Neuroscience

Last month representatives of more than 140 countries agreed to the terms of a treaty called the Minamata Convention that would ban many uses of mercury by 2020. But the efforts do not go far enough, says Vanderbilt pharmacologist Michael Aschner. Read More

Neuroscientist Kenneth Catania has resolved a long-standing scientific debate by showing that the common mole can smell in stereo. Read More

Kenneth Catania, Stevenson Professor of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University, is one of 18 scientists who have been honored by the National Academy of Sciences for their outstanding scientific achievements in a wide range of fields spanning the physical, biological and social sciences. Read More

Noted neuroscientist Thomas Südhof, M.D., will deliver the next Flexner Discovery Lecture on Thursday, Dec. 13. Read More

Researchers have discovered that alligators and crocodiles possess one of the most acute senses of touch in the animal kingdom. Read More

Ford Ebner (Vanderbilt University) Vanderbilt’s Department of Psychology is hosting a daylong symposium to honor Ford Ebner, professor of psychology, emeritus, and professor of cell and developmental biology at Vanderbilt. “Neuroscience Today: A Symposium to Honor the Career Contributions of Dr. Ford Ebner” is scheduled from… Read More

A new study demonstrates how the brain follows Ben Franklin’s famous dictum, “Take time for all things: great haste makes great waste.” Read More

This Week on VUCast, Vanderbilt’s online newscast: What these “sensitive” alligators have in common with humans.  Brainy bugs! Why ants are smarter than the average bug.  And a worldwide “girl power” movement comes to Vanderbilt. Read More

Women are better than men at recognizing living things and men are better than women at recognizing vehicles: That is the unanticipated result of an analysis of data from a series of visual recognition tasks collected by Vanderbilt psychologists. Read More

The spinal cord’s neuropeptide Y signaling pathway may be a good target for new pain therapeutics. Read More

This year a record number of Vanderbilt Graduate School students have won prestigious National Science Foundation graduate research fellowships. Read More

Cells in the back of the developing brain can give rise to brain tumors, suggesting they may be a target for treatment. Read More

Top scholars from Vanderbilt University’s undergraduate and professional schools are being honored with Founder’s Medals during Commencement on Friday, May 11. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that the pulvinar, a mysterious structure buried in the center of our brains, determines how we see the world — and whether we see at all. Read More

A new brain imaging study that has found an individual’s willingness to work hard to earn money is strongly influenced by the chemistry in three specific areas of the brain. Read More

Neuroscientists from Vanderbilt and Harvard have proposed the first neurobiological model for third-party punishment, outlining potential cognitive and brain processes that evolutionary pressures could have re-purposed to make this behavior possible. Read More

A brain-mapping study has found that people's ability to make decisions in novel situations decreases with age and is associated with a reduction in the integrity of two specific white-matter pathways. Read More

Vanderbilt University has emerged as one of the nation’s leading academic centers in neuroscience. Read More

A new study on novel word learning uncovered clues on reading and plasticity in the brain that could determine interventions for children who struggle with reading. Read More

A genetic variation that causes early disruptions in serotonin signaling in the brain may contribute to autism spectrum disorder and other enduring effects on behavior. Read More