McGovern Institute

Rebecca Saxe named Young Global Leader by World Economic Forum

James DiCarlo to head Department of Brain and Cognitive SciencesNew department head succeeds Mriganka Sur, who will lead the new Simons Center for the Social Brain at MIT.

Seeking the neurological roots of conflictMIT neuroscientists explore how longstanding conflict influences empathy for others.

Boyden named inaugural recipient of IET’s Harvey Engineering Research PrizeHonored for his pioneering research contributions to the field of optogenetics, in which neurons are genetically modified to respond to light.

Patterns of connections reveal brain functionsNeuroscientists identify face-recognition areas based on what parts of the brain they link to.

Neuroscientists identify a master controller of memoryOne gene appears to regulate the brain’s ability to form new memories.

Brain rhythms are key to learningNew study from MIT neuroscientists finds that brain waves shift frequency as a new task becomes routine.

Dyslexia independent of IQBrain-imaging study suggests that reading difficulties are the same regardless of overall intelligence — and that more children could benefit from support in school.

3 Questions: John Gabrieli on studying traumatic memoriesSept. 11, 2001, is a day that lives in infamy. But how accurately do we remember it?

Localizing language in the brainNew study pinpoints areas of the brain used exclusively for language, providing a partial answer to a longstanding debate in cognitive science.

Ready to learn? Brain scans can tell youNeuroscientists identify brain activity that predicts how well you will remember images.

Scene perception versus action in the brainCognitive neuroscientists shed light on how the brain responds to scenes and their mirror-image reversals.

Recognizing voices depends on language abilityStudy finds that for people with dyslexia, it’s much harder to identify who is speaking.

How to grow wires and tiny platesLiquid processing method developed at MIT can control the shapes of nanowires and produce complete electronic devices.

Of minds and machinesFinal installment of MIT’s 150th anniversary symposia explores intelligence — both human and artificial.

The benefits of meditationMIT and Harvard neuroscientists explain why the practice helps tune out distractions and relieve pain.

Seeing the lightOptogenetic technology restores visual behavior in mice, holds promise for treating human blindness.

McGovern Institute honors pioneer in understanding brain hormones

Re-creating autism, in miceMice with a particular gene mutation avoid interacting with other mice and show compulsive, repetitive behavior.

A new way to evaluate dyslexiaNeuroscientists show that brain scans can predict whether children’s reading ability will improve.

When gender isn’t written all over one’s faceNeuroscientists find that the same face may look male or female, depending on where it appears in a person’s field of view.

Force of habitNew study shows that costs and rewards of behavior help the brain form optimal habits.

5 from MIT win NIH awardsThe grants are designed to promote risky, innovative research with the potential to transform a field of study.

Feng Zhang, expert on genetic control of brain function, to join BCS faculty

Postdoc awarded Otto Hahn medal of the Max Planck SocietyHonored for thesis on neural correlates of visual illusions

McGovern Institute video wins CINE Golden Eagle Award

Guoping Feng, expert on synapses and psychiatric disorders, joins MIT faculty

McGovern Institute video wins Telly AwardGiven top honors in fundraising category