The BRAIN Building seminar series is focused on developing and illustrating collaborations within the neuro community at UF. It pairs researchers and clinicians to give preclinical and clinical perspectives on various topics regarding brain injury and neuroresilience as well as invites groups to give an overview of their research and opportunities for collaboration. Click on the images below to learn more about specific sessions.
October 12, 2026, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Brain Metabolism: Energy, Injury, and Aging
Guest Speaker
Sakthivel Ravi, PhD
Neuroscience
Guest Speaker
Adam Khalifa, PhD
Electrical & Computer Engineering
Guest Speaker
Joe Abisambra, PhD
Neuroscience; Deputy Director, UF BRAIN Center
Moderator
Michael Jaffee, MD
Chair of Neurology; Director, UF BRAIN Center
March 24, 2026, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Brain Injury & Concussion in Olympic and Paralympic Sports
Guest Speaker
IVAN DA SILVA, MD, PHD
Associate Professor of Neurology and Director of the Neurocritical Care Unit
Guest Speaker
ALIYAH SNYDER, PHD
Assistant Professor in Clinical Health and Psychology
Guest Speaker
JASON ZAREMSKI, MD
Chief of Sports Medicine Division, Clinical Professor, and Medical Director of the PM&R Clinics
October 9, 2025, 5:30-7:00pm
Connecting Brain Injury and Addiction
Guest Speaker
Sara Jo Nixon, PhD
Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology
Guest Speaker
Servio H Ramirez, PhD
Mary and Bryan Whisenant Distinguished Professor of Pathology
June 17, 2025, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Sleep, Glymphatics, and Neuroresilience in The Villages®
Guest Speaker
Carla Vandeweerd, PhD
Associate Professor of Health Outcomes and Bioinformatics
Guest Speaker
John Williamson, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry
March 12, 2025, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Brain Aging and Neurodegeneration
Guest Speaker PARAMITA CHAKRABARTY, PhD, Associate Professor of Neuroscience, and BENJAMIN CHAPIN, MD, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
October 28, 2024, 3:00 pm – 4:00 PM
BLOCK-SAH: Headache After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Guest Speaker
CAROLINA MACIEL, MD, MSCR
Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Divisions of Neurocritical Care and Epilepsy
Guest Speaker
KATHARINA BUSL, MD, MS
James E. Rooks, Jr., Professor of Neurology & Neurosurgery; Chief of the Division of Neurocritical Care
June 6, 2024, from 11:00AM to 12:00PM
Sensory and Motor Pathways in Spastic Hemiplegic Stroke
Guest Speaker
Shahab Vahdat, PH.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Applied Physiology & Kinesiology
jULY 11, 2024, FROM 3:00PM TO 4:00PM
Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability in a TBI Model
Guest Speaker
Michael A Pizzi, DO, PhD, FCCM
Associate Professor Departments Of Neurology And Neurosurgery, Division Of Neurocritical Care; Affiliate Clinical Associate Professor Department Of Neuroscience
july 19, 2024, From 3:00pm to 4:00PM
Stroke Recovery in the Spiny Mouse Model
Guest Speaker
Maurice S Swanson,
Professor And Associate Program Director
DEPARTMENT: Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
SEPTEMBER 6, 2024, FROM 3:00pm TO 4:00pm
Acute Intermittent Hypoxia for Swallowing After TBI
Guest Speaker
Alicia K. Vose Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
DEPARTMENT: Department of Neurology
