Neuroscience News

We talk with psychiatrist Neir Eshel about why rewards are sweeter when we've had to work for them and what this teaches us about our brains' reward systems

The research showed that chronic pain is controlled by an entirely separate system than acute pain

Join us as we talk with Brian Knutson, a professor of psychology in Stanford's School of Humanities and Sciences about the frontiers of neuroeconomics, bridging psychology, economics, and neuroscience

Stanford Medicine researchers discuss the brain’s ancient wiring and how its built-in reward-seeking system can be hijacked by addiction—as well as ways to prevent and treat it.

In which addiction expert Keith Humphreys explains how neuroscience is reshaping our understanding of substance abuse—and why policy still hasn’t caught up.

Mice learn fastest and most reliably when they experience an increase in dopamine paired with an inhibition of serotonin in their nucleus accumbens, a new st

New research from the Malenka lab reveals that reward-based learning requires the two neuromodulators to balance one another's influence.

This week, we talk with Michelle Monje and Rob Malenka about recent findings on the role of myelin plasticity in opioid addiction.

Wu Tsai Neuro's multidisciplinary "Big Ideas in Neuroscience" initiative connected addiction-focused basic research, clinical application, and public policy to create a community across traditional disciplinary boundaries, deepening understanding of decision-making.

This week, we talk with psychiatrist Neir Eshel about dopamine, the difference between 'liking' and 'wanting,' and new ways of thinking about Parkinson's disease and addiction.

Institute affiliate Keith Humphreys explains why we think of addiction as a disease.

Rob Malenka answers: "Why are psychiatrists taking a fresh look at MDMA?"

Neuroscientist Robert Malenka and his team have identified a molecular link between opioid withdrawal and social aversion in the brains of mice—suggesting the potential to help people in recovery from opioid addiction reconnect with their social support.

A new study by scientists with the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute’s NeuroChoice Initiative reveals that relapse may be linked to quite different brain circuits than addiction itself.

New research in mice by scientists affiliated with the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute has shown how targeted stimulation of the brain’s serotonin system could improve memory for new acquaintances, even after a brief introduction.

On September 1, the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute officially launches the Neuroscience Preclinical Imaging Laboratory, a new shared facility for top-of-the-line magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of model organisms, housed in the Stanford Neurosciences Building.