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Aaron Reuben

Meet Aaron Reuben, Clinical Neuropsychologist and Assistant Professor of Psychology

Dr. Aaron Reuben is a clinical neuropsychologist concerned with the interplay of the physical environment with brain and mental health across the lifespan. His research combines new technologies to quantitatively measure environmental exposures (mass spectrometry, remote sensing, wearable technology) with gold-standard assessments of neuropsychiatric function (clinical interview, cognitive assessment, and neuroimaging) to generate novel theories about how neuropsychiatric diseases emerge and may be treated or prevented.

Fall 2025 Career Development Teaser

Brain Institute Career Development Series

NEW Career Development Series: The goal of the series is to provide Brain Institute trainees an opportunity to engage in professional development, network and become active participants of the Brain Institute Community. All Brain Institute postdocs and graduate students are invited to attend.

Pediatrics Professor Lisa Letzkus, PhD, Earns $3.1 Million to Transform Early Detection of Cerebral Palsy in Preterm Infants

Lisa Letzkus, PhD, RN, CPNP-AC, FANN, an associate professor of pediatrics, is leading a national study focused on improving early detection of cerebral palsy (CP) backed by a five-year, $3.1 million grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

UVA Medicine in Motion

Brain on horizon

UVA Awarded $2 Million NIH Grant to Advance Brain Research Using AI

UVA has received a $2 million grant from the NIH's Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) S10 Instrumentation Grant Program to acquire a state-of-the-art high-performance computing system dedicated to neuroscience research.

The Latest

Clinical Trials Methodology Course 2025 group

National Clinical Trials Methodology Course Equips Emerging Investigators to Advance Neurological Research

The Clinical Trials Methodology Course (CTMC), funded by the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), continues to shape the future of neurological research by training early-career investigators in the design and execution of clinical trials. Now in its second year of being administered by the University of Virginia, the CTMC aims to strengthen the pipeline of skilled clinical researchers, ultimately accelerating progress in the prevention and treatment of neurological disorders.

Jennifer Payne

August 12, 2025

Jennifer Payne, MD, Spoke With NPR About Use of Antidepressants by Women Who Are Pregnant

Jennifer Payne, MD, a professor in the UVA Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences and expert in reproductive psychiatry, talked with NPR about the use of antidepressants by women who are pregnant.

UVA Medicine in Motion

Can Psilocybin Help People With Prolonged Grief?

School of Medicine researchers led by Kim Penberthy will examine whether psilocybin can help people who are experiencing persistent, intense grief, also known as prolonged grief disorder.

2025-2026 Presidential Fellows in Collaborative Neuroscience

Insights and Introductions: Meet the 2025–2026 Presidential Fellows in Collaborative Neuroscience

The University of Virginia is proud to announce the 2025–26 cohort of Presidential Fellows in Collaborative Neuroscience. In the following Q&A, meet the people behind the research—what drives their curiosity, the challenges they’re tackling, and their visions for the future of neuroscience.

Sarah Kucenas in zebrafish lab.

A Conversation with Sarah Kucenas

As she transitions into a new leadership role within the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences as Associate Dean for Research, Sarah Kucenas reflects on her impactful tenure as co-director of the UVA Brain Institute in the following Q&A.

Sontheimer

Brain Cancer Discoveries Earn Sontheimer Top Award

UVA School of Medicine’s Harald Sontheimer, PhD, and Stanford’s Michelle Monje, MD, PhD, have received the 2025 International Prize in Translational Neuroscience from the Gertrud Reemtsma Foundation for their pioneering research in the emerging field of cancer neuroscience. The foundation noted that Sontheimer and Monie’s work has “fundamentally changed our understanding of brain tumors” and opened the door to desperately needed new treatments.

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Three scientists white coats

Discovery Could Battle Alzheimer’s by Boosting Blood Flow to Brain

New research, led by Ukpong B. Eyo, UVA Department of Neuroscience, suggests an unexpected way doctors may be able to improve blood flow to the brain to battle Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. The scientists believe problems with these microglia could be contributing to failing brain health, and targeting them could help us prevent or reverse memory-stealing diseases caused or worsened by lack of adequate blood flow.

UVA Medicine in Motion

Sarah Kucenas

UVA College of Arts & Sciences Names Sarah Kucenas Associate Dean for Research

Sarah Kucenas, co-director of the UVA Brain Institute and Owen R. Cheatham Professor of the Sciences, has been appointed Associate Dean for Research in the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, effective July 1, 2025.

Image of the Rotunda during the 2024 UVA Brain Symposium

Call for Applications: Co-Director, UVA Brain Institute

The UVA Brain Institute invites applications for the position of Co-Director, to serve alongside current director Jaideep Kapur. This leadership position reports jointly to the Executive Vice President & Provost and the Vice President for Research. The Co-Director will help guide and grow the Institute’s research portfolio, infrastructure, training programs, and strategic partnerships.

Left image: Community Health Worker DeAnna Harris working with a rural patient Top right image: The "stress ball" is an example of our popular interactive teaching methods. Bottom right image: Healthy Streets/Healthy People community event.

WellAware Community Health Worker Program: Enhancing Brain Health Literacy in Charlottesville and Surrounding Rural Communities

The WellAware Community Health Worker (CHW) program, housed within the Population Health Department at the University of Virginia, is collaborating with the UVA Brain Institute and the Department of Neurology on a new initiative to enhance brain health literacy in Charlottesville and the surrounding rural communities.