National Science Foundation (NSF) Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Track-1, Award #OIA-2242771

Vision: The vision of the West Virginia Network for Functional Neuroscience and Transcriptomics (WV-NFNT) is to transform neuroscience research in West Virginia by establishing connections and enabling access to the technologies and expertise needed for high resolution structure-function studies, and to build capacity and diversity through support for faculty, post docs, educators, and students, and to implement specific education and workforce development activities to engage underrepresented students especially first-generation college students in neuroscience research.

Mission: Using different animal models, we will leverage infrastructure and human investments to answer fundamental questions about neural plasticity in two inter-related themes: 1) Circuit plasticity during development and adulthood, and 2) Synaptic structure and plasticity associated with altered function.

WV-NFNT will build capacity and achieve the project vision by creating a network of neuroscience researchers working on high resolution structure-function studies in two-related themes: circuit and synaptic plasticity, and creating a related education, workforce development, and DEI effort (diversity, equity and inclusion). We will build capacity by making strategic faculty and staff hires, adding state-of the art microscopy and spatial transcriptomics infrastructure, and facilitating growth of the neuroscience community across the state. We will expand the capability and diversity of those working in the fields of neuroscience and bioinformatics through support for faculty, post docs, educators, and students, and by implementing specific education and workforce development activities to engage underrepresented students, especially rural, first-generation college students, in these research areas. Marshall University, Shepherd University, West Virginia State University, and West Virginia University are the four partner institutions at which capacity-building will be funded by the project.

Project Leaders

(EWDD: Education, Workforce Development and Diversity)

JULIANA SERAFIN
Senior Director, Science, Technology & Research;
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission

Project Director and Principal Investigator
juliana.serafin@wvresearch.org
RANDY NELSON
Professor & Chair; Hazel Ruby McQuain Chair for Neurological Research; West Virginia University
Co-Principal Investigator
randy.nelson@hsc.wvu.edu
UMESH REDDY
Professor of Genetics and Genomics; West Virginia State University
Co-Principal Investigator
ureddy@wvstateu.edu
NADJA SPITZER
Associate Professor of Biological Sciences; Marshall University
Co-Principal Investigator and Theme 2 Lead
spitzern@marshall.edu
JANET RORRER
Associate Director, Science, Technology & Research;
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission

Co-Principal Investigator
janet.rorrer@wvresearch.org

Team Members

ARIEL AGMON
Professor, Department of Neuroscience; West Virginia University
Research Theme 1
aagmon@hsc.wvu.edu
VATHANI AMARASHINGHAM
4H STEM Specialist; West Virginia State University
EWDD
vathani.am@wvstateu.edu
CHARLES ANDERSON
Assistant Professor, Department of Neuroscience; West Virginia University
Research Theme 2
charles.anderson@hsc.wvu.edu
BRIAN ANTONSEN
Biology Chair and Associate Professor; Marshall University
Project Management
antonsenb@marshall.edu
MICHELLE BRIDI
Assistant Professor, Department of Neuroscience; West Virginia University
Research Theme 1
michelle.bridi@hsc.wvu.edu
MORGAN BRIDI
Assistant Professor, Department of Neuroscience; West Virginia University
Research Theme 1
mbridi@hsc.wvu.edu
DOUGLAS BRIGHT
EPSCoR Project Coordinator for
Undergraduate Research; West Virginia State University

EWDD
doug.bright@wvstateu.edu
DAVID CARTWRIGHT
Research Associate, Computer and Information Technology; Marshall University
EWDD
david.cartwright@marshall.edu
TINA CARTWRIGHT
Professor, Curriculum, Instruction and Foundations; Marshall University
EWDD
tina.cartwright@marshall.edu
JEFFREY CARVER
Director of K-12 STEM Education Initiative and Associate Professor of Science Education; West Virginia University
EWDD
jeffrey.carver@mail.wvu.edu
MICHAEL FULTZ
Associate Provost & Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Chemistry; West Virginia State University
Project Management
mfultz@wvstateu.edu
BRANDON HENDERSON
Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences; Marshall University
Research Theme 2
hendersonbr@marshall.edu
ERIC HORSTICK
Assistant Professor, Departments of Biology and Neuroscience; West Virginia University
Theme 1 Lead, WG2 Lead
eric.horstick@mail.wvu.edu
MARTIN HRUSKA
Assistant Professor, Department of Neuroscience; West Virginia University
WG1 Lead
martin.hruska@hsc.wvu.edu
MICHAEL HU
Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology; West Virginia University
Research Transcriptomics
michael.hu@hsc.wvu.edu
VANESSA LICWOV-CHANNEL
STEM Service Assistant Professor; West Virginia University
EWDD
vlicwov@mail.wvu.edu
AAMER MAHOOD
Director of the Shared Research Facilities; West Virginia University
Infrastructure
aamer.mahmood@mail.wvu.edu
HAROON MALIK
Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science; Marshall University
Infrastructure
malikh@marshall.edu
SHEENA MURPHY
Associate Vice President for Research Development; West Virginia University
Infrastructure
sheena.murphy@mail.wvu.edu
PURUSHOTHAMAN NATARAJAN
Associate Faculty Member, Biotechnology; West Virginia State University
Research Theme 1
pnatarajan@wvstateu.edu
ALEJANDRO NATO
Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences; Marshall University
Transcriptomics
nato@marshall.edu
MICHAEL NORTON
Professor, Department of Chemistry; Marshall University
Infrastructure
norton@marshall.edu
RYAN PERCIFIELD
WVU Genomics Core Director/Manager; West Virginia University
Transcriptomics
wvugenomics@gmail.com
GRAZIELE PRETEROTTO
Graduate Coordinator; West Virginia State University
EWDD
gpreterotto@wvstateu.edu
ROSALYNN QUIÑONES
Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry; Marshall University
EWDD
quinonesr@marshall.edu
CHRIS RISHER
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences; Marshall University
Research Theme 2
risherw@marshall.edu
LOUISE RISHER
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences; Marshall University
Research Theme 2
risherm@marshall.edu
CONOR SIPE
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology; Shepherd University
WG3 Lead, Research Theme 1
csipe@shepherd.edu
GAY STEWART
Eberly Professor of STEM Education; West Virginia University
EWDD
gbstewart@mail.wvu.edu
AMBER STOFFEL
CodeWV Program Assistant; West Virginia University
EWDD
amber.stoffel@mail.wvu.edu
QING WANG
Professor of Mathematics; Shepherd University
EWDD
qwang@shepherd.edu