Knight Initiative News

Different genes linked to autism can lead to the same symptoms and molecular pathways, according to a Wu Tsai Neuro Big Ideas-funded collaboration between the Pasca Lab and UCLA Health researchers

Proteins that start life inside neurons build up faster in old age and spread to other brain cells—a potential source of neurological mischief

Neuroscientists may have figured out the biochemical basis of why we value something more if we’ve put sweat equity into it

The database of lysosomal proteins is already helping researchers study how brain cells’ waste and recycling systems work—or don’t—in Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases

A new study suggests that there may have been evolutionary advantages from changes to genes also associated with autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia

Join us as we look back on some of the key studies we covered here at Wu Tsai Neuro and the Knight Initiative in 2025 to give a (very partial) overview of the impact of our community’s research efforts this past year

Wu Tsai Neuro researchers reprogrammed fruit fly brain development and behavior using new discoveries about how attractive and repulsive molecules build neural circuits

Neuroradiologist Raag Airan and his lab have found a non-invasive, drug-free method to help clean the brain, reduce inflammation, and treat disease—and with Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience support, they plan to test it in people soon.

In a clinical trial of a wireless retinal prosthesis, Wu Tsai Neuro affiliate Daniel Palanker and colleagues found that people with advanced macular degeneration regained enough vision to read books and subway signs.

A new study led by Wu Tsai Neuro Faculty Scholar Laura Gwilliams maps how we simultaneously process different words.

Premature babies who heard recordings of their mothers reading to them had more mature white matter in a key language area of the brain, Wu Tsai Neuro affiliate Heidi Feldman and colleagues found.

Studying mice of different ages, Stanford scientists and colleagues found that neurons involved in spatial memory become less reliable later in life.

What could make a promising approach to psychiatry and brain research even better? A solid beat.

Developed by Stanford researchers, NeuroString is a hair-thin multichannel biosensor and stimulator with promising potential applications in drug delivery, nerve stimulation, smart fabrics, and more.

A new study finds links between two popular models of the disease—and the results could change how researchers think about treatment.

Small cell lung cancer often metastasizes to the brain. A Stanford Medicine-led study shows the cancer cells form synapses with neurons, and signaling across these synapses encourages tumor growth.

Knight Initiative researchers are uncovering the fine points of how our brains learn to move. In the long run, their findings could help devise better treatments for Parkinson's disease.

A study of killifish reveals how protein dysfunction develops in vertebrate brain cells, a key driver of aging – shedding light on cognitive decline and diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and ALS.

Wu Tsai Neuro affiliate Guosong Hong and colleagues developed a new technique to observe neuron formation and firing in juvenile mice, potentially enhancing our understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders and enabling new interventions.

Stanford researchers reviewed over 400 therapy evaluations and discovered a crucial mismatch: Mouse studies test disease prevention, while human trials test treatment of existing disease.