neuroscience archive

MIT-led team creates touch-based illusion - A team of scientists from MIT, Harvard and McGill has designed a new illusion involving the sense of touch, which is helping to glean new insights into perception and how different senses--such as touch and sight--work together. July 17, 2008

Brain scientists spot nature/nurture gene link - Neuroscientists at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory found that a previously unsuspected set of genes links nature and nurture during a crucial period of brain development. The results could lead to treatments for autism and other disorders. July 15, 2008

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. July 8, 2008

MIT unlocks mystery behind brain imaging - In work that solves a long-standing mystery in neuroscience, researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory have shown for the first time that star-shaped brain cells called astrocytes make noninvasive brain scans possible. June 19, 2008

Brain & Cognitive Sciences awards - Awards given in MIT Brain & Cognitive Sciences for the academic year 2007-2008. June 4, 2008

MIT helps develop image-recognition software - It takes surprisingly few pixels of information to be able to identify the subject of an image, a team led by an MIT researcher has found. The discovery could lead to great advances in the automated identification of online images. May 21, 2008

MIT's Rebecca Saxe probes mechanics of thought - How do we know what other people are thinking? How do we judge them, and what happens in our brains when we do? MIT neuroscientist Rebecca Saxe is tackling those tough questions and many others. May 14, 2008

Study suggests caution on new anti-obesity drug - Anti-obesity drugs that work by blocking brain molecules similar to those in marijuana could also interfere with neural development in young children, according to a new study from MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory. May 7, 2008

$4 million gift supports neuroscience innovation at MIT - Restoring memories by flashing brain cells with lasers and dissecting the genetic basis for language learning are among the projects at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT to be funded with a new $4 million gift from The Picower Foundation. May 6, 2008

Bear continues leadership at Picower Institute - Picower Professor of Neuroscience Mark F. Bear has committed to continuing as director of the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory through June 2010. Bear began his leadership of the institute in 2007. May 5, 2008

Singing in the brain: Study yields birdsong insight - In work that offers insights into how birds--and perhaps people--learn new behaviors, MIT scientists have found that immature and adult birdsongs are driven by two separate brain pathways, rather than one pathway that slowly matures. May 1, 2008

Researchers catch rats' twitchy whiskers in action - In a finding that could help further understanding of perception across species, MIT neuroscientists have used high-speed video to reveal rat whiskers in action and show the tiny movements that underlie the rat's perception of its tactile environment. February 27, 2008

No easy answers in evolution of human language - The evolution of human speech was far more complex than is implied by some recent attempts to link it to a specific gene, says MIT Professor Robert Berwick, who will discuss his work Feb. 17 at the AAAS Annual Meeting in Boston. February 17, 2008

Brains informing computers, and vice versa - After many years, Tomaso Poggio's two parallel lines of research--one aimed at using computers to understand how the brain works, the other at improving the abilities of computers to "think"--have begun to converge. February 16, 2008

MIT neuroscientists to study autism and dyslexia - Two researchers at MIT's McGovern Institute for Brain Research will head an ambitious new project to study the origins of autism and dyslexia, supported by an $8.5M grant from the Ellison Medical Foundation. February 6, 2008

New MIT tool probes brain circuits - Researchers at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT report that they have created a way to see, for the first time, the effect of blocking and unblocking a single neural circuit on learning and memory in a living animal. January 24, 2008

Neuroscientists see flaws in computer vision tests - A new MIT study cautions that apparent successes in teaching computers to recognize visual objects like humans may be misleading because the tests being used are inadvertently stacked in favor of computers. January 24, 2008

Five from MIT receive NARSAD awards - Ann M. Graybiel, the Walter A. Rosenblith Professor of Neuroscience, has been selected by NARSAD: The Mental Health Research Association to receive its Distinguished Investigator Award. Graybiel is one of 23 leading scientists to receive the award. January 22, 2008

Culture influences brain function, study shows - People from different cultures use their brains differently to solve the same visual perceptual tasks, MIT researchers report in the first brain imaging study of its kind, focusing on mapping brain activity patterns that reflect different mental operations. January 11, 2008

Gift aims to promote new Picower collaborations - A $1.2 million gift from Dana and Betty Fisher aims to promote new collaborations and community among scientists at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT. January 10, 2008

MIT corrects inherited retardation, autism in mice - Researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory have corrected key symptoms of mental retardation and autism in mice. The work indicates that a certain class of drugs could have the same effect in humans. December 19, 2007

Missing protein may be key to autism - A missing brain protein that helps in the development of synapses may be one of the culprits behind autism and other brain disorders, according to researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory. December 5, 2007

Brain stem cells limited for replacement therapies - MIT scientists report that adult stem cells produced in the brain are preprogrammed to make only certain kinds of connections--making it impossible for a neural stem cell originating in the brain to be transplanted to other regions. November 30, 2007

Mix of compounds improves rodents' brain function - MIT researchers have shown that a cocktail containing three compounds normally in the blood stream promotes growth of new brain connections and improves cognitive function in rodents. The treatment is now being tested in Alzheimer's patients. November 26, 2007

MIT IDs proteins key to brain function - MIT researchers have identified a family of proteins key to the formation of the communication networks critical for normal brain function. Their research could lead to new treatments for brain injury and disease. November 19, 2007

