Carney Institute

Health and Medicine

Hunger may play a role in alcohol addiction, new study finds

October 19, 2026

Brown University scientists conducting experiments with fruit flies found that hunger drives cravings for alcohol, providing context for understanding similar processes in the human brain.

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Health and Medicine

Brown scholar to play key role in federally funded project to prevent neurodegenerative disease

October 15, 2026

Structural biologist Nicolas Fawzi will direct Brown’s role in a multi-institution project to transform the understanding of cellular protein dysfunction in the earliest stages of neurodegenerative disease.

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Health and Medicine

Brown students, faculty deploy data-driven approaches to solve problems in brain science

October 8, 2026

A distinctive Carney Institute for Brain Science program at Brown University trains quantitatively minded undergraduates to introduce new methods for solving problems in brain science labs.

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Science and Technology

Brain-computer interface study sheds light on neural activity during observation, or 'mirror neurons'

September 23, 2026

A study provides new details about how the brain’s motor cortex reacts when people watch actions by agents that may appear more human, or less.

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Health and Medicine

Discovery on neural wiring could unlock paths toward treatment of spinal cord injury, stroke

September 16, 2026

New findings on how neurons find their targets during development provide a potential step forward for understanding how to repair broken neural connections.

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Health and Medicine

Why do people’s pupils dilate when they’re surprised? Brown researchers explain

August 5, 2026

Spikes in physical alertness are a sign that the brain is hitting the “refresh” button to help it better process new and unexpected information, according to a new study.

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Health and Medicine

Chronic teen cannabis use may negatively impact brain's reward system, increase risk of addiction

June 4, 2026

Researchers explored the links between the adolescent dopamine system and cannabis use frequency, amount and addiction severity.

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Health and Medicine

Serotonin reduces ‘belief stickiness,’ which could explain how it works on people with OCD

May 20, 2026

A study co-authored by a Brown University computational cognitive neuroscientist showed how an SSRI improves cognitive flexibility, suggesting a new way of thinking about obsessive-compulsive disorder.

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Health and Medicine

Tiny worms, with help from Brown University researchers, may hold key to treating rare childhood disease

May 12, 2026

Genetically modified nematodes provide a new disease model to screen potential treatments for a rare neurogenetic disorder that has no cure.

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Science and Technology

Do AI language models ‘understand’ the real world? On a basic level, they do, a new study finds

April 22, 2026

New research shows that AI language models can develop a mathematical “understanding” that differentiates between events that are commonplace, improbable, impossible or just plain nonsense.

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Science and Technology

Artificial neural network reproduces gait patterns of four-legged animals

March 23, 2026

In research that could be useful in making more capable robots, Brown University mathematicians developed an artificial neural network that can dynamically reproduce all sorts of animal walking and running movements.

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Health and Medicine

Brown University scientists discover neuron pair in fruit flies that makes life or death decisions

March 18, 2026

Researchers at Brown’s Carney Institute for Brain Science identified a pair of neurons that integrate sweet and bitter signals to decide whether something is safe to eat.

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Science and Technology

Brain computer interface enables rapid communication for two people with paralysis

March 16, 2026

Implantable device research from the BrainGate clinical trial enables communication through rapid typing for a patient with ALS and a patient with a spinal cord injury.

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News and Events

Photos: Rhode Island families enjoy a day of discovery at the Brown Brain Fair

March 15, 2026

Hundreds of local residents came to campus to explore brain puzzles, art projects and hands-on science experiments, all designed to make neuroscience fun and accessible for every age.

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Science and Technology

Study: Electrical stimulation can restore ability to move limbs, receive sensory feedback after spinal cord injury

March 11, 2026

In new results from a clinical trial, researchers show that electrical stimulation of the spinal cord can restore the muscle control and sensory feedback required for coordinated walking movements.

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News and Events

Brown Brain Fair invites Rhode Islanders to explore the science of the brain

March 5, 2026

The free, family-friendly event on March 15 welcomes visitors for a day of fun and exploration, featuring games, art projects, lightning talks and demonstrations that highlight the wonders of the human brain.

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Health and Medicine

Study reveals insights about brain regions linked to OCD, informing potential treatments

February 6, 2026

Researchers found differences in how brain regions work together during certain cognitive tasks, which may help clinicians more effectively treat and assess obsessive-compulsive disorder.

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Science and Technology

Brown University professor John Donoghue wins Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering

February 3, 2026

Donoghue was awarded the prize, considered among the most prestigious honors in engineering, for pioneering work in developing brain-computer interfaces, which enable the restoration of voluntary communication and limb function in people with paralysis.

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Health and Medicine

Is bioluminescence the key to safe, effective brain imaging?

December 12, 2025

The Bioluminescence Hub at Brown, a collaborative team of neuroscientists from around the U.S., found a way to harness light to safely and effectively measure activity in living brain cells.

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Health and Medicine

From the Lab: Frederike Petzschner maps mind-body connections for improved well-being

November 20, 2025

The Brown University cognitive neuroscientist studies how the brain and body interact, with the goal of translating insights into treatments and solutions for patients facing a variety of health challenges.

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Science and Technology

Researchers uncover similarities between human and AI learning

September 4, 2025

By working to understand how new AI systems integrate flexible and incremental learning, researchers gained insights about the human brain.

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Health and Medicine

Despite vast ideological differences, political extremists exhibit similar brain processing

August 28, 2025

A new study shows that when processing political content, the brains of people with extreme views — regardless whether they identify as left or right — show more similarities than those of political centrists.

