How nature organizes itself, from brain cells to ecosystems
McGovern Institute researchers develop a mathematical model to help define how modularity occurs in the brain — and across nature.
Department
Brain and Cognitive Sciences
Study suggests new molecular strategy for treating fragile X syndrome
Enhancing activity of a specific component of neurons’ “NMDA” receptors normalized protein synthesis, neural activity, and seizure susceptibility in the hippocampus of fragile X lab mice.
Seeing more in expansion microscopy
New methods light up lipid membranes and let researchers see sets of proteins inside cells with high resolution.
An ancient RNA-guided system could simplify delivery of gene editing therapies
The programmable proteins are compact, modular, and can be directed to modify DNA in human cells.
Study: Even after learning the right idea, humans and animals still seem to test other approaches
New research adds evidence that learning a successful strategy for approaching a task doesn’t prevent further exploration, even if doing so reduces performance.
MIT method enables ultrafast protein labeling of tens of millions of densely packed cells
Tissue processing advance can label proteins at the level of individual cells across large samples just as fast and uniformly as in dissociated single cells.
Evelina Fedorenko receives Troland Award from National Academy of Sciences
Cognitive neuroscientist is recognized for her groundbreaking discoveries about the brain’s language system.
Professor Emeritus Gerald Schneider, discoverer of the “two visual systems,” dies at 84
An MIT affiliate for some 60 years, Schneider was an authority on the relationships between brain structure and behavior.
Modeling complex behavior with a simple organism
By studying the roundworm C. elegans, neuroscientist Steven Flavell explores how neural circuits give rise to behavior.
Three MIT students named 2026 Schwarzman Scholars
Yutao Gong, Brandon Man, and Andrii Zahorodnii will spend 2025-26 at Tsinghua University in China studying global affairs.
How one brain circuit encodes memories of both places and events
A new computational model explains how neurons linked to spatial navigation can also help store episodic memories.
For healthy hearing, timing matters
Machine-learning models let neuroscientists study the impact of auditory processing on real-world hearing.
Study suggests how the brain, with sleep, learns meaningful maps of spaces
Place cells are known to encode individual locations, but research finds stitching together a “cognitive map” of a whole environment requires a broader ensemble of cells, aided by sleep, over several days.
Teaching AI to communicate sounds like humans do
Inspired by the human vocal tract, a new AI model can produce and understand vocal imitations of everyday sounds. The method could help build new sonic interfaces for entertainment and education.
Personal interests can influence how children’s brains respond to language
McGovern Institute neuroscientists use children’s interests to probe language in the brain.