Neuroscience

Vanderbilt anticipates the opportunity to nominate one candidate for the 2018 David Mahoney Neuroimaging Program of the Dana Foundation. Read More

The Affective Neuroscience Lab in the Department of Psychology at Vanderbilt University is currently recruiting healthy adults, 50–59 years old, for a multi-day study that attempts to understand the relation between brain chemistry and decision-making. Read More

An interdisciplinary team of Vanderbilt University researchers has received a two-year, $2-million federal grant to develop an “organ-on-chip” model for two genetic forms of epilepsy. Read More

When she finally applied her "brain soup" technique to the human brain, Herculano-Houzel discovered we have an average of 86 billion neurons. Surprisingly, though, the neuron density is the same as in other primates, showing a clear evolutionary pattern from monkeys to humans. “We somehow manage to have this large brain with a large number of neurons; but it’s still just a regular primate brain,” says Herculano-Houzel. Read More

New insights into the long-lasting effects of Fragile X syndrome on connections in the brain during early development highlight the importance of early detection and treatment. Read More

Developed at Vanderbilt, VU319 is designed to precisely target a specific neuron receptor associated with cognitive function while avoiding potentially dangerous side effects. Read More

This multiple-session study examines the relation between brain chemistry and decision-making. The study involves tests of cognitive (i.e. thinking) ability, personality tests, medical and psychiatric screenings and brain imaging. Read More

The National Science Foundation recently selected 14 Vanderbilt graduate students in fields as diverse as mechanical engineering and psychology to receive Graduate Research Fellowships. The fellowships are highly sought-after because they provide students with $34,000 annually for three years and the freedom to conduct their research at any accredited U.S. university. Read More

VUMC anesthesiologist Joseph Schlesinger is teaming up with undergrads in neuroscience and biomedical engineering to make hospital alarms better, quieter and easier to work with. Read More

Intent to commit a crime is a crucial factor in determining prison sentences. A new neuro study suggests it is possible to measure subtle variations in intent while a crime is being committed. Read More

Jarrod Shilts, a senior from Boston, has been named one of 15 recipients of the Churchill Scholarship, which provides funding to pursue a master’s degree in a STEM discipline at Cambridge University in England. Read More

Artificial kidneys, gay-straight alliances and junkyard batteries captured readers' attention in 2016. Read More

A new microfluidic device containing human cells that faithfully mimics the behavior of the blood-brain barrier is providing new insights into brain inflammation, the silent killer. Read More

A study finds men are better at recognizing Transformer faces while women are better at recognizing Barbie faces, supporting the theory that we're more likely to recognize what we're used to seeing. Read More

A team of Vanderbilt scientists have genetically modified luciferase, the enzyme that produces bioluminescence, so that it acts as an optical sensor that records activity in brain cells. Read More

Sometimes you can't improve on a classic method: Touch typing is still the fastest. Read More

The 2016 symposium and poster session for the Silvio O. Conte Neuroscience Research Center at Vanderbilt University will be Friday, Oct. 28, from noon to 5:30 p.m. in Medical Research Building III, Room 1220. Read More

Research by Associate Professor of Psychology Suzana Herculano-Houzel finds that human intelligence comes from the number of neurons in our brains—and it was the invention of cooking that made neuron development possible. Read More

During development, neural circuits are remodeled – some synapses are eliminated and others are strengthened – to produce a mature, functional nervous system. Read More

Stimulating the brain with a mild electrical current can temporarily sharpen vision without glasses or contacts, Vanderbilt University researchers have found. (But please don't try this at home.) Read More