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Dec. 8, 2025
Next-generation neuroscience studies the infant brain in motion
During a baby’s early months, the brain is developing rapidly.
Billions of neural connections form, expand, and are pruned back, shaped by genetics, the environment, and timing. Though brain development continues throughout life, the early months are critical, particularly when it comes to interactions between a parent and child.
What could scientists learn from high-quality brain function data during infancy?
With a new $2.3 million, four-year grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, part of the National Institutes of Health, researchers at Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC are developing tools and techniques for gathering those data during naturalistic parent-child interactions.
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Apply to join the 2026 Fralin Commercialization Fellows Program , articleApplications for the Fralin Health Sciences and Technology Commercialization Fellows Program are now open. Doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and research assistants/associates from across Virginia Tech who conduct health sciences and technology-related research are eligible to apply.
Creating a healthier future. For everyone.
The Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC is one of the nation’s fastest-growing academic biomedical research enterprises and a destination for world-class researchers. The institute’s Virginia Tech scientists focus on diseases that are the leading causes of death and suffering in the United States, including brain disorders, heart disease, and cancer. Since its founding in 2010, the research institute has experienced unprecedented growth: doubling its enterprise and lab facilities in Roanoke, while also investing in brand-new laboratories on the Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus in Washington, D.C.
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Redirect ItemWith Good Reason: Chemo Brain , redirect Date: Dec 12, 2025 -
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Research in Progress Seminar , homeJan. 13, 2026, 4 to 5 p.m. | Laura Bruckner, Graduate Student, Freitas-Lemos Lab and Eddie Rygalski, Graduate Student, Yan Lab | Spring Research in Progress Seminar Series
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Innovative Strategies for Overcoming Challenges in Brain Tumor Treatment , homeJan. 16, 2026, 11:00 a.m. | Kristin Huntoon, Ph.D., D.O., Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Arizona | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Cancer Research Center – Roanoke
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Adaptive Responses in Female Physiology and Why This Matters for Women’s Health , homeJan. 22, 2026, 5:30 p.m. (Reception at 5 p.m.) | Holly Ingraham, Ph.D., Professor, Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology; Elected Member, National Academy of Sciences | Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture
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Policies to Reduce Ultra-processed Foods: Lessons From Around the Globe , homeJan. 30, 2026, 11:00 a.m. | Lindsey Smith Taillie, Ph.D., MPH, Associate Professor of Nutrition, Associate Chair of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Center for Health Behaviors Research and Addiction Recovery Research Center
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AI and Agentic AI: Opportunities for How We Work, Care, Discover, and Share , homeFeb. 5, 2026, 5:30 p.m. (Reception at 5 p.m.) | Vivian S. Lee, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., Executive Fellow, Harvard Business School; Senior Lecturer, Harvard Medical School; Elected Member, National Academy of Medicine | Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture
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Early Childhood Brain Development and Risk for Schizophrenia , homeFeb. 13, 2026, 11 a.m. | John Gilmore, M.D., Eure Distinguished Professor and Vice Chair for Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina School of Medicine | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Center for Human Neuroscience Research
Giving to the Research Institute
Your generous support of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute's rigorous biomedical research enterprise makes a difference for our faculty, students, and patients. Every donation helps accelerate the pace of new discoveries to help patients with cancer, neurological disorders, heart disease, and even rare genetic disorders. Private donations fast-track our progress.