a closeup of a baby with beautiful blue eyes that seem a bit cross-eyed
July 1, 2025
Connect or reject: Extensive rewiring builds binocular vision in the brain
Six portraits across two rows: Joe Coughlin, Giovanni Traverso, Pattie Maes across the top and Bin Zhang, Laura Kiessling and Ed Boyden along the bottom.
June 9, 2025
Aging Brain Initiative seed grants fund five new projects to address neurodegenerative disease
Against a dark blue background we see two sine waves shifted out of phase with eachother
May 12, 2025
Different anesthetics, same result: unconsciousness by shifting brainwave phase
Neurons glow green against a black background in a section of a mouse brain. A few red specks can be seen. An inset magnifies one of these cells that has red and green staining.
April 28, 2025
Dopamine signals when a fear can be forgotten
A 2 by 2 array of panels that each show a hairpin-like shape of blue stained cells. The left column is laberled "Ambient light/sound." The right column is labeled "40Hz Stimulation." The panels in the 40Hz column show more yellow arrows pointing white blotches than the panels in the ambient column.
April 24, 2025
In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

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.

Study shows how a single neuron’s parallel outputs can coordinate many aspects of behavior

September 27, 2023
Research Findings
In C. elegans worms, a single neuron named HSN uses multiple chemicals and connections to orchestrate egg-laying and locomotion over the course of several minutes

Individual neurons mix multiple RNA edits of key synapse protein, fly study finds

September 18, 2023
Research Findings
Neurons stochastically generated up to eight different versions of a protein regulating neurotransmitter release, which could vary how they communicate with other cells

Study decodes surprising approach mice take in learning

September 14, 2023
Research Findings
Neurotypical humans readily optimize performance in ‘reversal learning’ games, but while mice learn the winning strategy, they refuse to commit to it, a new study shows. The research provides a mathematical way to track the rodents’ more mixed tactics

The Sleeping Brain

September 14, 2023
Neural activity during sleep has a signature structure that the brain uses to make profound improvements in our thinking and wellness

Molecule reduces inflammation in Alzheimer’s models

August 29, 2023
Research Findings
A potential new Alzheimer’s drug represses the harmful inflammatory response of the brain’s immune cells, reducing disease pathology, preserving neurons and improving cognition in preclinical tests

Study connects neural gene expression differences to functional distinctions

August 23, 2023
Research Findings
Researchers compared a pair of superficially similar motor neurons in fruit flies to examine how their differing use of the same genome produced distinctions in form and function

Cracking the code that relates brain and behavior in a simple animal

August 21, 2023
Research Findings
MIT researchers model and map how neurons across the tiny brain of a C. elegans worm encode its behaviors, revealing many new insights about the robustness and flexibility of its nervous system

Summer research opportunity can be a springboard to advanced studies

August 3, 2023
Picower People
The paths three graduate students forged to the same Picower Institute lab illustrate the value of participating in the MIT Summer Research Program in Biology and Neuroscience.

Study finds tracking brain waves could reduce post-op complications

July 17, 2023
Research Findings
Distinctive EEG patterns indicate when a patient’s state of unconsciousness under general anesthesia is more profound than necessary.

Brain networks encoding memory come together via electric fields, study finds

July 10, 2023
Research Findings
New research provides evidence that electric fields shared among neurons via “ephaptic coupling” provide the coordination necessary to assemble the multi-region neural ensembles (“engrams”) that represent remembered information.

New award funds study of a remarkable example of neural regeneration

July 1, 2023
New Research
A three-year fellowship will support Brady Weissbourd’s research on how the C. hemisphaerica jellyfish survives and thrives by constantly making new neurons.