Neuroscience News

Morphine and similar drugs are the world’s most widely used painkillers. But they’re also dangerous and addictive. A new compound may be able to safely provide the same analgesia as morphine.

In a Q&A, the neuroscientist discusses the reasons for continued basic and clinical research on an illegal drug scientists call 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA, and partiers call Ecstasy.

Stanford bioengineer, neuroscientist and practicing psychiatrist Karl Deisseroth, MD, PhD, heads a huge, prolific laboratory but also oversees a program he set up years ago to train researchers from all over the world in the use of optogenetics.

The psychiatrist and bioengineer is being honored for his groundbreaking work in creating a viable technique for installing light-driven “on” and “off” switches on the surfaces of nerve cells, enabling investigators to learn exactly what they do.

Stanford molecular bioengineer Alex Savtchenko, PhD, has devised a newfangled nanoparticle whose center is a small ball of gold. It may turn out to be an effective and safer drug for Alzheimer’s version of the disease.

A recent study, and its response, heralds a new level of self-scrutiny for this area.

With big pharma short on solutions, we talk to people pioneering new ways to beat conditions including anxiety, depression and schizophrenia.

Studies by the Wyss-Coray lab and others have shown that organ stem cells retain their regenerative capacity, but the biochemical cues that control their function change with age — causing the abandonment of tissue maintenance and repair in the elderly.

House cleaning. Working the cash register at a Chinese restaurant. Walking dogs. Running a dry cleaner.

Hormone therapy for postmenopausal women has been controversial, with some studies suggesting benefits and others not. Now, a study finds the treatment’s effect on women’s mental skills is negligible.

MDMA is a drug of abuse, but also a promising therapeutic and research tool according to Stanford brain researcher Rob Malenka, MD, PhD.

Broken links between retinal ganglion cells and target structures throughout the brain spell permanent vision loss. But in a new study, these long-distance connections — and partial vision — were restored.

The first time any eye-brain connections have ever been restored in a mammal — a step millions of people suffering from serious vision loss will be happy to hear about.

A new study reinforces the need for surgeons and physicians to monitor patients' use of painkillers following surgery and use alternative methods of pain control whenever possible.

Brain Imaging Data Structure, aka “BIDS”, is a standard way of organizing and storing MRI data. It’s kind of like telling all your colleagues to use compatible word processing software so you can share documents.

It turns out that in addition to being fascinating, neuroscience is also quite beautiful. The Stanford Neurosciences Institute recently announced the eleven finalists in their Art of Neuroscience competition.