A black and white brain shown in profile is decorated with red light bulbs on its surface. In one spot, a stencil for making the light bulbs, labeled "beta," is present. Nearby is a can of red spray paint labeled "gamma" with a little wave on it.
April 17, 2024
Paper: To understand cognition—and its dysfunction—neuroscientists must learn its rhythms
Two panels show diagonal streaks of green stained brain blood vessels over a background of blue cells. The green staining is much brighter in the left panel than in the right.
March 22, 2024
Movement disorder ALS and cognitive disorder FTLD show strong molecular overlaps, new study shows
A hand wearing a blue latex glove holds up a cell phone showing the image of a red-stained neuron
March 15, 2024
Livestreaming the Brain
Two panels on a black background show cells on the left lit brightly in green while the cells on the right show much less green and are mostly red.
March 6, 2024
A noninvasive treatment for “chemo brain”
A coronal cross-section of a mouse brain is stained blue. The entire outer edge and occasional points further inside are speckled with yellow-green dots. The background behind the brain is black.
February 28, 2024
How sensory gamma rhythm stimulation clears amyloid in Alzheimer’s mice

Emery N. Brown elected member of American Philosophical Society

November 28, 2023
Picower People
Brown elected to 2023 class of new members of the oldest learned society in the United States, co-founded by Benjamin Franklin.

How a mutation in microglia elevates Alzheimer’s risk

November 16, 2023
Research Findings
A new MIT study finds that microglia with mutant TREM2 protein reduce brain circuit connections, promote inflammation and contribute to Alzheimer’s pathology in other ways

Anesthesia blocks sensation by cutting off communication within the cortex

November 8, 2023
Research Findings
Under propofol general anesthesia, sensory input still reaches the brain, but signals do not spread. Results suggest consciousness requires cortical regions to all be “on the same page.”

Award honors Elly Nedivi’s research on cortical plasticity

November 6, 2023
Picower People
The Krieg Cortical Kudos Discoverer Award recognizes Nedivi’s ongoing work to understand molecular and cellular mechanisms that enable the brain to adapt to experience

New grant to study possibility of an immunotherapy for autism

November 2, 2023
New Research
Picower Institute-based collaboration will study mechanisms that might enable peripheral immune cells to deliver a potentially therapeutic molecule to the brain.

Aging Brain Initiative symposium showcases ‘cutting edge’ research across MIT

November 1, 2023
Picower Events
Seed projects, posters represent a wide range of labs working on technologies, therapeutic strategies, and fundamental research to advance understanding of age-related neurodegenerative disease

Anesthesia technology precisely controls unconsciousness in animal tests

October 31, 2023
Research Findings
An advanced closed-loop anesthesia delivery system that monitors brain state to tailor propofol dose and achieve exactly the desired level of unconsciousness could reduce post-op side effects

Mark Bear wins SfN’s Julius Axelrod Prize

October 30, 2023
Picower People
Society for Neuroscience Award recognizes Professor Mark Bear’s synaptic plasticity research, its translation to potential amblyopia and autism treatments, and his career of mentorship.

A multifunctional tool for cognitive neuroscience

October 20, 2023
Research Findings
A flexible new tool both monitors and manipulates neural activity in the brains of large animals.

Morgan Sheng among 12 with MIT ties elected to the National Academy of Medicine for 2023

October 10, 2023
Picower People
Five MIT faculty, along with seven additional affiliates, are honored for outstanding contributions to medical research.

Decoding the complexity of Alzheimer’s disease

September 28, 2023
Research Findings
By analyzing epigenomic and gene expression changes that occur in Alzheimer’s disease, researchers identify cellular pathways that could become new drug targets

Resolving a seeming contradiction, study advances understanding of visual recognition memory

September 27, 2023
Research Findings
Scientists have invested decades in piecing together how our vision is so good at recognizing what’s familiar. A new study overcomes an apparent discrepancy in data to reveal a new insight into how it works.