Lindquist researches new role for yeast - Yeast has gone from being a workhorse of the brewing and baking industries to a discovery platform for neurobiology, professor of biology Susan Lindquist told an MIT audience in a lecture sponsored by the Molecular Frontiers Foundation. November 14, 2007

MIT IDs enzymes key to brainpower - By zeroing in on the enzymes that manipulate a key scaffolding protein for synapses, MIT researchers have found that bolstering disintegrating neural connections may help boost brainpower in Alzheimer's disease patients. November 7, 2007

Scientists head to annual neuroscience meeting - MIT's excellence in brain research will be showcased next week in San Diego as Institute scientists give five of the 24 invited talks at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. October 31, 2007

Poitras gift to support mental illness research - The McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT has received a $20 million philanthropic commitment from MIT alumnus James Poitras and his wife, Patricia, to support research into mental illness. October 22, 2007

MIT finds new role for well-known protein - In a finding that may lead to potential new treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, researchers at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT report an unexpected role in the brain for a well-known protein. October 18, 2007

Blood may help us think - MIT scientists propose that blood may help us think, in addition to its well-known role as the conveyor of fuel and oxygen to brain cells. The theory has implications for understanding brain diseases such as Alzheimer's and schizophrenia. October 16, 2007

Institute of Medicine elects Brown - Emery N. Brown, M.D., a professor in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology and in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, has been elected to the Institute of Medicine. October 13, 2007

MIT student turns hearing loss into knowledge gain - Brad Buran, a Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology graduate student, lost his hearing when he was 14 months old. Today, the fifth-year doctoral candidate is becoming an expert in the neuroscience of speech and hearing. October 3, 2007

Research helps convert brain signals into action - MIT researchers have developed a new algorithm that unifies seemingly disparate approaches to prototype neural prosthetic devices, the apparatuses that convert brain signals into action for paralyzed patients or amputees. October 2, 2007

Brain's messengers could be regulated - Researchers at MIT's Picower Institute have found that tiny, spontaneous releases of the brain's primary chemical messengers can be regulated, potentially giving scientists unprecedented control over how the brain is wired. September 16, 2007

MIT IDs binocular vision gene - In work that could lead to new treatments for sensory disorders in which people experience the strange phenomena of seeing better with one eye covered, MIT researchers report that they have identified the gene responsible for binocular vision. September 13, 2007

Leveraging learning for artificial respiration - MIT researchers have found that the body's innate ability to adapt to recurring stimuli could be leveraged to design more effective and less costly artificial respirators, minimizing the need for induced sedation or paralysis for some patients. September 11, 2007

Adult brain can change, study confirms - Neuroscientists from MIT and Johns Hopkins University have used evidence from brain imaging and behavioral studies to show that the adult visual cortex reorganizes--and that the change affects visual perception. September 5, 2007

'Clutter detector' could cut visual confusion - A team of MIT scientists has identified a way to measure visual clutter. Their research could lead to more user-friendly displays and maps, as well as tips for designers seeking to add an attention-grabbing element to a display. August 21, 2007

Study finds maturity brings richer memories - MIT neuroscientists exploring how memory formation differs between children and adults have found that children rival adults in forming basic memories, but adults do better at remembering the rich, contextual details of that information. August 5, 2007

Research deciphers 'deja-vu' brain mechanics - Neuroscientists at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory report that they have identified a neuronal mechanism that helps us rapidly distinguish similar, yet distinct, places. The discovery helps explain the sensation of déjà vu. June 7, 2007

Brain & Cognitive Sciences awards - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. June 6, 2007

Brain has 'teacher' and 'tinkerer' - While most people need peace and quiet to cram for a test, the brain itself may need noise to learn, a recent MIT study suggests. The researchers found that neural activities in the brain gradually change, even when nothing new is being learned. June 4, 2007

MIT reports key pathway in synaptic plasticity - MIT neuroscientists have pieced together a direct linear pathway connecting three molecules involved in synaptic formation. The work could someday have implications for many developmental and neurodegenerative diseases. May 21, 2007

Team reverses Alzheimer's-like symptoms in mice - Mice whose brains had atrophied like those of Alzheimer's disease patients regained long-term memories and the ability to learn after living in an enriched environment, reports MIT Professor Li-Huei Tsai and colleagues in the journal Nature. April 30, 2007

Model helps researchers 'see' brain development - Understanding the significance of folds in the outer layer of the brain is one of the big open questions in neuroscience. Now a team led by MIT, MGH and Harvard Medical School has developed a tool that could help researchers "see" the growth of those folds. April 10, 2007

Computer model mimics blink of a human eye - MIT researchers report that a computer model designed to mimic the way the brain processes visual information performs as well as humans do on rapid categorization tasks--even tending to make similar errors as humans. April 4, 2007

Scientists find different brain regions fuel attention - If you spotted an anaconda poised to strike, the signal to pay attention would originate in a different part of your brain than if you gazed at an anaconda in the zoo, neuroscientists at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory report. March 29, 2007

Child's play is serious study of cause and effect - It's not child's play to MIT cognitive scientist Laura E. Schulz to figure out what child's play is all about. She addressed her research at a recent event, "Twisting the Lion's Tail: Exploratory Play and Children's Causal Learning." March 28, 2007

