An illustration depicts a head in profile with a speak bubble containing a check symbol next to an x symbol. The background is pink
September 9, 2026
How the brain keeps its options straight at decision time
September 1, 2026
Atlas of the brain’s striatum could guide researchers to new drug treatments
Three brain-shaped speak bubbles are black but full of white concentric lines that appear as ripples or waves in complex patterns
August 19, 2026
Cognition and consciousness arise from analog computations, says new theory
a cartoon of a brain with cogs and gears
August 17, 2026
Flexible brain circuits can switch between different tasks
Over a tangle of dark blue neurons, bright orange spots appear along the lengths of some of the axons, highlighting their paths through the tangle
August 13, 2026
Brain circuit keeps tabs on what just happened to aid judgement of what’s happening now

Memory and its meaning

October 7, 2019
News Feature
25 Years of Picower Institute research

Study pinpoints Alzheimer’s plaque emergence early and deep in the brain

October 4, 2019
Research findings
Amyloid emerges early in deep regions such as the mammillary body and marches outward along specific circuits

MIT sets out to model Alzheimer’s disease complexity on a chip

October 3, 2019
New Research
Integrating patient-derived brain cell types with vasculature, computer models will yield powerful research platform

Study finds hub linking movement and motivation in the brain

September 19, 2019
Research findings
Detailed observations in the lateral septum indicate region processes movement, reward information to help direct behavior

BRAIN grant will fund new tools to study astrocytes

August 27, 2019
New Research
Sur lab will lead collaboration to create CRISPR, optogenetic innovations

New method classifies brain cells based on electrical signals

August 22, 2019
Research findings
Making electrophysiology more informative, team shows how to distinguish four classes of cells by spike waveform

How brain cells pick which connections to keep

August 6, 2019
Research findings
Novel study shows protein CPG15 acts as a molecular proxy of experience to mark synapses for stabilization

Speeding up drug discovery for brain diseases

July 31, 2019
Research Findings
Whitehead, Picower team finds drugs that activate a key brain gene; initial tests show promise for rare, untreatable neurodevelopmental disorder

New algorithm finds neural spikes in flashing lights

July 10, 2019
Research findings
‘GDspike’ a new option for estimating neural activity from calcium fluorescence

Kwanghun Chung wins PECASE

July 3, 2019
Picower People
White House award is highest in nation for young scientists

Neuroscientists look to the body to better understand the brain

July 1, 2019
News Feature
Studies yield new insights into behavior, development, anesthesia

MIT Alum's six newly installed paintings seek to investigate, inspire

May 14, 2019
Science and the Arts
Todd Siler 'A.R.T.strings' series donated to Picower Institute by D.A. Duke