Brain and cognitive sciences

Ten from MIT and the Broad Institute recently received NIH Director's Awards. Top row (l-r): Feng Zhang, Kay Tye, Kevin Esvelt, Fei Chen; Bottom row (l-r): Gabriela Schlau-Cohen, Ahmed Badran, Hilary Finucane, Ed Boyden. Not pictured: Paul Blainey and Evan Macosko.

Ten researchers from MIT and Broad receive NIH Director’s Awards

Awards support high-risk, high-impact biomedical research.

October 5, 2017

Researchers found that babies who watched an adult struggle to complete tasks before succeeding tried harder at their own difficult task, compared to babies who saw an adult succeed without effort.

Babies can learn that hard work pays off

Study finds infants try harder after seeing adults struggle to achieve a goal.

September 21, 2017

2017 $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize winner Feng Zhang

Gene-editing technology developer Feng Zhang awarded $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize

MIT associate professor and member of the Broad Institute and McGovern Institute recognized for commitment to invention, collaboration, and mentorship.

September 19, 2017

MIT researchers have found that languages tend to divide the "warm" part of the color spectrum into more color words than the "cooler" regions, which makes communication of warmer colors more consistent. From left to right, this chart shows the order of most to least efficiently communicated colors, in English, Spanish, and Tsimane' languages.

Analyzing the language of color

Cognitive scientists find that people can more easily communicate warmer colors than cool ones.

September 18, 2017

Studies have shown that mothers who experience an infection severe enough to require hospitalization during pregnancy are at higher risk of having a child with autism.

Studies help explain link between autism, severe infection during pregnancy

Bacterial populations in mother’s GI tract may play a central role.

September 13, 2017

Anantha Chandrakasan, dean of MIT’s School of Engineering, who negotiated the collaboration on behalf of MIT, speaks during the signing of the agreement with representatives of IBM.

3Q: Anantha Chandrakasan on new MIT–IBM Watson AI Lab

Lab seeks to expand the boundaries of research on artificial intelligence.

September 7, 2017

MIT President L. Rafael Reif, left, and John Kelly III, IBM senior vice president, Cognitive Solutions and Research, shake hands at the conclusion of a signing ceremony establishing the new MIT–IBM Watson AI Lab.

IBM and MIT to pursue joint research in artificial intelligence, establish new MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab

IBM plans to make a 10-year, $240 million investment in new lab with MIT to advance AI hardware, software, and algorithms.

September 7, 2017

MIT engineers have devised a way to automate the process of monitoring neurons in a living brain using a computer algorithm that analyzes microscope images and guides a robotic arm to the target cell. In this image, a pipette guided by a robotic arm approaches a neuron identified with a fluorescent stain.

Robotic system monitors specific neurons

Success rate is comparable to that of highly trained scientists performing the process manually.

August 30, 2017

MIT neuroscientists have shown, for the first time, that recalling a memory requires a “detour” circuit that branches off from the original memory circuit. This low-magnification image shows that hippocampal CA1 neurons (red) and dorsal subiculum neurons (green) can be genetically identified using two different protein markers.

How we recall the past

Neuroscientists discover a brain circuit dedicated to retrieving memories.

August 17, 2017

Feng Zhang to share Albany Medical Prize

Five recipients honored for their fundamental and complementary accomplishments related to CRISPR-Cas9.

August 15, 2017

MIT researchers have demonstrated a new way to reverse memory loss by blocking an enzyme known as HDAC2.

Blocking a key enzyme may reverse memory loss

MIT study suggests a new approach to developing treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.

August 8, 2017

Summer Scholar Alejandro Aponte works on a prototype for a pump that can deliver drugs to the brain. Aponte, a University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez mechanical engineering major, is working to make the pump small enough to be easily implantable.

Prototyping a pump for brain treatment

Summer Scholar Alejandro Aponte troubleshoots the design for an implantable pump that can deliver drugs to the brain.

August 4, 2017

MIT’s Solve initiative seeks solutions to its 2017 global challenges

Applications for problem-solvers interested in four new areas are due August 1.

July 19, 2017

A new technique for imaging biopsy samples relies on an approach known as expansion microscopy, in which the researchers expand a tissue sample to 100 times its original volume before imaging it.

Microscopy technique could enable more informative biopsies

Expanding tissue samples before imaging offers detailed information about disease.

July 17, 2017

Researchers have developed a way to label neurons when they become active, essentially providing a snapshot of their activity at a moment in time.

New tool offers snapshots of neuron activity

FLARE technique can reveal which cells respond during different tasks.

June 26, 2017

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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