In 1985, the University of Tennessee System created a multidisciplinary Neuroscience Center of Excellence to address the growing complexity of brain research and the need for collaboration across disciplines.
At the time, neuroscience was expanding rapidly, and researchers recognized that meaningful progress required the combined efforts of scientists and clinicians. The new institute brought together more than 90 faculty members from 13 departments within the College of Medicine, making it the first of its kind in Tennessee and one of only a few in the South.
In the proposal to establish the institute, leaders identified an interdisciplinary approach for high-quality neuroscience research and training. State leaders agreed, and the program’s strength led them to designate it a Neuroscience Institute in 1997-1998. This designation meant the center received special funding through the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, ensuring long-term support for its mission.
From its founding, four core goals guided the program:
- Strengthen neuroscience research by modernizing facilities, supporting innovative projects and creating opportunities for scientists to exchange ideas.
- Educate and train the next generation of neuroscientists at the predoctoral and postdoctoral level.
- Move discoveries from the laboratory to the clinic more quickly, improving care for patients with neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis.
- Collaborate across campuses while conducting outreach to students and the public to expand understanding of how the brain works and how neurological disorders can be addressed.
Steven Kitai, Department of Anatomy chair and Neuroscience Institute director, was the first to lead the center. A world-renowned neurophysiologist, Kitai linked the structure of individual neurons to their connections and electrical properties, particularly in the basal ganglia and cerebellum, regions critical for normal movement. He remained at UTHSC until his retirement in 2002. Kitai died in 2019.
Other past directors and co-directors of the Neuroscience Institute include Ranny Mize, Charles Wilson, David Smith, William Armstrong, Anton Reiner and Matt Ennis. In 2024, Lynn Dobrunz became director of the institute, leading the program into a future of innovation, growth and discovery in brain research.
Since its inception, the institute and its programs have grown rapidly and now hold an international reputation as a preeminent center for neuroscience research, education and clinical translation.
From the Archives
“Keep thinking, reading, exploring and learning,” says Dr. William Paulsen, a neurologist at the UT Medical Center in Knoxville, in the autumn 1990 issue.
Paulsen describes the brain as a mass of nerve cells and processes held together by a cement-like substance. Within this gray matter lies memory, perception and emotion. He says mental activity may help slow normal brain aging and keep people more alert in later life, though it has not been shown to prevent progressive diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.
Paulsen also emphasizes physical well-being, noting that avoiding smoking and staying physically active can help support brain health.
Our Tennessee was published as the Tennessee Alumnus from 1917 to 2020. Scanned archives of past issues of the magazine can be accessed online through UT Knoxville’s Digital Collections Library.
