Frequent encounters build familiarity
PhD student Paige Bollen finds urban street networks that encourage encounters among strangers link to lower ethnic tensions and anti-immigrant hostility.
Developing brain needs cannabinoid receptors after birth
Cannabinoid receptors help the brain’s dopamine system establish key connections after birth, a new mouse study suggests.
MIT ReACT welcomes first Afghan cohort to its largest-yet certificate program
Empowering a global community of learners in displacement.
Training STEM teachers to uncover students’ full potential
The Practical Education Network cultivates a version of MIT’s hands-on teaching methodology in low-resource communities.
A life-changing fertilizer for rural farmers in Kenya
MIT spinout Safi Organics uses farmers’ crop residue to make an organic fertilizer that can increase yields and improve soil health.
Energizing communities in Africa
MIT senior Ayomikun Ayodeji seeks to expand access to reliable, affordable energy in his home country of Nigeria, and beyond.
A “big push” to lift people out of poverty
MIT field experiment from India finds a one-time economic boost helps the very poor fare better for at least a decade.
Research finds potential mechanism linking autism, intestinal inflammation
Infection during pregnancy with elevated levels of the cytokine IL-17a may yield microbiome alterations that prime offspring for aberrant immune responses, mouse study suggests.
Novel approach reverses amblyopia in animals
By temporarily suspending retinal activity in the non-amblyopic eye of animal models, neuroscientists restrengthen the visual response in the "lazy" eye, even at ages after the critical period when patch therapy fails.
“To make even the smallest contribution to improving my country would be my dream”
Master’s student Pavarin Bhandtivej seeks to bring data to bear on policymaking in Thailand.
Transforming lives by providing safe drinking water
MIT’s Susan Murcott is dedicated to providing clean water access and building a new generation of humanitarian water leaders.
Comparing the benefits of scooter-sharing vs. bike-sharing
Studying usage in Singapore, MIT and SMART researchers find scooter rentals allow for increased sharing frequency and fewer vehicles needed.
New gene regulation model provides insight into brain development
A well-known protein family binds to many more RNA sequences than previously thought in order to help neurons grow.
Proteins — and labs — coming together to prevent Rett syndrome
Disruption of condensates in the neurodevelopmental disorder provides insights into how cells compartmentalize chromosomes, as well as new potential therapies.
$25 million gift launches ambitious new effort tackling poverty and climate change
The King Climate Action Initiative at J-PAL will develop large-scale climate-response programs for some of the world’s most vulnerable populations.