Research Propelling neuroscience research forward
The Department of Neuroscience is part of a vibrant research community at the University of Florida, where more than 300 faculty members contribute expertise across neuroscience and neuromedicine. Working collaboratively across departments, centers and clinical programs, our investigators pursue fundamental discoveries that deepen understanding of the nervous system and inform new approaches to preventing and treating neurological disease.
UF Department of Neuroscience
We love your brain.
Along with its Neurology partner, UF’s Department of Neuroscience consistently ranks among the top five nationally in NIH research funding according to the Blue Ridge Report. Our faculty lead internationally recognized research programs spanning molecular, cellular, systems and behavioral neuroscience.
Primary Research Areas
Our primary and affiliate faculty conduct research across a broad range of neuroscience disciplines spanning molecular, cellular, systems and behavioral approaches. The areas below highlight the department’s major research themes. Prospective students and collaborators can explore individual faculty research programs through our searchable mentor database.
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Development
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Neural Excitability, Synapses and Glia
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Neural Aging and Degeneration
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Neuroimmunology
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Sensory Systems
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Motor Systems
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Integrative Physiology and Behavior
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Motivation and Emotion
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Cognition
Research Resources at the McKnight Brain Institute
Neuroscience faculty and trainees are part of a collaborative research community that includes more than 300 investigators across the University of Florida campus. The Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute (MBI) serves as the central hub connecting UF’s fundamental and translational neuroscience programs.
The more than 200,000-square-foot MBI building houses dozens of investigator laboratories and a range of shared core facilities that support brain research across campus. These resources include microscopy, molecular biology, behavioral research facilities, a human brain tissue bank and the internationally recognized Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Spectroscopy Facility (AMRIS).
Through these shared facilities, training programs and interdisciplinary collaborations, the MBI supports the scientific progress of neuroscience researchers and trainees across UF.
Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Facility (AMRIS)
AMRIS is an NMR/MRI auxiliary located at the MBI that supports UF research groups and operates as an international user facility for the NSF-funded National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.
Microscopy Facility
The Microscopy Facility provides MBI investigators with centralized access to advanced light microscopy for fixed and live samples. The core supports a range of modalities, including widefield fluorescence, confocal, multiphoton and slide-scanning microscopy for tissue sections and whole-mount preparations.
UF Neuromedicine Human Brain and Tissue Bank
Supported by the MBI and CTRND, the University of Florida Neuromedicine Human Brain and Tissue bank provides researchers access to a large collection of samples as well as adjacent lab space.
Computing and Bioinformatics Resources
Centralized support is provided to MBI investigators to access UF’s HiPerGator supercomputing cluster, and also has open seats for the MBI’s user agreement with BioRender, available to PIs who are MBI members.
Behavior and Integrated Neural Systems
The Behavioral and Integrated Neural Systems Core provides MBI investigators with standardized, well-controlled platforms to assess motor, cognitive and affective behaviors in preclinical models.
Molecular Biology Core
The MBI Molecular Biology Core provides researchers with advanced tools and expert guidance for single-cell, spatial and molecular biology workflows, spanning from sample preparation to data generation.
