Brain and Cognitive Sciences

MIT researchers have developed a light-sensitive protein that can be embedded into neuron membranes, where it emits a fluorescent signal that indicates how much voltage a particular cell is experiencing. This could allow scientists to study how neurons behave, millisecond by millisecond, as the brain performs a particular function.

Seeing the brain's electrical activity

Fluorescent sensor allows imaging of neurons' electrical communications, without electrodes.

February 26, 2018

As both a neuroscientist and an anesthesiologist, Emery Brown wants to make the brain the center of field.

Putting the brain at the center of anesthesiology

Emery N. Brown explains how statistics and neuroscience improve anesthesiology at the American Association for the Advancement of Science's annual meeting.

February 16, 2018

A collection of SHERLOCK paper test strips. (Left) Unused paper strips, (middle) paper tests displaying a negative SHERLOCK readout, and (right) paper tests displaying a positive SHERLOCK readout.

Researchers advance CRISPR-based tool for diagnosing disease

With SHERLOCK, a strip of paper can now indicate presence of pathogens, tumor DNA, or any genetic signature of interest.

February 15, 2018

MIT cognitive scientists have found that conversation between an adult and a child appears to change the child’s brain.

Back-and-forth exchanges boost children’s brain response to language

Study finds engaging young children in conversation is more important for brain development than “dumping words” on them.

February 13, 2018

In this image of a mouse visual cortex, astrocytes (stained red) appear about as abundant as neurons (green).

MIT neuroscientists give "invisible" cells a new look

With a new grant, a Picower Institute team is studying the role of astrocytes, which may partner with neurons to process information in the brain.

February 12, 2018

Our daily lives include hundreds of routine habits, made up of many smaller actions, such as picking up our toothbrush, squeezing toothpaste onto it, and then lifting the brush to our mouth. This process of grouping behaviors together into a single routine is known as “chunking.” MIT neuroscientists have now found that certain neurons in the brain are responsible for marking the beginning and ...

Distinctive brain pattern helps habits form

Study identifies neurons that fire at the beginning and end of a behavior as it becomes a habit.

February 8, 2018

This image shows neurons in the CA3 region of the hippocampus, which is important for memory encoding and retrieval. Nuclei of the CA3 neurons are labeled in green and their dendrites in red, and the smaller specks of green above represent axons projecting to the CA3 neurons from the dentate gyrus.

Study reveals molecular mechanisms of memory formation

Neuroscientists discover a cellular pathway that encodes memories by strengthening specific synapses.

February 8, 2018

“I am fascinated by how people work, why we do what we do, and why we think what we think,” says senior and Marshall Scholar Liang Zhou.

Decoding human cognition

MIT senior and Marshall Scholar Liang Zhou wants to elucidate the neural basis for our thoughts and intuitions.

February 1, 2018

From left to right: Polina Anikeeva, the Class of 1942 Associate Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and associate director of the Research Laboratory of Electronics, and Feng Zhang, the James and Patricia Poitras ’63 Professor in Neuroscience at the McGovern Institute, a core member of the Broad Institute, and an associate professor in the departments of Brain and C...

Polina Anikeeva and Feng Zhang awarded 2018 Vilcek Prize

Prize recognizes contributions to biomedical research made by immigrant scientists.

February 1, 2018

MIT neuroscientists have found evidence that the brain’s ability to control what it’s thinking about relies on low-frequency brain waves known as beta rhythms.

New study reveals how brain waves control working memory

Brain rhythms act as a gate for information entering and leaving the mind.

January 26, 2018

Sometimes items can easily be grouped by their appearance, such as these apples, but sometimes the brain must use a different mode of thought to find a more abstract similarity, such as that between a drill and screwdriver.

Study: Distinct brain rhythms and regions help us reason about categories

High-frequency gamma oscillations sort similar-looking objects; lower-frequency beta oscillations kick in when connections are more abstract.

January 25, 2018

Various 3-D views of the basolateral amygdala show the arrangement of neurons that project to the nucleus accumbens (green), the hippocampus (blue), or the central amygdala (red).

Lifting the veil on "valence," brain study reveals roots of desire and dislike

Researchers map the amygdala's distinct but diverse and dynamic neighborhoods where feelings are assigned.

January 23, 2018

Senior Anjali Misra, who is majoring in brain and cognitive sciences and minoring in music, is originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Making preventive medicine more accessible

MIT senior Anjali Misra is drawn to health care problems that don’t have easy answers.

January 17, 2018

Josh McDermott receives NAS Troland Research Award

Cognitive scientist is recognized for groundbreaking research into how humans hear and interpret sound.

January 17, 2018

Study: Rhythmic interactions between cortical layers underlie working memory

MIT neuroscientists suggest a model for how we gain volitional control of what we hold in our minds.

January 15, 2018

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