Stony Brook researchers head to URI’s Ryan Institute for Neuroscience

Updated 9:18 a.m.

SOUTH KINGSTOWN – University of Rhode Island’s George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience will benefit from the expertise of two professors who focus on neurodegenerative disease in the coming months after they relocate from Stony Brook University in New York, according to a statement Thursday by the state’s flagship research institute.

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The individuals are William Van Nostrand and John Robinson.

Van Nostrand has been a Stony Brook faculty member since 1995 and will now serve as Herrmann Professor of Neuroscience as well as a professor of biomedical and pharmaceutical science at URI. He is expected to begin this summer.

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Robinson, who will arrive on campus in early 2018, has been a faculty member at Stony Brook since 1994. At URI he will be Ryan Research Professor of Neuroscience and a professor of psychology.

John Robinson
Professor John Robinson, who will serve as Ryan Research Professor of Neuroscience and a professor of psychology. / PHOTO COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND/GLENN HUDSON

Paula Grammas, executive director of the Ryan Institute, called the new hires “a coup for URI” in prepared remarks.

Describing their reasons for the move, Robinson said in a statement the creation of the Ryan Institute was a “turning point” for URI.

He went on to say: “The optimism about and enthusiasm for neuroscience and health-and-wellness research here builds on existing strengths and the clear path of the Ryan Institute to be a highly visible catalyst of this movement as well.”

In a similar statement Van Nostrand said his move was driven by “a unique and exciting opportunity to get in on the early stages of the institute being formed and play a strong part in its foundation and growth.”

In addition to Van Nostrand and Robinson, three researchers, a postdoctoral fellow and a graduate student will follow suit and pursue their studies at URI – as well as $4.1 million in federal and private research funding.

Emily Gowdey-Backus is a staff writer for PBN. You can follow her on Twitter @FlashGowdey.