McGovern Institute

MIT researchers have designed protein-based sensors that can dilate blood vessels in the brain. This dilation can be imaged with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as seen on the left side of this scan.

A radiation-free approach to imaging molecules in the brain

New probe induces blood flow changes that can be seen by MRI.

December 2, 2016

Tomaso Poggio, a professor of brain and cognitive sciences at MIT and director of the Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, has long thought that the brain must produce “invariant” representations of faces and other objects, meaning representations that are indifferent to objects’ orientation in space, their distance from the viewer, or their location in the visual field.

How the brain recognizes faces

Machine-learning system spontaneously reproduces aspects of human neurology.

December 1, 2016

MIT researchers have developed a way to isolate genetic circuits within individual synthetic “cells,” preventing the circuits from disrupting each other.

Researchers create synthetic cells to isolate genetic circuits

Encapsulating molecular components in artificial membranes offers more flexibility in designing circuits.

November 14, 2016

"SCIENTIA," by Ursula von Rydingsvard, is a gift from McGovern Institute co-founder Lore Harp McGovern.

Monumental new sculpture commissioned for MIT's McGovern Institute

"SCIENTIA" is the newest addition to MIT's Public Art Collection.

October 26, 2016

Scientists have identified two key groups of neurons within the hypothalamus that help regulate appetite.

A new player in appetite control

Brain cells that provide structural support also influence feeding behavior, study shows.

October 18, 2016

MIT scientists have identified a way to enhance the long-term benefit of exposure therapy in rats, offering a way to improve the therapy in people suffering from phobias and more complicated conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Pinpointing a brain circuit that can keep fears at bay

Study suggests path to prolonging treatment effectiveness for phobias or post-traumatic stress disorder.

September 26, 2016

Clockwise from top left: MIT professors Ed Boyden, Jacquin Niles, Feng Zhang, and Matthew Vander Heiden have been named HHMI Faculty Scholars.

Four MIT professors named inaugural Faculty Scholars

New program from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Simons Foundation, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation supports early-career scientists.

September 22, 2016

MIT neuroscientists have identified tight connections between dopamine-producing cells of the substantia nigra (red) and neurons in the striatum (green). These connections, which show up as yellow, may play a role in the brain’s decision-making processes.

Newly discovered neural connections may be linked to emotional decision-making

Researchers suspect cells in this brain circuit could also be targets of Parkinson’s disease.

September 19, 2016

“Our understanding of our environment is largely shaped by our memory for what’s currently out of sight,” says Caroline Robertson, a postdoc at MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research and a junior fellow of the Harvard Society of Fellows. “What we were looking for are hubs in the brain where your memories for the panoramic environment are integrated with your current field of view....

How the brain builds panoramic memory

Neuroscientists identify brain regions key to linking different views of our surroundings.

September 8, 2016

Faculty at MIT and beyond respond forcefully to an article critical of Suzanne Corkin

More than 200 members of the scientific community sign a letter supporting the late MIT neuroscientist; department head issues a statement.

August 9, 2016

Neuroscientists have long wondered why the brain has a region exclusively dedicated to reading — a skill that is unique to humans and only developed about 5,400 years ago.

Study finds brain connections key to reading

Pathways that exist before kids learn to read may determine development of brain’s word recognition area.

August 8, 2016

MIT researchers have developed a new way to image proteins and RNA inside neurons of intact brain tissue.

Seeing RNA at the nanoscale

Microscopy technique allows scientists to pinpoint RNA molecules in the brain.

July 4, 2016

Clockwise from top left: Oliver Jagoutz, Markus Klute, Elizabeth Nolan, Philippe Rigollet, Feng Zhang

Five School of Science faculty members granted tenure

July 1, 2016

The Brains@MIT collaborative built a 200-pound replica of an MIT grad student's brain.

Featured video: Building a really big brain

Watch Brains@MIT create a 200-pound replica of a graduate student's brain.

June 30, 2016

Feng Zhang named 2016 Tang Prize laureate

Broad Institute/MIT scientist among three honored for CRISPR contributions.

June 18, 2016

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