MIT affiliates awarded 2024 National Medals of Science, Technology
Four professors and an additional alumnus honored with nation’s highest awards for scientists and engineers; Moderna, with deep MIT roots, also recognized.
Department
Brain and Cognitive Sciences
MIT welcomes Frida Polli as its next visiting innovation scholar
The neuroscientist turned entrepreneur will be hosted by the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing and focus on advancing the intersection of behavioral science and AI across MIT.
New autism research projects represent a broad range of approaches to achieving a shared goal
At a symposium of the Simons Center for the Social Brain, six speakers described a diversity of recently launched studies aimed at improving understanding of the autistic brain.
How humans continuously adapt while walking stably
Research could help improve motor rehabilitation programs and assistive robot control.
Revisiting reinforcement learning
A detailed new look at dopamine signaling suggests neuroscientists’ model of reinforcement learning may need to be revised.
Study: Browsing negative content online makes mental health struggles worse
Researchers have developed a web plug-in to help those looking to protect their mental health make more informed decisions.
3 Questions: Claire Wang on training the brain for memory sports
The MIT sophomore and award-winning memory champion explains what these competitions are all about and why you might want to build a “memory palace.”
Four from MIT named 2025 Rhodes Scholars
Yiming Chen ’24, Wilhem Hector, Anushka Nair, and David Oluigbo will start postgraduate studies at Oxford next fall.
Neuroscientists create a comprehensive map of the cerebral cortex
Using fMRI, the research team identified 24 networks that perform specific functions within the brain’s cerebral cortex.
MIT Schwarzman College of Computing launches postdoctoral program to advance AI across disciplines
The new Tayebati Postdoctoral Fellowship Program will support leading postdocs to bring cutting-edge AI to bear on research in scientific discovery or music.
Brain pathways that control dopamine release may influence motor control
The newly identified pathways appear to relay emotional information that helps to shape the motivation to take action.
Model reveals why debunking election misinformation often doesn’t work
The new study also identifies factors that can make these efforts more successful.
Tiny magnetic discs offer remote brain stimulation without transgenes
The devices could be a useful tool for biomedical research, and possible clinical use in the future.
A new method makes high-resolution imaging more accessible
Labs that can’t afford expensive super-resolution microscopes could use a new expansion technique to image nanoscale structures inside cells.
The way sensory prediction changes under anesthesia tells us how conscious cognition works
A new study adds evidence that consciousness requires communication between sensory and cognitive regions of the brain’s cortex.