UIowa Neuroscience Graduate Program

The Neuroscience Graduate Program is proud to congratulate Sara Mitchell, PhD, on the successful defense of her doctoral thesis, "Investigating coordinated neural activity of maternal behavior and stage with intersections of stress networks and experience."

Sara conducted her doctoral research in the laboratories of Hanna Stevens, MD, PhD, in the Department of Psychiatry, and Rainbo Hultman, PhD, in the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics. Through her innovative research, Sara advanced our understanding of the neural networks that coordinate maternal behavior and how these circuits intersect with stress-related pathways and lived experience.

The successful completion of a doctoral degree represents years of dedication, perseverance, scientific curiosity, and scholarly achievement. Sara's accomplishment reflects her commitment to excellence in research and her meaningful contributions to the field of neuroscience.

Please join us in congratulating Sara on this significant milestone and wishing her continued success in the next chapter of her career.

Congratulations, Dr. Mitchell!

🎓 Congratulations to our 2025–2026 Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience thesis defense students!

This academic year, we had the privilege of celebrating an incredible group of students as they successfully defended their theses and reached this major milestone in their scientific journeys. Your hard work, perseverance, curiosity, and dedication to advancing neuroscience research have been truly inspiring.

Please join us in congratulating:
✨ Matt McGregor
✨ Amy Barry
✨ Brittany Todd
✨ Ben Kreitlow
✨ Angela Richardson
✨ Gage Liddiard
✨ Mallory Shin
✨ Hannah Stutt
✨ Ashby Martin
✨ Utsav Mukherjee
✨ Brooke Yeager
✨ Annie Rohl

We are so proud of all you have accomplished and are excited to see where your careers and discoveries lead next. Congratulations on earning this well-deserved achievement!

🎉 Congratulations to Annie Rohl, PhD! 🎉

The Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience is proud to announce that Annie Rohl, PhD, successfully presented and defended her thesis, “Activity in the Human Subthalamic Nucleus During Speech Production,” on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 marking an outstanding milestone in her doctoral training.

Conducted in the laboratories of Drs. Jeremy Greenlee, MD and Joel Berger, PhD, Annie’s research advances our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying speech production, with important implications for both basic neuroscience and clinical applications. Her work reflects a remarkable combination of scientific rigor, innovation, and dedication.

We extend our sincere congratulations to Annie on this significant achievement. Her accomplishments are a testament to her perseverance and passion for discovery, and we look forward to seeing the continued impact of her contributions to the field of neuroscience.

Congratulations to Brooke Yeager on the successful presentation and defense of her doctoral thesis in Neuroscience!

Brooke completed her graduate training in the laboratory of Dr. Nandakumar Narayanan in the Department of Neurology, where she conducted innovative research examining the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease. Her dissertation, “Functional network dynamics underlying cognitive impairments in Parkinson’s disease,” provides important insight into how large-scale brain network activity contributes to cognitive symptoms, expanding our understanding of the disease beyond its well-known motor features.

Through her work, Brooke has advanced the field’s knowledge of brain network dynamics and their role in neurodegenerative disease, helping to inform future directions for research and potential therapeutic strategies.

We commend Brooke for her dedication, perseverance, and scholarly excellence throughout her doctoral training. Her accomplishments reflect a strong commitment to advancing neuroscience research, and we are excited to see the impact she will make in her future endeavors.

Please join us in congratulating Brooke on this outstanding achievement!