UMass has a vibrant Neuroscience research community with over 100 different laboratories dedicated to Neuroscience research across the university. Read about the research carried out by faculty in the Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program.

The Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS) Models to Medicine Center fosters translational research in the neurosciences with state of the art Core Facilities. Visit this Core Facilities Seminar Series page to stay updated on the seminar listings offered that provide information on the many resources and technologies available.

In the fall of 2019, faculty members from neuroscience, engineering, and biotechnology began a collaboration to facilitate research merging these disciplines on campus. This collaboration was kickstarted with three seed grants being awarded by the Initiative on Neurosciences. Read about the seed grants here.

There are numerous research opportunities in the College of Information and Computer Sciences that complement the eclectic goals of the neuroscience disciplines. In the spring of 2019, IONs held the annual Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Conference with a focus on neuroengineering, where Andrew Barto, Professor Emeritus, received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his research in reinforcement learning. There are many distinguished faculty members in CICS offering opportunities to study advancing computer technologies ranging from artificial intelligence to robotics to software architecture. In continuing forging interdisciplinary collaborations, in May 2022, IONs held the first in-person conference since Covid began. It was a great success! The theme was Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence. New collaborations are in the works incorporating artificial intelligence, neuroscience and women’s health.

In January of 2020, Neuroscience labs began moving into newly renovated space in the Morrill Science building. Seven labs from Psychological and Brain Sciences and Organismic and Evolutionary Biology will be sharing this new space to conduct research and collaborate. Along with lab space there are new break spaces, conference area, and faculty offices.

The College of Engineering hosts the Biomedical Engineering (BME) department, Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) department, and the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MIE) department. All three have exciting research opportunities for undergraduates and graduate level students. Read below to find links and specific department info.

The department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) was established in 2017 and has experienced impressive growth since. It offers undergraduate degrees and research-focused doctoral degrees. Continuing in the spirit of discovery through collaboration, this department works with faculty in the Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS), College of Engineering, and the College of Natural Sciences. Research in BME is focused on areas of bioinstrumentation and imaging, biomaterials, tissue engineering and regeneration, and biomechanics. Some of the faculty members here at UMass have labs at the UMass Medical School allowing for extension of collaboration to the active medical field. To learn more about this exciting new department and the research that is ongoing, click here.

Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), conducts research in five generalized categories: Sensing Systems, Signals and Systems, Networked Systems, Nanoelectronics, and Computer and Embedded Systems. Within those five research areas, there are 33 labs with extensive and fascinating research opportunities. A distinction that attracts many students to the ECE department is the M5. M5 is a 5,000 sq. ft. academic makerspace for solid-state electronics and computing machinery. It serves as an educational initiative and it integrates laboratories, meeting rooms and a demilounge to support a broad range of individual and collaborative activities, formal and informal instruction, and mentoring. Click here for a more detailed description of each research category, and access to the lab websites on campus.

The department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering is a large, well established department at UMass Amherst. There are approximately 900 students between the undergraduate and graduate programs. UMass’ investment in this department has allowed for exciting new student spaces, including the Exploratorium, which makes possible state-of-the art teaching and team projects, and the Altra Industrial Motion Innovation Shop which provides undergraduates and graduate students with the latest in machining capabilities, including 3D printers, water jet cutters, and 4 axis milling machines. There are eight current active research areas in the MIE department, including Mechanical Systems Design focusing on Sensors and Bioengineering, Information Engineering with concentration in Distributed Decision-Making, Healthcare Systems, and Human-Factors Engineering. There are multiple degree options at all three levels of study. For more detailed information about the many research areas offered by MIE, click here.

UMass Amherst is home to the new Massachusetts AI and Technology Center for Connected Care in Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease (MassAITC) led by Deepak Ganeson, Niteesh Choudry, and Benjamin Marlin. In collaboration with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Mass General Hospital, Brandeis University, Northeastern University and Harvard Medical School, the Center is focused on developing technologies to accommodate aging and Alzheimer’s in-home patients with a $20M grant awarded by the National Institute on Aging, a part of the National Institute of Health (NIH). Research is focused on AI-sensing technology and technology that would allow for remote delivery of at-home healthcare. Interdisciplinary research is led by merging perspectives from patients, caregivers, clinicians, and behavioral scientists. To learn more about MassAITC, click here.

IONs is supported by
the College of Natural Sciences and
the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences