.
Between 2002 and 2014, the rates of women using cannabis during pregnancy spiked by 62 percent in the U.S., and marijuana is the psychoactive drug used most commonly by pregnant women, according to the researchers at Auburn University, in Alabama. Expectant mothers turn to the drug because it can alleviate the symptoms of morning sickness.
As more U.S. states move to legalize the drug and the stigma surrounding its use falls away, scientists wanted to investigate its potential harm to fetuses.
Read full story here
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