Engineers' pulsing light silences overactive neurons - Scientists at the MIT Media Lab have invented a way to reversibly silence brain cells using pulses of yellow light, offering the prospect of controlling the haywire neuron activity that occurs in diseases such as epilepsy and Parkinson's disease. March 27, 2007

Robotic brace aids stroke recovery - At age 32, Maggie Fermental suffered a stroke that left her right side paralyzed. After a year and a half of conventional therapy with minimal results, she tried a new kind of robotic therapy developed by MIT engineers. March 20, 2007

$100M gift to launch center for psychiatric disease - The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has received a $100 million gift to launch a new research center that will combine the strengths of genomics and chemical biology to advance the understanding and treatment of severe mental illnesses. March 8, 2007

Newton 11th grader wins Boston regional Brain Bee - Natalya Slepneva, a junior from Newton South High School, beat 25 students from 15 local high schools to win the 2007 Boston Regional Brain Bee at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory Feb. 10. February 23, 2007

Model mimics neural processes in object recognition - For the first time, MIT scientists have applied a computer model of how the brain processes visual information to a complex, real world task: recognizing the objects in a busy street scene. February 23, 2007

Study points to a genetic link for schizophrenia - Gene mutations governing a key brain enzyme make people susceptible to schizophrenia and may be targeted in future treatments for the psychiatric illness, according to MIT and Japanese researchers. February 20, 2007

Study shows formerly blind can learn to see - How does the human brain "learn" to see? If the brain is deprived of visual input early in life, can it later learn to see at all? MIT researchers are exploring those questions by studying formerly blind patients who later had their sight restored. February 14, 2007

Scientists: A good lie detector is hard to find - In the not-too-distant future, police may request a warrant to search your brain. This was said only partly in jest by one of the panelists at a symposium titled "Is There Science Underlying Truth Detection?" February 12, 2007

High school students compete in 'brain bee' at MIT - More than 30 students from Boston-area high schools will compete Feb. 10 in the 2007 Boston Regional Brain Bee at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at 43 Vassar St. February 9, 2007

Mark Bear named Picower director - Neuroscientist Mark F. Bear, an expert on how the brain changes in response to experience, has been appointed director of the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory. January 2, 2007

McGovern appoints neurotechnology director - The McGovern Institute for Brain Research has announced the appointment of Charles Jennings as director of the McGovern Institute Neurotechnology (MINT) Program. December 20, 2006

Memory experts show rats may have visual dreams - Memories of our life stories may be reinforced while we sleep, MIT researchers report Dec. 17 in the advance online edition of Nature Neuroscience. December 18, 2006

Neuroscience council members announced - Provost L. Rafael Reif has announced the members of the new Advisory Council on Neuroscience. December 18, 2006

Team reverses Parkinson's damage in yeast - Yeast cells get sick and die from the same toxic culprit that mucks up dopamine-producing neurons in Parkinson's disease. Now, a multi-institutional team led by MIT professor Susan Lindquist has found a way to reverse the damage in yeast. December 11, 2006

Statements by Susumu Tonegawa, Rafael Reif - MIT Professor Susumu Tonegawa has issued a statement regarding his decision to resign as director of the Picower Institute of Learning and Memory. November 17, 2006

Susumu Tonegawa to step down from Picower Institute leadership - Professor Susumu Tonegawa has announced his intention to step down as director of the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT to devote himself to research. November 17, 2006

MIT creates group to coordinate neuroscience hiring - MIT is establishing an Advisory Council on Neuroscience to oversee and coordinate faculty hiring and recruitment in the Institute's growing neuroscience programs and to help articulate a coherent program for MIT's work in the field. November 2, 2006

Scientists pinpoint brain site for rapid learning - MIT researchers have provided the first two-pronged evidence--based on both behavior and physiology--that a specific juncture in the memory center of the brain is crucial for rapid learning. October 20, 2006

Nanoparticles to aid brain imaging, team reports - If you want to see precisely what the 100 billion neurons in a person's brain are doing, a good way to start is to track calcium as it flows into neurons when they fire. Using a nano-sized tracking agent, an MIT researcher has developed a way to do just that. September 27, 2006

Epilepsy breakthrough on horizon - Researchers at MIT are developing a device that could detect and prevent epileptic seizures before they become debilitating. The scientists plan to test the new detector in epilepsy patients this fall. August 31, 2006

MIT provides first evidence for learning mechanism - Finally confirming a fact that remained unproven for more than 30 years, researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory report that certain key connections among neurons get stronger when we learn. August 24, 2006

Professor explores Alzheimer's causes - Some people live to be 100 without falling victim to Alzheimer's disease. Li-Huei Tsai, who joined MIT this spring as Picower Professor of Neuroscience, wants to know why. August 8, 2006

Researchers uncover basis for perceptual learning - Following up on an accidental finding, MIT researchers at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and colleagues have uncovered a mechanism for perceptual learning -- the ability of some to pick up on distinctions that others can't. August 2, 2006

MIT researchers watch brain in action - For the first time, scientists have been able to watch neurons within the brain of a living animal change in response to experience. July 27, 2006

MIT announces committee to foster collaboration in neuroscience - MIT announced today that it is forming an ad hoc committee to review the structure of its neuroscience entities, and to make recommendations for how these entities can work together more productively in the future. July 21, 2006

Broad plans midsummer science talks - The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard is planning a series of Tuesday night talks on genetic and genomic research. July 10, 2006

