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we want to know how the mind works

MIT's Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences stands at the nexus of neuroscience, biology and psychology. We combine these disciplines to study specific aspects of the brain and mind including: vision, movement systems, learning and memory, neural and cognitive development, language and reasoning. Working collaboratively, we apply our expertise, tools, and techniques to address and answer both fundamental and universal questions about how the brain and mind work.

don't you?


Neurons (yellow-green) and astrocytes (purple-white) labeled in a 150 by 150 micron area of cortex.  Blood vessels (dark) are also apparent, with astrocyte processes in close proximity. Image / Sur Lab.

Spotlights Study points to dietary cocktail for Alzheimer's
A dietary cocktail that includes a type of omega-3 fatty acid can improve memory and learning in gerbils, according to the latest study from MIT researchers that points to a possible beverage-based treatment for Alzheimer's and other brain diseases.
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MIT unlocks mystery behind brain imaging
In work that solves a long-standing mystery in neuroscience, researchers at MIT's Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department have shown for the first time that star-shaped brain cells called astrocytes make noninvasive brain scans possible.
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