Formation of the NI in July 2008 was another important milestone in the efforts to make GSU a national center for neuroscience research and education. The 2008-2009 academic year was a transition period for the Institute, when the main components of the NI were put in place, the core faculty shifted their location to the NI from Biology, Psychology, Math & Statistics, and Physics, and numerous associate and affiliate faculty member from a wide range of GSU departments established their relationship with the Institute. All the while, the Brains & Behavior Program, now administered through the NI, has continued to support graduate students in multiple departments, award competitive Seed Grants for innovative research to neuroscience faculty throughout GSU, and hosted an impressive selection of world renowned neuroscientists through its monthly Distinguished Lecture Series.

In October of 2009, the Board of Regents approved the establishment of a neuroscience doctoral program that the NI will administer, and for which the core and associate faculty will form the training faculty. The neuroscience faculty have also begun discussions about an undergraduate neuroscience major at GSU as well as a number of other educational programs that could serve the needs of students across GSU’s many departments with neuroscience interests. The NI’s education activities continue to reach beyond the traditional university boundaries. In collaboration with the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, which remains an important multi-institutional neuroscience center headquartered at GSU, NI faculty are responsible for several K-12 and community science education programs that bring neuroscience to students a many levels.

This year promises to be an exciting one. We plan to start recruiting students into our new graduate program for Fall, 2010, and we are looking forward to our move to the new Petit Science Building later in the summer of 2010. Like all departments, we are coping with a difficult budget climate. But with a strong base of external research and education grants and the exceptional commitment of neuroscience faculty and students, I am sure that neuroscience will continue to grow and strengthen at GSU, and remain an important component of the extraordinary neuroscience community we have in Atlanta.