Parkinson's symptoms reversed in animals - MIT scientists and colleagues have not only identified a key biological pathway that, when obstructed, causes Parkinson's symptoms, they have also repaired that pathway and restored normal neurological function in certain animal models. June 22, 2006

Genetic networks discussed at Picower retreat - Cori Bargmann wants to know what it's like to be a worm. To understand the nervous system of the nematode C. elegans, said the Rockefeller University professor at an MIT retreat recently, it helps to imagine what a worm's life in the soil is like. June 16, 2006

Brain and Cognitive Sciences awards - 2006 Awards listings. June 7, 2006

Ann Graybiel honored for Parkinson's work - Ann Graybiel has a new professorship to her name, external to MIT, in recognition of her important contributions to the understanding and treatment of Parkinson's disease. June 7, 2006

Sur elected fellow of Royal Society - Mriganka Sur, the Sherman Fairchild Professor of Neuroscience and head of the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, has been elected a fellow of the Royal Society. May 24, 2006

Picower conference tackles addiction - William C. Moyers and other panelists at "On Addiction," a daylong MIT conference hosted by the Picower Institute, said that one of the biggest issues facing addiction treatment is the social stigma still associated with substance abuse. May 12, 2006

Brain researchers see visual role for growth factor - Researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory have identified an insulin-like growth factor that prevents the usual effects of visual deprivation in the brain. April 28, 2006

MIT research offers hope for Alzheimer's patients - MIT brain researchers have developed a "cocktail" of dietary supplements, now in human clinical trials, that holds promise for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. April 27, 2006

Research gives lazy eye theory a workout - In a study that challenges conventional thinking about the condition known as lazy eye, researchers at MIT show that it's the quality, not the quantity, of images and light striking the retina that causes one eye to lose function. April 14, 2006

Scolnick winner to talk at McGovern - The McGovern Institute will present the third annual Edward M. Scolnick Prize in Neuroscience to Michael Greenberg, a world leader in molecular neurobiology from Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School. April 12, 2006

Nobelist unravels smell at Picower symposium - Vanilla, camphor, lavender and skunk: How do mammals differentiate such odors with precision and translate the information into behavior? Nobel laureate Linda B. Buck gave a March 26 keynote address on the subject of "Unravelling Smell" at the MIT symposium "New Frontiers in Brain Science -- from Molecules to Mind." March 29, 2006

Scientists show that children think like scientists - Even preschoolers approach the world much like scientists: They are convinced that perplexing and unpredictable events can be explained, according to an MIT brain researcher's study in the April issue of Child Development. March 24, 2006

Rat whiskers lead to brain map - Neuroscientists at MIT have discovered an exquisite micro-map of the brain. It's the size of the period at the end of this sentence, and it's in a most unexpected place -- connected to the whiskers on a rat's face. March 22, 2006

Warbling whales speak a language all their own - Researchers led by an MIT graduate student have now mathematically confirmed that whales have their own syntax that uses sound units to build phrases that can be combined to form songs that last for hours. March 22, 2006

Research finds unexpected activity in visual cortex - For years, neural activity in the brain's visual cortex was thought to have only one job: to create visual perceptions. A new study by MIT researchers shows that visual cortical activity can serve another purpose -- connecting visual experience with non-visual events. March 16, 2006

Brain researchers restore sight in rodents - Rodents blinded by a severed tract in their brains' visual system had their sight partially restored within weeks, thanks to a tiny biodegradable scaffold invented by MIT bioengineers and neuroscientists. March 13, 2006

Research holds promise for Huntington's treatment - Researchers at MIT and Harvard Medical School have identified a compound that interferes with the pathogenic effects of Huntington's disease, a discovery that could lead to development of a new treatment for the disease. March 6, 2006

Neurons in sync focus attention, researchers find - When neurons fire in synchrony, the resultant signal calls attention to certain tasks and helps speed response time, according to a recent study by Robert Desimone, director of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, and colleagues in the Netherlands. February 24, 2006

Newton student wins Brain Bee at Picower - A student from Newton (Mass.) South High School took top place in the first Boston Regional Brain Bee, held Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT. February 16, 2006

'Mad cow protein' found to aid creation of brain cells - Few conditions are more detrimental to human brains than the one popularly referred to as mad cow disease. But now there's reason to suspect that the malformed protein that causes the disease might also be necessary for healthy brain function. February 16, 2006

McGovern research sheds light on visual circuits - For the human brain, birth is a great divide. Like marble ready for sculpting, the prenatal brain abounds in extraneous neurons and connections waiting for experiences to carve the neural circuits that enable us to perceive, think and learn. February 14, 2006

Picower researcher explains how rats think - After running a maze, rats mentally replay their actions -- but backward, like a film played in reverse, a researcher at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT reports in the online edition of Nature. February 12, 2006

Researchers link mad-cow culprit to stem cell health - MIT and Whitehead Institute scientists have found that the same protein that causes neurodegenerative conditions such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) is also important for helping certain adult stem cells maintain themselves. January 30, 2006

Researcher finds neuron growth in adult brain - Despite the prevailing belief that adult brain cells don't grow, a researcher at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory reports in the Dec. 27 issue of Public Library of Science (PLoS) Biology that structural remodeling of neurons does in fact occur in mature brains. December 27, 2005

Faces have a special place in the brain - Research at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT indicates that the brain is comprised of highly specialized parts, each optimized to conduct a single, very specific function. December 21, 2005

