Blog, Special Edition: What does a scientist do?

What Does a Cognitive Neuroscientist Do?

How do you introduce yourself, scientifically? My name is Dana Boebinger, and I’m an auditory cognitive neuroscientist. I study how the brain understands sound; I specifically study humans, and how the brain understands the kinds of sounds that are particularly relevant for humans, like speech and music. What are the implications or broader impacts of your work? I do basic science, which aims to advance fundamental … Continue reading What Does a Cognitive Neuroscientist Do?

October 30, 2020February 6, 2021Leave a comment

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Can an Artificial Brain Help Study a Real One?

Scientists from North Carolina State University have applied deep learning algorithms to track neurodegeneration in worms, allowing for much faster image processing and extraction of cellular features that can distinguish between neurodegeneration arising from different sources. Continue reading Can an Artificial Brain Help Study a Real One?

October 9, 2020October 9, 2020Leave a comment

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Slowing ALS with a Two-Drug Therapy

Results from a phase 2 clinical trial reveal that a new two-drug therapy for ALS can slow disease progression by six weeks over a six-month period. This therapy could possibly improve lifespan and quality of life, and may be effective in other neurodegenerative disorders as well. Continue reading Slowing ALS with a Two-Drug Therapy

September 11, 2020September 10, 20207 Comments

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Thinking with Memristors

Materials engineers at MIT have developed a new, more reliable design for a “memristor,” a component of computer circuits that could revolutionize artificial intelligence, improve efficiency of learning, lower energy costs, and fundamentally change the design of computers. Continue reading Thinking with Memristors

July 29, 2020July 29, 20204 Comments

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Decoding Your Brain: The Search for Stability at the Brain-Computer Interface

Bioengineers from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh have developed a new computational algorithm to improve the function of brain-computer interfaces. This algorithm works by finding common patterns of activity over time and outperforms the existing best algorithms. Continue reading Decoding Your Brain: The Search for Stability at the Brain-Computer Interface

May 12, 2020May 12, 20203 Comments

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3D-Printed Brain Helps Scientists Study Cancer and Test Drugs

Scientists use 3D printed brain tissue and cancer to quickly test drug efficacy. Continue reading 3D-Printed Brain Helps Scientists Study Cancer and Test Drugs

April 8, 2020April 8, 2020Leave a comment

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Study finds a classically mammalian brain region in reptilian brains

Researchers at Max Planck Institute for Brain Research have discovered a mammalian claustrum in reptiles, believed to impact decision-making and consciousness. The study hints at the claustrum’s prehistoric existence, in mammals, reptiles, and possibly their common ancestor. Continue reading Study finds a classically mammalian brain region in reptilian brains

February 26, 20205 Comments

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People With Young-Onset Parkinson’s May Have Been Born With It

New research from Cedars-Sinai suggests that patients with young-onset Parkinson’s may have been born with the beginnings of the disorder. Continue reading People With Young-Onset Parkinson’s May Have Been Born With It

February 3, 2020January 31, 2020Leave a comment

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Learning to Remember: Memory-Trace Cells

Electrical recordings from human subjects have revealed the existence of memory-trace cells, which change their response depending on which previous experience is supposed to be recalled, providing a major insight into how the brain remembers specific events. Continue reading Learning to Remember: Memory-Trace Cells

November 26, 2019Leave a comment

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Brain-machine interfaces may be used to study and regulate mood

Brain-machine interfaces translate brain signals into information that can be used to control robotic limbs, and now even predict an individual’s mood state. Researchers envision using BMIs together with electrical stimulation, to regulate abnormal brain signals in patients with treatment-resistant neuropsychiatric disorders. Continue reading Brain-machine interfaces may be used to study and regulate mood

November 6, 2019November 6, 20191 Comment

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Tag: neuroscience

What Does a Cognitive Neuroscientist Do?

Can an Artificial Brain Help Study a Real One?

Slowing ALS with a Two-Drug Therapy

Thinking with Memristors

Decoding Your Brain: The Search for Stability at the Brain-Computer Interface

3D-Printed Brain Helps Scientists Study Cancer and Test Drugs

Study finds a classically mammalian brain region in reptilian brains

People With Young-Onset Parkinson’s May Have Been Born With It

Learning to Remember: Memory-Trace Cells

Brain-machine interfaces may be used to study and regulate mood