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.

October 17, 2022

Picower People

Academy recognizes Mark Bear’s influential fundamental research on how experience shapes the brain and its relevance to neurodevelopmental diseases.

September 29, 2022

Picower People

Payton Dupuis finds new scientific interests and career opportunities through MIT summer research program in biology.

September 28, 2022

Recent Events

At an exhibition marking two decades since a transformative gift from The Picower Foundation, current and alumni members described research at the forefront of neuroscience and beyond

September 5, 2022

Research Findings

When holding information in mind, neural activity is more focused when and where there are bursts of gamma frequency rhythms

August 29, 2022

Research Findings

Separating densely packed molecules before imaging allows them to become visible for the first time

July 20, 2022

Research Findings

Nerve cells regulate and routinely refresh the collection of calcium channels that enable them to send messages across circuit connections

May 26, 2022

New Research

Research Program Award will fund studies to find early triggers of disease progression

May 17, 2022

Picower People

Emery N. Brown and three other scientists recognized for advancing statistical, theoretical analyses of neuroscience data

April 11, 2022

Research Findings

Innovative brain-wide mapping study shows that “engrams,” the ensembles of neurons encoding a memory, are widely distributed, including among regions not previously realized

March 25, 2022

Picower People

Pierre Galletti Award recognizes contributions to neural signal processing, anesthesiology advances

March 14, 2022

Research Findings

A new study suggests that electric fields may represent information held in working memory, allowing the brain to overcome “representational drift,” or the inconsistent participation of individual neurons

March 14, 2022

Research Feature

A Picower Institute primer on ‘plasticity,’ the brain’s amazing ability to constantly adapt to and learn from experience

Bear elected member of National Academy of Medicine

Providing new pathways for neuroscience research and education

Celebrating 20 years of discovery, Picower Institute looks ahead to continuing impact

How the brain focuses on what’s in mind

Microscopy technique reveals hidden nanostructures in cells and tissues

New findings reveal how neurons build and maintain their capacity to communicate

NIH award to help Heiman unearth roots of Huntington’s pathology

Brown wins share of 2022 Gruber Neuroscience Prize

A single memory is stored across many connected brain regions

Emery Brown earns AIMBE’s highest honor

Neurons are fickle. Electric fields are more reliable for information.

The model remodeler