Nobelists lend brain power to launch Picower - A panel of five Nobel laureates discussed their visions for the future as part of a daylong event, "The Future of the Brain," held Dec. 1 by the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory to celebrate the opening of its new home. December 6, 2005

'Backtalk' among cells key to brain connections - A Picower Institute for Learning and Memory researcher reports in the Nov. 4 issue of Science that a kind of "backtalk" from a postsynaptic cell is crucial in the chemical and electrical dance that drives synapse development. December 5, 2005

Institute dedicates Brain & Cog Complex - The atrium of the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex resembled a five-story illuminated manuscript -- complete with golden light, dazzling surfaces and young faces gazing down -- during its dedication ceremony Dec. 2. December 5, 2005

MIT opens world's largest neuroscience center - On Friday afternoon, Dec. 2, MIT officially opened the new Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex, the largest neuroscience research center in the world. December 2, 2005

A celebration in pictures - The 90-foot-high atrium of the new Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex was the place to be on Thursday, Dec. 1, and Friday, Dec. 2, as MIT celebrated the official opening of the largest neuroscience complex in the world. December 2, 2005

Team sniffs out new info about brain cells - New brain cells in the olfactory system are especially sensitive to novel stimuli, preferentially learning to respond to new odors, according to an MIT researcher and colleagues. December 1, 2005

New architecture brings scientists together - During the past two years, an extraordinary facility has risen from a dirt field intersected by a freight rail line: the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex. And although it won't be formally dedicated until Friday, Dec. 2, its occupants are already hard at work. November 29, 2005

Mriganka Sur sees 'great synergy' in new complex - In advance of this week's opening of the new Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex, News Office writer Elizabeth Thomson conducted an interview with Mriganka Sur, head of the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences. November 29, 2005

Brain and Cog dedication Friday - The Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex will be officially dedicated in a ceremony in the atrium on Friday, Dec. 2, at 3 p.m. November 29, 2005

Do you remember to study? Here's why - Final exams loom, and you must review eight fact-laden textbook chapters and a binder full of class notes. Since you've made it to MIT, you probably know how to learn. Now researchers have found the areas of the brain where you learn. November 23, 2005

Brain areas 'tune in' to rhythms to coordinate activity - Different brain regions working together may coordinate by locking into an oscillation frequency the way a radio tuner locks into a station, report researchers from the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT. November 17, 2005

Researcher presents new view of how cortex forms - How does the cortex, the brain's executive in charge of high-level thinking and planning, go from a uniform blob of brain matter to well-defined areas with specific sensing, cognition and movement tasks? November 10, 2005

Celebrating McGovern - The McGovern Institute has come home. Celebrating the official Nov. 4 opening of the institute they founded in 2000, Pat and Lore McGovern hosted 500 guests in the sun-filled atrium of the new brain and cognitive sciences complex at MIT. November 8, 2005

Neuroscientists break code on sight - Neuroscientists at the McGovern Institute at MIT have moved the sci-fi world of "The Matrix" a step closer to reality, by deciphering a part of the neural code involved in recognizing objects visually. November 3, 2005

McGovern celebrates opening its new home - The McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT celebrates the formal opening of its new home in the brain and cognitive sciences complex. November 2, 2005

New method could lead to avian flu-resistant birds - Creating a strain of avian flu-resistant chickens and exploring how canaries learn to sing are two of many potential uses for a Picower Institute of Learning and Memory researcher's simple new way to create transgenic birds. October 31, 2005

Institute of Medicine elects 2 from MIT - Emilio Bizzi, Institute Professor in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and Peter Szolovits, professor of computer science and electrical engineering, have been elected to the Institute of Medicine. October 24, 2005

Brain researchers explain why old habits die hard - Bad habits can have a vise grip on both mind and behavior. Notoriously hard to break, they are devilishly easy to resume. Now, a new study led by Ann Graybiel of MIT's McGovern Institute, shows why. October 19, 2005

Events to mark brain and cog complex opening - In association with the opening of its new brain and cognitive sciences complex on Dec. 2, MIT will explore the frontiers of cutting-edge neuroscience research in a variety of major events. October 18, 2005

Brain research could lead to better prostheses - In work that could aid the development of robotic prostheses, neuroscientists at MIT's McGovern Institute for Brain Research have gotten one step closer to understanding how the central nervous system solves a gigantic problem -- the production of voluntary movements. October 13, 2005

MIT launches effort to understand autism - MIT brain researchers are undertaking an ambitious, multifaceted approach to understanding the genetic, molecular and behavioral aspects of autism, with the help of a $7.5 million grant from the New York-based Simons Foundation. October 3, 2005

MIT conference tackles depression - Key stakeholders in the American depression epidemic came together Sept. 19 at an MIT conference sponsored by CIGNA and the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory. September 21, 2005

Team explores how brain cuts through clutter - Researchers in MIT's McGovern Institute for Brain Research have found strong evidence for a new understanding of how the brain processes several objects at once, organizing the visual information in a systematic, predictable manner. September 9, 2005

Out of sight, out of mind? Not really - By playing a trick on the brain, neuroscientists at MIT's McGovern Institute for Brain Research have discovered one way that humans naturally recognize objects. August 22, 2005

