WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute
WVU's neuroscience hub, making a global impact through pioneering research and patient care. We are improving lives by pioneering
advances in brain health.
With the latest
technologies, an ecosystem of partners, and
an integrated approach, we are making
tangible progress. Our breakthroughs in
neuroscience are strengthening our efforts
to combat public health challenges ranging
from addiction to Alzheimer's. Our
collaboration with elite athletes and
members of the military in optimizing
human performance are leading to new
innovations. We are breaking barriers in
research and patient care to better serve the
people of West Virginia and beyond.
10/03/2026
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and there's a part of domestic violence that rarely gets talked about: brain injury.
Blows to the head, face, and neck, along with strangulation, can injure the brain. In research on women who experienced partner violence, about 3 in 4 had sustained at least one partner-related brain injury. Most of these injuries are never diagnosed.
At the RNI, our Concussion & Brain Injury Clinic offers survivors the same expert care we provide to professional athletes, including a specialized program built for survivors of domestic violence.
If you or someone you love needs support, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233 or by texting START to 88788.
09/30/2026
Recovery Month ends today. Recovery doesn't.
Addiction is a chronic brain disease, and recovery is something people work at every day, long after September 30. There's no single treatment or single path, which is why our care brings together treatment, behavioral health, recovery support, family resources, and new neuroscience.
Swipe through to see how it fits together. If you or someone you love is ready for the next step, visit our website or contact our clinic. Link in the comments below.
Progress in recovery isn't a straight line.
"What my best looks like today is going to be different than what my best looks like tomorrow or next week," says Katie Chiasson-Downs, LPC, lead clinician for Addiction Services at the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute.
Every step counts. Read more from Katie on what progress in recovery can look like. Link in the comments below.
Recovery doesn't start from where someone "should" be. It starts from where they are today.
Katie Chiasson-Downs, LPC, lead clinician for addiction services at the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, explains what it means to meet patients where they are. Everyone comes into treatment with different levels of motivation, stability, resources, and goals for recovery. And that's completely okay.
Read more from Katie on what progress in recovery can look like. Link in the comments below.
West Virginia has ranked as the state with the highest rate of overdose deaths per population for more than a decade.
Dr. James Berry traces how the pain-pill epidemic that began here in Appalachia evolved into today's fentanyl crisis, and why West Virginia has borne the brunt of it more than any state in the country.
That history is exactly why Dr. Berry believes West Virginia has to lead the way on the solution, not just for our own communities, but for the rest of the country. Read his full perspective for National Recovery Month. Link in the comments below.
Addiction treatment shouldn't live in a single silo.
Dr. James Berry explains why the RNI treats health as multidimensional, bringing psychiatry together with neurology, neurosurgery, and other specialties to address the health care disparities that so often come with substance use disorder.
Whole-person care, not one discipline working alone. Read more from Dr. Berry for National Recovery Month. Link in the comments below.
"Addiction is very treatable. It's manageable. People get better."
After 20-plus years in addiction medicine, Dr. James Berry says he still sees people get better every day, and that recovery can mean a genuinely satisfying, meaningful, healthy life.
Read more from Dr. Berry in our latest blog post. Link in the comments below.
September is National Recovery Month, and at the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, addiction is a named priority — not an afterthought.
In this clip, Dr. James Berry, chair of Behavioral Medicine & Psychiatry and Director of Addictions at RNI, explains what that looks like in practice: a full spectrum of care for substance use disorders, evidence-based treatment that meets each patient where they are, and research aimed at building better treatment models for the future.
Addiction is treatable. Recovery is possible. Read Dr. Berry's full reflection for Recovery Month. Link in the comments below.
09/11/2026
From West Virginia to Melbourne, Australia.
Dr. Javier Cárdenas, chair of the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute Department of Neurology, was on the ground in Melbourne for the NFL’s historic first regular-season game in Australia between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams.
In addition to leading Neurology at RNI, Dr. Cárdenas serves as chair of the NFL Head, Neck and Spine Committee and senior advisor for the NFL Concussion Program, helping advance the science, care and protocols surrounding brain injury and player safety.
09/10/2026
Today is World Su***de Prevention Day — a reminder that reaching out is a sign of strength, not weakness.
At the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, we believe mental health deserves the same science-backed, judgment-free care as every other part of the brain. Whether you're struggling yourself or worried about someone you love, you don't have to figure it out alone.
Save this carousel. Share it with someone who might need it. And if you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 — free and confidential, 24/7.
***dePreventionDay
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33 Medical Center Drive
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