Silent synapses are abundant in the adult brain
These immature connections may explain how the adult brain is able to form new memories and absorb new information.
Teresa Gao named 2024 Mitchell Scholar
The MIT senior will pursue postgraduate studies in computer science in Ireland.
Alzheimer’s risk gene undermines insulation of brain’s “wiring”
In people carrying APOE4, a key brain cell mismanages cholesterol needed to insulate neurons properly — another sign APOE4 contributes to disease by disrupting brain lipids.
Are Covid-19 “comas” signs of a protective hibernation state?
Scientists hypothesize that, as in a hibernating turtle, the brain under sedation and deprived of oxygen may assume a protective state.
Study: Zebrafish are smarter than we thought
Researchers have discovered that the brains of these simple fish can create three-dimensional maps of their surroundings.
Ila Fiete wins Swartz Prize for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience
Society for Neuroscience honors BCS professor for breakthrough research modeling a component of the brain’s navigational system.
Solving brain dynamics gives rise to flexible machine-learning models
MIT CSAIL researchers solve a differential equation behind the interaction of two neurons through synapses to unlock a new type of speedy and efficient AI algorithm.
Not every reader’s struggle is the same
An MIT study finds that children from different socioeconomic backgrounds tend to have different brain patterns associated with reading difficulty.
Study urges caution when comparing neural networks to the brain
Computing systems that appear to generate brain-like activity may be the result of researchers guiding them to a specific outcome.
Magnetic sensors track muscle length
Using a new technology, researchers hope to create better control systems for prosthetic limbs.
Five with MIT ties elected to the National Academy of Medicine for 2022
Professors Mark Bear and Laura Kiessling ’83, along with Krishna Shenoy SM ’92, PhD ’95, David Tuveson ’87, and Martin Burke are among the newly elected members.
Unlocking the mysteries of how neurons learn
PhD candidate Raúl Mojica Soto-Albors seeks to understand the rules of plasticity that underlie neuronal behavior.
Celebrating 20 years of discovery, Picower Institute looks ahead to continuing impact
At an exhibition marking two decades since a transformative gift from the Picower Foundation, current and alumni members described research at the forefront of neuroscience and beyond.
Building a bridge between neuroscience and immunology
Gloria Choi’s studies of how the immune system and nervous system influence each other could yield new approaches to treating neurological disorders.
With fractured genomes, Alzheimer’s neurons call for help
Study indicates ailing neurons may instigate an inflammatory response from the brain’s microglia immune cells.