About Us

The FAU Brain Institute, a physical embodiment of the Neuroscience Pillar - one of four strategic areas designated to advance research and research education - represents more than 70 faculty level neuroscientists from across all FAU campuses. Efforts of the Brain Institute involve the recruitment and resourcing of top flight neuroscience researchers, the development of neuroscience research infrastructure to permit cutting edge research among FAU faculty and students, the distribution of the fruits of research for the betterment of human health, and the organization of community outreach initiatives to educate the next generation of neuroscientists and dispel the stigma associated with many brain disorders. The FAU Brain Institute developed and oversees the NGP through its Boca Raton Education Office. In 2022, the Brain Institute Research Office and institute-sponsored researchers will relocate to a new, state-of-the art, 72,000 sq ft STEM building on the Jupiter campus.

Rich in neuroscience tradition, neuroscientists on the Boca Raton campus have advanced neuroscience research and education for over 30 years.  Boca Raton is home to multiple professional schools (e.g. Medicine, Nursing, Engineering, Business) that interface with the NGP. Additionally, Boca is home to the Colleges of Science, Medicine, Nursing, Engineering and Education, each housing Brain Institute faculty pursuing a wide range of interdisciplinary neuroscience research and inquiry.

FAU Davie is FAU's second largest campus, hosting more than 5,000 students. Home to many environmental biologists, the Davie campus also houses research laboratories for neuroscientists who explore human brain organization and cognitive behavior and others who examine hormonal and brain mechanisms that support the development and elaboration of communication in avian species.

The FAU Institute for Human Health and Disease Intervention (I-HEALTH) was created to advance human health through pioneering research and practical applications, including advances in disorders of the brain. Located on the FAU Jupiter campus, and with affiliated faculty across many FAU colleges and campuses and clinical centers, I-HEALTH is redesigning health care infrastructure to create novel intervention programs that can provide patients and the community with health care for everyday needs as well as the most specialized services for complex diseases, illnesses, and injuries. I-HEALTH also focuses on aging patient populations to provide unique care that is not available elsewhere in the region. In addition to developing clinical trials and conducting clinical and translational research, I-HEALTH will teach and train generations of health care professionals to meet South Florida’s diverse needs. I-HEALTH is home to the FAU Center for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology and hosts a state of Florida designated Cancer Center of Excellence. Multiple I-HEALTH faculty serve as mentors in the FAU Neuroscience Graduate program owing to their efforts to combat human brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and brain cancer.

The Jupiter campus is home to the Brain Institute's Research Office and Core Facilities for Cell Imaging and Neurobehavior, as well as many neuroscientists, including those from the FAU Colleges of Science and Medicine, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, and Center for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. Jupiter is also home to the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience and the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute. A Nikon Center of Excellence, one of 20 worldwide, and administered through the Brain Institute Research Office is also located on the Jupiter campus. A free, Wi-Fi enabled shuttle travels between the Jupiter and Boca Raton campuses, permitting easy access of students and faculty on either campus to courses and seminars on each campus. 

Part of the prestigious Max Planck Society, MPFI is the first and only institute of its kind in North America, providing a vibrant, interactive environment where scientists are provided substantial ongoing support that empowers them to take on high-risk projects that act as a catalyst for highly-rewarding innovations. At MPFI, research is focused on the organization and function of neural circuits. MPFI scientists investigate fundamental aspects of these critical networks within the brain and develop new technologies that make groundbreaking discoveries possible. MPFI is home to many FAU graduate and undergraduate trainees and outstanding core facilities shared by FAU neuroscientists. 

In 2022, the University of Florida (UF) assumed oversight of Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute Research on the Jupiter campus, creating Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute Biomedical Research (UF-SBR). Steps away from the Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute and MPFI, UF-SBR houses cutting edge research in biochemistry, pharmacology, drug discovery, immunology and neuroscience, as well as outstanding research core facilities open to all scientists on campus and beyond. Neuroscientists at UF-SBR have particular interests in addiction, autism, neurodegenerative disease and neuroplasticity mechanisms. UF-SBR scientists collaborate with FAU researchers and trainees, as well as colleagues and students at MPFI, to provide rich environment for research and education unlike any other in the world.