Brain scientists offer insight into vision - When you see a flower, neurons deep inside your brain respond to color, shape and distance, somehow working together to create the flower's image in your mind. The question for neuroscientists is, how do they do that? July 20, 2005

Picower examines mice and memory - Learning-disabled mice, disease-modeling flies, genes that boost brain power and ways to coax out new neurons in adults were among the topics presented at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory's annual retreat. June 13, 2005

Brain and Cognitive Sciences awards - 2005 awards listings. June 1, 2005

Research explains how the brain finds Waldo - Professor Robert Desimone, director of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, and colleagues show that neurons synchronize their signals to command attention, like a chorus rising above the din of noisy chatter in a crowded room, or like the striped shirt of the storybook character Waldo. May 26, 2005

Professors make uncommon connections - An engineer working with a gymnastics coach and a chemist collaborating with surgeons were among those who described their collaborative research work at MIT during a May 3 Inauguration Week symposium. May 5, 2005

Conference addresses neuroethics - Scientists, ethicists and members of diverse religions debated the difficult questions raised by advances in neuroscience at an MIT conference held April 17-19. April 27, 2005

Birds' brains reveal source of songs - Neuroscientists at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT now have come one step closer to understanding how the chirps and warbles of a young bird morph into the recognizable and very distinct melodies of its parents. April 22, 2005

Scientists identify gene involved in building brains - A tiny molecule is key to determining the size and shape of the developing brain, researchers from the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT reported in the March issue of Nature Neuroscience. This molecule may one day enable scientists to manipulate stem cells in the adult brain. March 30, 2005

Primitive brain is 'smarter' than we think - Primitive structures deep within the brain may have a far greater role in our high-level everyday thinking processes than previously believed, report MIT researchers. February 23, 2005

Rapoport awarded Scolnick Prize - Judith L. Rapoport, chief of the child psychiatry branch at the National Institute of Mental Health, is this year's winner of the McGovern Institute's Edward M. Scolnick Prize in Neuroscience. February 16, 2005

Cells' balancing act key to higher brain functions - Researchers at the Picower Center for Learning and Memory at MIT have uncovered an important new way that the brain performs complex functions such as pattern recognition. February 2, 2005

Spotlighting the brain - Neurologist Thomas Byrne offered a two-hour IAP class in neuroscience as an introduction to 9.91, "A Clinical Approach to the Human Brain," which he will teach at MIT this spring. January 24, 2005

Scientists advance macular degeneration research - Scientists at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT have discovered the first evidence that brain reorganization occurs in people suffering from the progressive visual disorder macular degeneration. January 19, 2005

Scientists find new sign of synapse plasticity - A common brain chemical used to dissolve blood clots in the brain after a stroke can hasten the structural remodeling of synapses, neuroscientists at the Picower Center for Learning and Memory at MIT report. December 16, 2004

Cell's tiny power source critical for synapse function - Mitochondria, the tiny power plants inside all plant and animal cells, play a critical role in the health and well-being of synapses, neuroscientists at MIT's Picower Center for Learning and Memory report. December 16, 2004

Magnesium may reverse middle-age memory loss - Magnesium helps build bones, make proteins, release energy stored in muscles and regulate body temperature. MIT researchers now report a possible new role for magnesium: helping maintain memory function in middle age and beyond. December 1, 2004

Team finds genetic key to high-level thinking - A gene expressed only in brain areas responsible for high-level thinking and feeling may be key to the brain's ability to respond rapidly to new input, scientists at MIT's Picower Center for Learning and Memory and colleagues report. November 17, 2004

Brain and cognitive sciences facilities taking shape - Students returned to MIT this fall to discover that yet another major addition to the campus is taking shape: the new facilities for the brain and cognitive sciences on Vassar Street, scheduled for completion next year. October 29, 2004

Animal learning discussed at symposium - Birds that are genetically programmed to sing and the effect of pheromones on the mouse brain were among the topics covered recently by an international contingent of respected brain researchers at MIT's Picower Center. September 27, 2004

Desimone to direct McGovern Institute - The McGovern Institute at MIT, a leading research and teaching institute committed to advancing the understanding of the human mind and communications, has announced the selection of Robert Desimone as the next director. September 21, 2004

Cellular clue to memory - Researchers at MIT's Picower Center for Learning and Memory are one step closer to understanding how brain synapses make chameleon-like changes in their structure and composition depending on the input they receive. September 8, 2004

Brain shows more plasticity than previously believed - Mice "rewired" to receive visual cues in the hearing region of their brains learned to respond to a flashing light as if they had heard it instead of seen it, MIT researchers report. August 23, 2004

Study may hold key to boosting brainpower - The finding by an MIT neuroscientist that a tiny molecular change signficantly alters the number of synapse receptors may one day lead to the ability to boost brainpower in the area of the brain where long-term memories are stored. July 21, 2004

Synapse size and shape key in long-term memory - Neuroscientists at MIT have shown for the first time that storage of long-term memories depends on the size and shape of synapses among neurons in the cerebral cortex. June 10, 2004

Brain and cognitive sciences - 2004 awards listings. June 2, 2004

Hope for treating retardation - By blocking a single brain chemical, many of the psychiatric and neurological disabilities associated with a primary cause of mental retardation could be treated, according to MIT neuroscientist Mark Bear. May 19, 2004

Distinguishing fellow cell-mates - To MIT biologist Andrew Chess, the concept of self vs. nonself offers information about how cells tell each other apart, a cellular self-awareness that ensures the correct wiring of neurons in the brain. April 7, 2004

