Top Researchers
Top Neuroscience Researchers at University of Vermont for 2026
The University of Vermont’s neuroscience community has been especially active over the last year, with research spanning brain development, stress biology, cognition, and clinical questions tied to mental and neurological health. Across a sample of recent works, the breadth of topics suggests a campus conversation that moves easily between basic mechanisms and human outcomes.
Below, you’ll find a closer look at a group of researchers whose recent publication patterns reflect that range. Their work touches on how the brain changes over time, how behavior is shaped by stress and physiology, and how neuroscientific tools can support better understanding of disease and function.
Featured Researchers
Hugh Garavan
Hugh Garavan’s recent University of Vermont work links Cognitive Neuroscience with Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience and Psychiatry and Mental health, including studies of adolescent brain maturation, eating behaviors, and glymphatic activity.
Activity over the last year: 22 indexed journal articles.
Top publications:
- Relationships of eating behaviors with psychopathology, brain maturation and genetic risk for obesity in an adolescent cohort study (Jan 2025)
- Adolescent maturation of cortical excitation-inhibition ratio based on individualized biophysical network modeling (Jun 2025)
- Genome-wide association study unravels mechanisms of brain glymphatic activity (Jan 2025)
Thomas F. Varley
Thomas F. Varley brings Cognitive Neuroscience together with Statistical and Nonlinear Physics and Economics and Econometrics in publications on infant brain organization, complex systems, and cortical synergy.
Activity over the last year: 10 indexed journal articles.
Top publications:
Sayamwong E. Hammack
Sayamwong E. Hammack’s recent papers connect Behavioral Neuroscience, Social Psychology, and Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience through PACAP-related work on PTSD, fear extinction, and stress-linked depression responses.
Activity over the last year: 6 indexed journal articles.
Top publications:
- PACAP associated with precise PTSD and fear extinction response in women (Jan 2025)
- Associations between PACAP levels and psychophysiological indicators of fear and arousal in adults with posttraumatic stress symptoms (May 2025)
- Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis PACAP Signaling in the Dorsal Medial Habenula Mediates Depression-Related Behavioral Responses After Chronic Stress (Nov 2025)
Benedek Erdös
Benedek Erdös focuses on Behavioral Neuroscience, Social Psychology, and Physiology, with recent studies on neuroendocrine stress pathways, neuronal morphology, and cerebrovascular changes.
Activity over the last year: 4 indexed journal articles.
Top publications:
- Overactive bladder phenotype induced by chronic activation of hypothalamic neuroendocrine stress pathways in rats with no extrinsic behavioral stress applied (Dec 2025)
- Hypothalamic Activation of the mTOR Cascade Alters Neuronal Morphology and Function Leading to Altered Circadian Rhythm of Cardiovascular Parameters (May 2025)
- Impact of chronic neuroendocrine stress on cerebrovascular architecture and astrocyte morphology (May 2025)
Donna Toufexis
Donna Toufexis’ University of Vermont research spans Behavioral Neuroscience, Social Psychology, and Endocrine and Autonomic Systems, including work on habit formation, conditioning, and shared neural mechanisms in animal models.
Activity over the last year: 4 indexed journal articles.
Top publications:
- Gonadectomy maintains goal-directed responding in female rats and accelerates habit formation in male rats. (Apr 2025)
- Influence of context on extinguished appetitive conditioning in male and female rats. (May 2025)
- Transcriptomic Dysregulation in Animal Models of Attention‐Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Nicotine Dependence Suggests Shared Neural Mechanisms (Mar 2025)
Mary Cushman
Mary Cushman’s recent publications link Internal Medicine, Hematology, and Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine to questions about neurodegeneration, inflammation, and cognitive impairment.
Activity over the last year: 5 indexed journal articles.
Top publications:
Molly Stanley
Molly Stanley combines Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience with Nutrition and Dietetics and Physiology in studies of metabolic signaling and Drosophila taste circuit organization.
Activity over the last year: 4 indexed journal articles.
Top publications:
- Insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway promotes higher fat storage in Drosophila females (Jul 2025)
- Functional imaging and connectome analyses reveal organizing principles of taste circuits in Drosophila (May 2025)
- Artificial sweeteners differentially activate sweet and bitter gustatory neurons in Drosophila (Jul 2025)
Andrew Solomon
Andrew Solomon’s work bridges Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine, and Neurology, with recent publications on multiple sclerosis criteria, lesion segmentation, and treatment.
Activity over the last year: 5 indexed journal articles.
Top publications:
What University of Vermont's Neuroscience Community Is Working On
The most common subfields point to a community actively working across Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Behavioral Neuroscience, and Social Psychology, with Cognitive Neuroscience and Physiology also appearing repeatedly. That mix suggests a strong emphasis on understanding how neural systems operate at multiple levels, from molecular signaling and circuit function to behavior, stress response, and cognition. Recent work also shows meaningful overlap with clinical and translational questions, especially around mental health, aging, and neurological disease.- Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience - seen across 3 of the featured researchers
- Behavioral Neuroscience - seen across 3 of the featured researchers
- Social Psychology - seen across 3 of the featured researchers
- Cognitive Neuroscience - seen across 2 of the featured researchers
- Physiology - seen across 2 of the featured researchers
Taken together, these researchers show how neuroscience at the University of Vermont is connecting cellular, behavioral, and clinical perspectives in practical ways. If you’re exploring more scholarship like this, consider browsing related research areas and using Resub to help streamline literature discovery, manuscript formatting, and submission prep for your own projects.
Top researchers use tools to scale their productivity and impact. Try Livewrite for free today.