Scientists discover anatomical changes in the brains of the newly sighted
Following cataract removal, some of the brain’s visual pathways seem to be more malleable than previously thought.
Six from MIT awarded 2023 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
Fellowship funds graduate studies for outstanding immigrants and children of immigrants.
Eight from MIT elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences for 2023
The prestigious honor society announces more than 250 new members.
Studying consciousness without affecting it
A new study tests an alternative to external stimulation for measuring when subjects lose and regain responsiveness during sedation and anesthesia.
Neuroscientists identify cells especially vulnerable to Alzheimer’s
Neurons that form part of a memory circuit are among the first brain cells to show signs of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease.
A new peptide may hold potential as an Alzheimer’s treatment
The peptide blocks a hyperactive brain enzyme that contributes to the neurodegeneration seen in Alzheimer’s and other diseases.
Astrocyte cells critical for learning skilled movements
When astrocyte function is disrupted, neurons in the brain’s motor cortex struggle to execute and refine motion, a new study in mice shows.
Robotic hand can identify objects with just one grasp
The three-fingered robotic gripper can “feel” with great sensitivity along the full length of each finger – not just at the tips.
“Spatial computing” enables flexible working memory
The brain applies rhythms to physical patches of the cortex to selectively control just the right neurons at the right times to do the right things.
Bacterial injection system delivers proteins in mice and human cells
With further development, the programmable system could be used in a range of applications including gene and cancer therapies.
Minds wide open
Alan Lightman’s new book asks how a sense of transcendence can exist in brains made of atoms, molecules, and neurons.
3 Questions: Mriganka Sur on the research origins of the first approved drug to treat Rett syndrome
On March 10 the FDA approved Trofinetide, a drug based on the protein IGF-1. The MIT professor's original research showing that IGF-1 could treat Rett was published in 2009.
2023 MacVicar Faculty Fellows named
Professors Gabrieli, Gubar, Martin, and Sass are honored for exceptional undergraduate teaching.
Pilot, engineer, neuroscientist, bridge-builder
How Elissa Gibson ’22 connected the dots to form her own unique constellation of MIT experiences.
New insights into training dynamics of deep classifiers
MIT researchers uncover the structural properties and dynamics of deep classifiers, offering novel explanations for optimization, generalization, and approximation in deep networks.