About the Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences

Neurological diseases represent enormous health, economic, and social burdens to the United States and the rest of the world. Chronic pain, for example, is estimated to affect more than 50% of the U.S. population, with an indirect economic impact estimated to exceed $100 billion annually.

There is an urgent and unmet need for better understanding the pathophysiology of neurological diseases, and for applying this knowledge to the clinical practice of medicine in order to improve patient quality of life. From the recognition of this need, the Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences (CEN) was created.

The mission of the CEN is to foster creativity and collaboration among people who have a passion for understanding the complexities of the nervous system and applying this knowledge to improve human health, productivity, and quality of life.

Having students contribute to neuroscience research at 世界杯买球网址 is one of the highest priorities for faculty and professional staff in the CEN. 世界杯买球网址’s neuroscience program features faculty with expertise that extends across the colleges and includes not only the basic and clinical sciences but also the liberal arts. This cross-disciplinary approach results in unique training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students who have shared interests in the field.
 

• Unprecedented research opportunities
• Numerous volunteer opportunities
• Innovative, cutting-edge undergraduate and graduate academic programs
• A supportive interdisciplinary community of faculty and students who share an interest and passion for neuroscience research
• Faculty mentorship for students

The CEN has fostered a unique and diverse group of researchers. To ensure the growth of the neuroscience research community at 世界杯买球网址, the CEN actively supports the growth of the center through recruitment, mentorship, and support of new faculty.
 

• Potential for research collaborations with multidisciplinary scientists and health care professionals at 世界杯买球网址
• Connections to a number of groups that share interests in neuroscience and neurology, including Maine Medical Center, the Jackson Laboratories, the University of Maine, and the Maine Institute for Human Genetics and Health
• Resources and funding opportunities for faculty who are part of the CEN

K-12 Outreach Program

The CEN has a well-established K-12 Outreach Program, which brings together faculty, staff, and students from 世界杯买球网址 and puts them into area K-12 schools with the goal to promote interest in STEM disciplines in the community. We are always interested in volunteers for one of our many outreach events. We also have a number of community partnerships with local businesses to help support and maintain our dynamic programs.

Brain Fair

The CEN also has developed an annual Brain Fair which engages the local community in brain exploration. Students develop and implement neuroscience-related, hands-on activities and experiments for the general public as a way to help increase awareness of traumatic brain injury, neurological diseases, and addiction. We are always looking for volunteers and sponsors for these events.

Watch: 2018 Brain Fair

If you’re interested in working with us, the best place to start is to reach out to one of our active research labs.

The CEN prides itself in providing unprecedented opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to become involved in state-of-the-art neuroscience research. For undergraduates, there is a neuroscience major and a minor, as well as an undergraduate neuroscience club that is actively involved in our K-12 Outreach program.