Brain and Cognitive Sciences

In this figure, neurons in the bottom row, which are missing the HDAC1 gene, show higher levels of DNA damage (green) than normal neurons.

Study finds that aging neurons accumulate DNA damage

Reactivating an enzyme that promotes DNA repair can help to reverse age-related cognitive decline in mice.

May 18, 2020

MIT researchers have found that a protein called SYT7 appears to limit activity at neural connections called synapses. Here, synapses glowing light green are engaged in neurotransmitter release.

Study finds “volume dial” for turning neural communication up or down

The protein Synaptotagmin 7 limits supply of neurotransmitter-containing vesicles for release at synapses.

May 13, 2020

Optogenetics is a technique in which genes for light-sensitive proteins are introduced into specific types of brain cells in order to monitor and control their activity precisely using light signals.

Optogenetics with SOUL

The Feng lab has developed a next-generation optogenetic system for non-invasive stimulation of neurons.

May 7, 2020

Results of the STOPCovid test appear as a single or double line on a paper strip akin to a pregnancy test. In this photo, test strips showing a single line (left panel) indicate no infection. Test strips revealing double lines (right panel) indicate the presence of the virus.

SHERLOCK-based one-step test provides rapid and sensitive Covid-19 detection

New CRISPR-based research tool delivers results in an hour; researchers share protocol and kits to advance research and move toward clinical validation.

May 5, 2020

“I feel supported and encouraged by everybody here and there’s not a barrier to me asking for help,” MIT senior Tarun Kamath says.

Studying the brain and supporting the mind

At MIT, senior Tarun Kamath has explored neuroscience and science policy, while helping his peers find ways to reduce stress.

April 28, 2020

Mounting evidence suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 virus affects the brain, as well as the lungs.

How could Covid-19 and the body’s immune response affect the brain?

Picower Institute researchers are embarking on experiments to learn the mechanisms by which coronavirus might affect mental health.

April 28, 2020

Lead author Joseph DelPreto controls a "Conduct-A-Bot" drone with his arm muscles.

Muscle signals can pilot a robot

CSAIL's Conduct-A-Bot system uses muscle signals to cue a drone’s movement, enabling more natural human-robot communication.

April 27, 2020

Six from MIT elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences for 2020

Prestigious honor society announces more than 250 new members.

April 24, 2020

“I’m grateful that I have skills to contribute during this time when the hospital needs our help and patients need our help,” says Picower Institute researcher and Massachusetts General Hospital neurologist Diane Chan, who has been helping evaluate patients in respiratory illness clinics during the coronavirus pandemic.

Covid-19 calls MIT physician-scientist to front-line respiratory care

Neurologist and researcher Diane Chan pitches in to help New England get through tough times.

April 22, 2020

McGovern scientists are studying the toll of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Examining the social impact of Covid-19

Survey from the Saxe Lab aims to measure the toll of social isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic.

April 21, 2020

2020 John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Fellows include (left to right) Sabine Iatridou, professor of linguistics; Jonathan Gruber, professor of economics; and Rebecca Saxe, professor of cognitive neuroscience.

Three from MIT awarded 2020 Guggenheim Fellowships

MIT professors Sabine Iatridou, Jonathan Gruber, and Rebecca Saxe have been selected to pursue their work “under the freest possible conditions.”

April 14, 2020

MIT engineers have developed magnetic nanoparticles (shown in white squares) that can stimulate the adrenal gland to produce stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.

Researchers achieve remote control of hormone release

Using magnetic nanoparticles, scientists stimulate the adrenal gland in rodents to control release of hormones linked to stress.

April 10, 2020

Left to right: Katie Collins, Vaishnavi Phadnis, and Vaibhavi Shah are three of the 396 undergraduates in the United States to receive 2020-21 Goldwater Scholarships.

Katie Collins, Vaishnavi Phadnis, and Vaibhavi Shah named 2020-21 Goldwater Scholars

Three MIT undergraduates who use computer science to explore human biology and health honored for their academic achievements.

April 9, 2020

MIT Senior Research Associate Kendyll Burnell and her poodle Soma examine neural imaging data together at home during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Researching from home: Science stays social, even at a distance

Picower Institute researchers are advancing their work in many ways despite time away from the lab required to corral Covid-19.

April 7, 2020

“When you encounter something new, there are some really new and notable stimuli, but you already know quite a bit about that particular experience, because it’s a similar kind of experience to what you have already had before,” says Susumu Tonegawa, a professor of biology and neuroscience at the RIKEN-MIT Laboratory of Neural Circuit Genetics at MIT’s Picower Institute for Learning and Me...

Neuroscientists find memory cells that help us interpret new situations

Neurons that store abstract representations of past experiences are activated when a new, similar event takes place.

April 6, 2020

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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