What does the decrease in BRAIN Initiative funding mean for neuroscientists — and what can be done? I talked with lawmakers, government officials, and advocates to find out.

My latest for The Transmitter:

thetransmitter.org/funding/what-n…

BREAKING: Out today, our 2-year STAT investigation into a Mount Sinai research study called Living Brain Project (LBP), which biopsies brain tissue from living patients undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) to make new disease discoveries statnews.com/2024/05/01/bra… 🧵👇/1

Carol Jennings wrote to Alzheimer’s disease researchers in the 1980s asking if AD could be inherited. Turns out, she was right. It was an honor to write an obit for Carol, whose family’s genetics informed the amyloid cascade hypothesis The Transmitter thetransmitter.org/alzheimers-dis…

Many know about amyloid, the gene APP and its relationship to Alzheimer's. But how many know the backstory? It all began with a letter from Carol Jennings to John Hardy .... Wonderful tribute and retelling here.

Much gratitude, Carol Jennings. RIP.

Neuroscience program administrators told me that more doctoral programs were starting to offer mid-PhD industry internships to cater to student interest in careers outside academia. My latest for The Transmitter looks at what's going on doi.org/10.53053/KVSX2…

This week's Spectrum (Autism Research News) news story is about a RNA drug that corrects calcium signaling in chimeric model of Timothy syndrome, the rare genetic condition characterized by heart problems, seizures and autism. Read more by Katie Moisse for The Transmitter thetransmitter.org/spectrum/rna-d…

Read four tips on how to use race and ethnicity data responsibly in neuroscience research, reported by Gina Jiménez. Sneak preview: Think twice before controlling for race and ethnicity or including them in a statistical model. thetransmitter.org/community/how-…

Harmless adeno-associated viruses that ferry genes into the brain cells of rodents and monkeys also work in frogs, newts and axolotls, Angie Voyles Askham reports for The Transmitter thetransmitter.org/animal-models/…

BRAIN Initiative funding was cut by 40% from last year, and it's not yet clear what that will mean for current grants, reports Angie Voyles Askham for The Transmitter thetransmitter.org/funding/278-mi…

Companies gathering neural data in Colorado will now be subject to the new Colorado Privacy Act, which passed yesterday, reports Isha Marathe for Legaltech©news law.com/legaltechnews/…

The sympathetic nervous system may have originated in jawless fish—not tens of millions of years later as previously thought, reports Shaena Montanari for The Transmitter thetransmitter.org/evolution/new-…

Practices that support collaboration and transparency in early-childhood autism intervention trials are inconsistent at best, a new study in the journal Autism shows. Latest from Gina Jiménez for The Transmitter thetransmitter.org/spectrum/repor…

I’m honored to be named a winner of a NIHCM journalism award for stories on apparent misconduct by a leading stroke/Alzheimer’s researcher. Thanks to the judges and foundation for seeing the importance of integrity in neuroscience research 1/4
nihcm.org/awards/winners…

The NIH is asking neuroscientists for input on how structural racism impacts brain & behavioral function, as well as study methodology & designs, reports Calli McMurray for The Transmitter. Comments accepted until June 14. thetransmitter.org/policy/nih-see…

Extra extra, read all about it! We are thrilled to announce the 2024 class of #MassMediaFellows ! These 20 scientists will spend their summer in news outlets writing, reporting, and working on their #SciComm skills! Learn more about the 2024 class here: aaas.org/news/aaas-anno…

'The shame of modern science is that everyone is hyperfocused on their system...It can stifle innovation when people are not broadly trained and don’t step outside their comfort zone.'

Lovely interview of Ishmail Abdus-Saboor by Ingrid Wickelgren for Quanta Magazine.

Love how The Transmitter covered our study – not copy-paste from press release but quality journalism. Elissa Welle, PhD did 3 interviews with Barbara Hollunder, Ningfei Li and myself, and more w/ Helen Mayberg, MD, The McIntyre Lab, Anastasia Yendiki to write a coherent & balanced piece!

Faulty connections between the subthalamic nucleus & cortex characterize disparate brain disorders --- and figure into an ongoing debate about how best to identify dysfunctional circuitry using diffusion tractography. My latest for The Transmitter thetransmitter.org/connectivity/d…