Making room to explore
Professor Fan Wang is recognized as “Committed to Caring” for creating a supportive environment for ambitious research and student well-being.
Department
Brain and Cognitive Sciences
Symposium highlights MIT’s wide range of innovations for aging brain health
In six talks, researchers from across MIT described projects aimed at advancing the understanding of and interventions against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and ALS.
How artificial neural networks build their own learning machinery
Machine-learning networks can learn without detailed instructions from a designer. Those that do may offer insight into how the brain reorganizes itself during learning.
Estimating suicide risk from text
A new language-processing tool could help identify the highest-risk individuals from natural language, enabling swifter interventions.
How the brain keeps its options straight at decision time
Making a decision requires juggling a set of options without getting them confused or losing track of them. A new MIT study shows how neurons encode information to maximize clarity throughout the process.
Poitras Center to fuel early careers of 50 young scientists dedicated to psychiatric disorders research
Patricia and James Poitras ’63 provide fellowships for graduate students and postdocs who will shape the future of mental health research.
MIT makes progress on campus climate goals
Innovative strategies, technologies, and collaborations are helping MIT advance solutions on campus and beyond.
A burst of “pink noise” may lead to more restorative sleep
Delivered at just the right time, this type of auditory stimulus can strengthen the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, which clears debris from the brain and keeps it healthy.
Cognition and consciousness arise from analog computations, says new theory
The brain's ability to generate quick, nimble volitional thought — and a unified awareness of thought and experience — arises from analog computations, MIT neuroscientists argue in a new review.
Brain circuit keeps tabs on what just happened to aid judgment of what’s happening now
To keep track of what’s going on in front of it, the brain relies not only on what it sees, but also a comparison with what it just saw. A new study pinpoints the circuit that provides that service.
Language skills stay strong in older adults, even while other cognitive abilities decline
MIT researchers find that activity in the brain’s language network is nearly identical in young and old people.
Tackling rare genetic disorders with patient-focused science
Shannon Knight, a brain and cognitive sciences PhD candidate and McGovern Institute researcher, focuses on developing a novel gene therapy.
DNA shaper steers nervous system development
A study of worms finds a protein that helps shape the structure of the genome is critical for establishing the identity of some neurons.
Flexible brain circuits can switch between different tasks
Neuroscientists have discovered circuits in the prefrontal cortex that can be repurposed to store different types of information.
High-speed microscopy reveals electrical activity across the brain
The new technique could help scientists learn how the entire brain works to generate decisions and emotions.