New Center for Molecular Investigation of Neurological Disorders director named
Janine Kwapis, the Paul Berg Early Career Professor in the Biological Sciences at Penn State, has been appointed director of the University's Center for Molecular Investigation of Neurological Disorders (CMIND), an interdisciplinary research unit within the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. CMIND facilitates collaborations across Penn State and provides its members with access to state-of-the-art instrumentation for electrophysiology, imaging, molecular and cell biology.
“I’ve been involved in CMIND since I started at Penn State in 2019 and being a part of this center has been a really important part of my research program,” Kwapis said. “From molecular mechanisms to cellular and circuit-level mechanisms to behavior — if my lab wants to try out a new technique, someone in CMIND can help. This massively expands the research questions we are capable of asking.”
The center’s core mission is to advance the understanding of molecular, cellular and system-wide function of the nervous system, with special emphasis on expanding knowledge of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, autism, epilepsy, depression and schizophrenia. The Kwapis Lab is currently investigating molecular mechanisms that support memory modification in the young and old brain, and exploring ways that epigenetic modifications might contribute to the lasting effects of trauma in conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
“I’m delighted that Janine Kwapis has agreed to take on the challenge of running and further developing CMIND into one of the foremost centers of neuroscience excellence,” said Bernhard Luscher, outgoing CMIND director and professor of biology, of biochemistry and molecular biology and of psychiatry. “Janine has rapidly developed a reputation as a rigorous scientist with exceptional interpersonal and mentoring skills and she was from the start the favorite candidate to take on this role.”
Patrick Drew, interim director of the Huck Institutes, echoed the sentiment.
“We are very grateful to Beni for his efforts in making CMIND the dynamic institution it is today," Drew said. “Janine is a rising star in neuroscience, and I have no doubt that as the new CMIND director, she will continue and build on the tradition of excellence.”
Kwapis said she plans to invite researchers from other fields to share their work and find outside-the-box collaborations with the CMIND community. She also looks forward to bringing an added focus on brainstorming and forging new boundary-breaking research connections at the center’s annual retreat in spring 2025.
“We have a really phenomenal group of neuroscientists here, both involved in CMIND and beyond, and my goal is to keep CMIND a hub of innovation and research excellence as we develop neuroscience across campus,” Kwapis said.
Prior to joining the faculty at Penn State, Kwapis was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Irvine, from 2014 to 2018. She completed a bachelor degree in psychology at Alma College in 2006 and master and doctoral degrees in behavioral neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2010 and 2013, respectively.
“I’d like to thank Beni Luscher for his steadfast commitment to CMIND,” Kwapis said. “Beni grew CMIND into the powerhouse it is today and without his dedication, this group wouldn’t exist. Thank you also to Patrick and the CMIND community for trusting me to take on this role!”