The primary mission of the Neuroscience Research Center is to foster and conduct science of the highest caliber that advances the understanding of brain function and diseases that affect the nervous system. The Center maintains a quality research environment highly conducive to productive and clinically-oriented basic research focused on Neuroscience. The Center’s scientists share common interests in understanding the biology of neurological disorders and work toward the shared goal of ultimately developing novel methods of diagnosis and treatment of the disorders.

The Center originally named Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience (CMBN) was established in 1990 for the purpose of promoting neuroscience research in Puerto Rico and organized as an inter-institutional association of neuroscientists with headquarters at the UCC. Currently, composed of 17 scientists from four Puerto Rican universities, in addiction to associate and student members. Close to 20 research projects address issues ranging from the basic mechanism(s) of cocaine addiction, excitotoxicity and neuroprotection, to ion channel function and signal transduction pathways. This center also organizes the Puerto Rico Neurosciences Conference, held annually since 1992.

Research Projects:

•Noradrenergic modulation of glutamate transmission in the prefrontal cortex in cocaine sensitization.
•Characterization of the cembranoid binding site on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.
•Behavioral sensitization to nicotine-relevance to neuroprotection.
•Cembranoids and RNA’s: New Tools to Study Receptors.
•The Structure of the ionotropic acetylcholine receptor from Torpedo californica.