Molecular and Cellular

Picower Institute scientists probe the role of genes, proteins and molecules in the physiology and action of neurons and glia, including how synaptic connections change. To learn more about these or other areas of inquiry, select them under Research Topics and you'll find relevant Picower people, discoveries and events.

September 2, 2025

Research Findngs

Study of 3.5 million cells from more than 100 human brains finds that Alzheimer’s progression—but also resilience to disease—depends on preserving epigenomic stability.

July 1, 2025

Research Findings

A first-of-its-kind study in mice reveals that neurons add and shed synapses at a frenzied pace during development to integrate visual signals from the two eyes.

June 16, 2025

Research Feature

Rooted in fundamental curiosity about how the brain works, Picower scientists continue to break new ground in understanding autism and devising treatment strategies

June 9, 2025

New Research

Campuswide collaboration sparks new research to develop assistive technology, enhance interventions, decipher brain biochemistry, advance big data analysis, and assess the public’s understanding of dementia risk and protective factors.

April 24, 2025

Picower Events

An Alana Down Syndrome Center webinar, co-sponsored by the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress, presented numerous MIT studies that all share the goal of improving health throughout life for people with trisomy 21.

April 22, 2025

Picower People

Assistant Professor Linlin Fan will apply her lab’s precise “all-optical” techniques to study how serotonin might influence plasticity in memory, and whether psychedelics affect that.

April 21, 2025

Research Findings

Clinical trial finds several outcomes improved for young children when an anesthesiologist observed their brain waves to guide dosing of sevoflurane during surgery.

February 20, 2025

Research Findings

Enhancing activity of a specific component of ‘NMDA’ receptors normalized protein synthesis, neural activity and seizure susceptibility in hippocampus of fragile X lab mice

January 3, 2025

Picower People

President Biden bestowed the nation’s highest scientific honor on Brown, fellow winners, at a White House ceremony.

December 20, 2024

Research Feature

On a biological foundation of ions and proteins, the brain forms, stores, and retrieves memories to inform intelligent behavior

November 21, 2024

Recent Events

At a symposium of the Simons Center for the Social Brain, six speakers described a diversity of recently launched studies aimed at improving understanding of the autistic brain.

November 13, 2024

Research Findings

System developed by MIT and Open Ephys team provides a fast, light, standardized means for combining multiple instruments with minimal hindrance of lab mouse mobility.

Alzheimer’s erodes brain cells’ control of gene expression, undermining function, cognition

Connect or reject: Extensive rewiring builds binocular vision in the brain

Autism advances

Aging Brain Initiative seed grants fund five new projects to address neurodegenerative disease

MIT Down syndrome researchers work on ways to ensure a healthy lifespan

With Searle Scholar award, Fan will study serotonin role in memory

In kids, EEG monitoring of consciousness safely reduces anesthetic use

Study suggests new molecular strategy for treating fragile X syndrome

Emery N. Brown, innovative neuroscientist, statistician and anesthesiologist earns National Medal of Science

From Molecules to Memory

New autism research projects represent a broad range of approaches to achieving a shared goal

Open technology platform enables new versatility for neuroscience research with more naturalistic behavior