Brain and Cognitive Sciences

Anjali Misra awarded Mitchell Scholarship

MIT senior is headed to Ireland to pursue graduate studies in public health.

November 27, 2017

To evaluate infants’ intuition regarding what other people value, researchers showed them videos in which an agent (red bouncing ball) decides whether it’s worth the effort to leap over an obstacle to reach a goal (blue cartoon character).

How badly do you want something? Babies can tell

Ten-month-old infants determine the value of a goal from how hard someone works to achieve it.

November 23, 2017

MIT neuroscientists have discovered that making decisions, especially when choosing between two options that have both positive and negative elements, can be dramatically affected by chronic stress.

Stress can lead to risky decisions

Neuroscientists find chronic stress skews decisions toward higher-risk options.

November 16, 2017

MIT researchers have devised a way to control single neurons using optogenetics. To help achieve this, they developed an opsin, or light-sensitive protein, that can be targeted to neuron cell bodies (bottom row). Neurons in the top row have traditional opsins that are distributed throughout their axons.

Next-generation optogenetic molecules control single neurons

Focused laser beam could help scientists map connections among neurons that underlie behavior.

November 13, 2017

In searching for a potential therapeutic for autism spectrum disorder, researchers have found that R-Baclofen reverses cognitive deficits and improves social interactions in two lines of 16p11.2 deletion mice.

Promise seen in possible treatment for autism spectrum disorder

Studies in mice show improved social interaction and cognition from a potential therapeutic for a syndrome that often results in autism.

October 31, 2017

A nutrient mix based in part on research from the lab of MIT Professor Emeritus Richard Wurtman has shown promise in treating the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

MIT research laid groundwork for promising Alzheimer’s-fighting drink

Studies by Richard Wurtman have led to development of nutrient mix shown to slow cognitive impairment in early stages of the disease.

October 30, 2017

A new “REPAIR” system edits RNA, rather than DNA.

Researchers engineer CRISPR to edit single RNA letters in human cells

“REPAIR” system edits RNA, rather than DNA; has potential to treat diseases without permanently affecting the genome.

October 25, 2017

The 2017 MassJAS biological and environmental sciences presenters practiced communication skills and vied for the opportunity to become delegates at the AJAS annual meeting.

Department of Biology hosts 2017 Massachusetts Junior Academy of Science Symposium

High school students present research projects to build communication skills while earning membership to the American Junior Academy of Science.

October 24, 2017

The green staining shows hippocampal CA1 engram cells, which store a long-term fear memory and have the light sensitive optogenetic protein channelrhodopsin-2. The blue staining shows all cells in the dorsal hippocampus brain region, including non-engram cells (blue color staining only).

MIT neuroscientists build case for new theory of memory formation

Existence of “silent engrams” suggests that existing models of memory formation should be revised.

October 23, 2017

More than 1,000 MIT alumni and friends celebrated the MIT Campaign for a Better World at the Boch Center Wang Theatre in downtown Boston on Sept. 28.

The Better World Tour comes home to Boston

Alumni and friends gather at the Boch Center Wang Theatre to celebrate the vibrant MIT community and the Institute's ambitious dreams for a better world.

October 20, 2017

“What’s really cool about eye tracking is it lets you see things that you’re not consciously aware of,” Professor Josh Tenenbaum says. “When psychologists and philosophers have proposed the idea of counterfactual simulation, they haven’t necessarily meant that you do this consciously. It’s something going on behind the surface, and eye tracking is able to reveal that.”

How we determine who’s to blame

Before assigning responsibility, our minds simulate alternative outcomes, study shows.

October 17, 2017

Microglia, the brain's immune cells, scavenge the brain for repairs and to remove potential infectious agents.

Cellular reprograming implicated in model of Alzheimer's disease

Neuroscientists identify genetic changes in microglia in a mouse model of neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's disease.

October 12, 2017

Brain waves reflect different types of learning

For the first time, researchers have identified neural signatures of explicit and implicit learning.

October 11, 2017

Ten from MIT and the Broad Institute recently received NIH Director's Awards. Top row (l-r): Feng Zhang, Kay Tye, Kevin Esvelt, Fei Chen; Bottom row (l-r): Gabriela Schlau-Cohen, Ahmed Badran, Hilary Finucane, Ed Boyden. Not pictured: Paul Blainey and Evan Macosko.

Ten researchers from MIT and Broad receive NIH Director’s Awards

Awards support high-risk, high-impact biomedical research.

October 5, 2017

Researchers found that babies who watched an adult struggle to complete tasks before succeeding tried harder at their own difficult task, compared to babies who saw an adult succeed without effort.

Babies can learn that hard work pays off

Study finds infants try harder after seeing adults struggle to achieve a goal.

September 21, 2017

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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