Visual cues provide clues - MIT scientists are reporting new insights into how the human brain recognizes objects, especially faces, in work that could lead to improved machine vision systems. April 7, 2004

Distinguishing fellow cell-mates - To MIT biologist Andrew Chess, the concept of self vs. nonself offers information about how cells tell each other apart, a cellular self-awareness that ensures the correct wiring of neurons in the brain. April 2, 2004

Visual cues provide clues - MIT scientists are reporting new insights into how the human brain recognizes objects, especially faces, in work that could lead to improved machine vision systems. April 1, 2004

Brain circuitry findings could shape computer design - Guosong Liu, neuroscientist at Picower Center at MIT, reports new information on neuron design and function that could lead to new directions in how computers are made. March 10, 2004

Brain trinary system could influence computer design - Guosong Liu, a neuroscientist at the Picower Center for Learning and Memory, reports new information on neuron design and function could lead to new computer design. March 8, 2004

Memories light up brain - Memories light up the corners of our mind. Scientific evidence for this notion comes from studies using magnetic resonance imaging to examine the living human brain. March 3, 2004

Team discovers memory formation mechanism - MIT neuroscientists have discovered a new mechanism within the brain that triggers the formation of lasting memories, explaining how signals between neurons stimulate protein production. February 11, 2004

Memory mechanism discovered - MIT neuroscientists have discovered a new brain mechanism controlling the formation of lasting memories. February 5, 2004

Retina implant to help blind - MIT and Harvard Medical School collaborators are producing a sophisticated engineering tool that electrically stimulates the retina to provide vision of a sort for people who are totally blind. December 3, 2003

Research may help prevent loss of brain synapses - By discovering one of the first mechanisms through which brain synapses are dismantled, an MIT neuroscientist has shed new light on how our brains eliminate connections between neurons. October 29, 2003

Emotion discussed - The molecular underpinnings of emotion and perception are among the topics that will be explored by neuroscientists from around the world at the McGovern Institute symposium. October 8, 2003

Brain storage system tracked - Neuroscientists at MIT suspect they've found the brain's system for keeping track of what we do and a site that keeps a checklist. September 10, 2003

Brain's checklist - Neuroscientists at MIT suspect they've found the brain's system for keeping track of what we do and at least one site in the brain that keeps a sort of checklist. August 29, 2003

Sight unseen - Project Prakash is Sinha's ambitious scientific and humanitarian effort to look at how individuals who are born blind and then gain some vision perceive objects and faces. August 25, 2003

Mechanism in developing brain synapses - An MIT researcher explains in the August issue of Nature Neuroscience how temporarily depriving one eye of vision soon after birth induces a long-lasting loss of synapses that causes blindness. July 28, 2003

MIT research and better schizophrenia drugs - June 30, 2003

Vision brain cells smarter than thought - Contrary to popular belief, cells in the brain's primary visual cortex are "smart" enough to help determine where the eyes will look next, MIT researchers report. June 12, 2003

Researcher faces autism - Pawan Sinha, assistant professor of visual neuroscience at MIT, wonders if autistic individuals simply don't see what others see. June 4, 2003

Face to face with autism - Pawan Sinha, assistant professor of visual neuroscience at MIT, wonders if autistic individuals simply don't see what others see, focusing on details and losing sight of the whole. June 2, 2003

Neuroscience symposium - The third Picower-RIKEN Neuroscience Symposium, "New Frontiers in Brain Science," drew dozens of participants to hear researchers from around the world. April 2, 2003

Basal ganglia are brain's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Ann Graybiel delivered the 31st Killian lecture, "The Robot Within Us: Neural Mechanisms Underlying Habit Formation." March 19, 2003

Reeve speaks on research - Actor and activist Christopher Reeve highlighted the MIT/Harvard Conference on Neuroscience in Room 10-250 on March 2. March 5, 2003

Building memories - Looking at how the human brain builds memories of what a person has encountered and where that information came from, MIT researchers will report in PNAS. February 12, 2003

Learning mechanisms identified in human brains - Looking at how the human brain builds memories, MIT researchers will report that distinct parts of the brain build memories for two separate but related aspects of everyday experiences. February 11, 2003

Toxic protein uncovered - MIT physicists showed that brain damage related to Alzheimer's disease may start far earlier than previously thought and may be caused by newly implicated protein molecules. January 29, 2003

MIT work may help prevent loss of brain synapses - MIT neuroscientist sheds new light on how our brains eliminate connections between neurons. January 23, 2003

Rats replay tasks in sleep - MIT researchers report in the Dec. 19 issue of Neuron that rats dream about their activities during slow wave sleep as well as during REM sleep. January 8, 2003

What can you tell from a face? - The questions on EasyMixing.com, while sometimes funny, are scientifically designed to pertain to different personality traits. December 4, 2002

Basic research is key to future brain treatments - Scientists from theMcGovern Institute for Brain Research and the Picower Center for Learning and Memory discussed the latest discoveries about the brain's "plasticity." October 9, 2002

Scientists find pattern in eye movements - MIT researchers report in the September issue of Nature Neuroscience that these sudden eye movements - long thought to be random - occur in a specific order. October 2, 2002

Method in eye movement and brain response found - MIT researchers report in the September issue of Nature Neuroscience that sudden eye movements--long thought to be random--occur in a specific order. September 27, 2002

Innate number sense discovered - MIT scientists who taught monkeys the numbers one to five believe the effect this had on the monkeys' brain cells may shed light on how people process number concepts. September 11, 2002

MIT researchers explore counting - MIT scientists who taught monkeys the numbers one to five believe the effect this had on the monkeys' brain cells may shed light on how people process number concepts. September 5, 2002

Color cues help in face recognition - MIT researchers report in an upcoming issue of the journal Perception that when images are blurry, the brain relies on color cues to pinpoint identity. August 14, 2002

Color helps in face recognition - MIT researchers report in an upcoming issue of the journal Perception that when images are blurry, the brain relies on color cues to pinpoint identity. July 31, 2002

Brain and cognitive science awards - The Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences (BCS) recognized the achievements of numerous students. June 5, 2002

Memory retrieval gene identified - For the first time, MIT researchers have identified a gene involved in the retrieval of long-term memories. June 5, 2002

Gene involved in memory ID - For the first time, MIT researchers have identified a gene involved in the retrieval of long-term memories. May 30, 2002

Symposium features neuroscience leaders - Patrick McGovern and Lore McGovern chat with Professor Nancy Kanwisher of brain and cognitive sciences May 22, 2002

Rats dream in slow wave sleep - MIT researchers report in the Dec. 19 issue of Neuron that rats dream about their activities during slow wave sleep as well as during REM sleep. May 18, 2002

Picower Foundation gift - A $50 million gift from the Picower Foundation earmarked specifically for brain and cognitive research will speed up the pace of MIT's drive to discover the intricate functioning of the brain. May 9, 2002

MIT and Brain Research - Summary of MIT's accomplishments and goals in brain and cognitive sciences research. May 9, 2002

Neuroscientists attend symposium - "New Approaches in Neuroscience," the inaugural symposium of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, will feature some of the world's leading scientists. May 8, 2002

Imaging systems dedicated - The Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging dedicated two state-of-the-art imaging systems Monday. May 1, 2002

Brain cells 'tuned' to interpret features - MIT's McGovern Institute for Brain Research sponsored a lecture on "Interpreting Faces" followed by a discussion of research on facial prototyping and other aspects of higher visual processing. February 27, 2002

Researcher 'sees' new memories form - Brain imaging methods allow scientists to peer into the human brain and observe the creation of new memories, with different forms of remembering emerging from different learning circuits, MIT neuroscientist Anthony Wagner reported at the AAAS meeting in Boston Feb. 14-19. February 27, 2002

Insights on conscious brain control reported - Neurons in the prefrontal cortex have complex properties commensurate with a role in "executive" brain function, Associate Professor Earl K. Miller reported at a recent AAAS symposium. February 27, 2002

Brain functions of seeing and moving delved - Two major processing streams in the brain are involved in the neural control of visually guided eye movements, neuroscientist Peter H. Schiller reported at a Feb. 17 AAAS symposium. February 27, 2002

Brain region responds to images - Researchers report in Science that they have identified a part of the brain that responds primarily to images of the human body or parts of the body. October 3, 2001

Brain region responds to body images - Researchers at MIT and the U. of Wales report that they have identified part of brain that responds to images, parts of human body. September 27, 2001

Abstract thought examined - MIT researchers reported in the June 21 issue of Nature that they have pinpointed how and where abstract thoughts are represented in the brain. July 18, 2001

Motor area involved in learning - MIT researchers have found that a subpopulation of brain cells in the part of the cortex that controls movements acquires novel firing patterns. July 18, 2001

Motor area of brain involved in learning - Researchers at MIT found that a subpopulation of brain cells in part of cortex that controls movements acquires firing patterns while an animal learns new voluntary movements. July 13, 2001

Researchers on how brain handles abstract - MIT researchers will report in the June 21 issue of Nature that they have pinpointed how and where abstract thoughts are represented in the brain. June 20, 2001

Neurons quick-change artists - Research at MIT provides new insight into how the brain adapts to new stimuli while maintaining a fixed number of cells. May 9, 2001

Brain cells quick-change - Research at MIT provides new insight into how the brain adapts to new stimuli while maintaining a fixed number of cells. May 2, 2001

Sheng appointed to Menicon - Morgan Sheng has been named the inaugural holder of the Menicon Professorship in the School of Science. April 11, 2001

Neurotransmitters released slowly at times - Researchers at MIT have discovered mechanism in brain cells that could explain why very young brain cells seem to turn a deaf ear to one another. March 9, 2001

How neurons talk - Researchers at MIT have discovered a mechanism in brain cells that could explain why very young brain cells seem to turn a deaf ear to one another. March 8, 2001

Animals have complex dreams - Animals have complex dreams and are able to retain and recall long sequences of events while they are asleep, MIT researchers have reported. January 31, 2001

Animals have complex dreams - Animals have complex dreams and are able to retain and recall long sequences of events while they are asleep, MIT researchers report. January 24, 2001

Brain cells 'tuned' to info - MIT researchers have found that individual neurons in monkeys' brains can become tuned to the concept of "cat" and others to the concept of "dog." January 24, 2001

Brain cells 'tuned' to information - Researchers at MIT found that individual neurons in monkeys' brains can become tuned to the concept of "cat" and others to the concept of "dog. January 11, 2001