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Health and Medicine

Brown University neuroscientists help identify a biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease progression

August 1, 2025

Researchers at the Carney Institute for Brain Science have identified electrical activity in the brain that could predict progression to Alzheimer’s disease.

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Health and Medicine

Empowering graduate students to think entrepreneurially about brain technology

August 1, 2025

Graduate students from Brown University and Ben-Gurion University put their brains together in a unique summer practicum to invent and pitch ideas for neurotechnology startups.

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Health and Medicine

$1.3 million grant to Brown to expand research on the role of blood-brain barrier in decision making

July 18, 2025

Researchers from Brown’s Carney Institute will investigate how the blood-brain barrier is involved in transmitting information to the brain, informing potential treatments for brain diseases and disorders.

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Health and Medicine

Brown University researchers discover how people gossip without getting caught

July 1, 2025

Researchers at the Carney Institute for Brain Science spill the tea about the complicated mental computations that allow people to gossip successfully.

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Health and Medicine

Clear understanding of social connections propels strivers up the social ladder

June 20, 2025

When it comes to social influence, knowing how people are connected matters more than simply knowing lots of people, found researchers from Brown University’s Carney Institute for Brain Science.

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Science and Technology

Golden eyes: How gold nanoparticles may one day help to restore people’s vision

April 16, 2025

A team of Brown University researchers has identified a promising new approach that may one day help to restore vision in people affected by macular degeneration and other retinal disorders.

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Health and Medicine

Novel study at Brown shows how late-life health traces back to what happened in the womb

April 16, 2025

The New England Family Study, launched in 1959 and now led by a Brown epidemiologist, spans three generations of participants and unlocks key insights for healthy aging.

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News and Events

Photos: Brown Brain Fair makes brain science fun for all

March 15, 2025

Through hands-on experiments, brain-bending games and expert insights, the free, all-ages annual event engages local residents and families in the wonders of neuroscience.

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Science and Technology

Brown hosts National Academy of Engineering symposium on neurotechnology, neural engineering

March 15, 2025

The symposium focused on the ways in which engineering research can be brought to bear in better understanding the nervous system and treating injury and disease.

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Health and Medicine

Brown University researchers show how humans learn to optimize working memory

February 24, 2025

New findings from scientists from the Carney Institute for Brain Science explain memory limits and shed light on dopamine-related disorders such as Parkinson’s, ADHD and schizophrenia.

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Health and Medicine

Researchers discover how opsin 3, a light-sensitive brain protein, regulates food consumption in mice

February 14, 2025

Researchers at Brown University and Cincinnati Children’s found that suppressing opsin 3 in the brain of mice makes them eat less, raising new questions about the mechanisms involved in regulating human metabolism.

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University Initiatives

Philanthropy made it possible: Brown celebrates its most successful fundraising campaign to date

January 28, 2025

Launched publicly in 2015, BrownTogether transformed Brown through a decade of unprecedented support that advanced excellence in teaching and research, financial aid, community impact and more.

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Health and Medicine

How a shared super-resolution microscope propels breakthrough brain research at Brown

December 17, 2024

Researchers at the Carney Institute for Brain Science are taking creative approaches with a super-resolution microscope to advance their neuroscience investigations in different directions.

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Science and Technology

Passages: Nobel Prize winner and Brown professor of physics Leon Cooper

October 28, 2024

The distinguished physicist, who taught at Brown for more than five decades and was awarded the 1972 Nobel Prize in Physics for developing the theory of superconductivity, died on Oct. 23.

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Health and Medicine

Putting pressure on mini-brains helps to model compression injuries

October 16, 2024

A research team led by Diane Hoffman-Kim, an associate professor of neuroscience and engineering at Brown, found a way to use cortical spheroids to study a type of brain injury that develops over time.

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Health and Medicine

People navigate social networks same way they navigate transportation networks: by studying maps

September 24, 2024

A study by cognitive scientists at Brown University’s Carney Institute for Brain Science deciphered how the human brain represents the complex social connections among acquaintances, friends, and friends of friends.

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Health and Medicine

Brown unveils design for signature life sciences research facility in Providence

September 12, 2024

Renderings for Danoff Laboratories show a state-of-the-art facility for integrated research ranging from molecular-level science, to biotech innovations, to patient therapies and interventions.

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News and Events

Brown names William A. and Ami Kuan Danoff Life Sciences Laboratories in recognition of generous gift

September 12, 2024

A planned state-of-the-art facility for integrated life sciences research, Danoff Laboratories in Providence’s Jewelry District will convene scientists to solve complex, interconnected health and medical challenges.

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Health and Medicine

‘ScanFest’ sessions teach students the ins and outs of using an MRI machine for research

April 18, 2024

As part of a class taught by Brown neuroscientist David Badre, undergraduates embrace the rare opportunity to conduct experiments and engage in research with state-of-the-art MRI technology.

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News and Events

Photos: Brown Brain Fair sparks curiosity and wonder in local kids, families

March 16, 2024

The brainy bash brought the Brown and Providence communities together for a day of learning and fun with brain science games, exhibits and discussions.

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Health and Medicine

Lack of focus doesn’t equal lack of intelligence — it’s proof of an intricate brain

March 8, 2024

A study by neuroscientists at Brown University’s Carney Institute for Brain Science illustrates how parts of the brain need to work together to focus on important information while filtering out distractions.

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Health and Medicine

Marvel at the mysteries of the human brain at the Brown Brain Fair on March 16

March 1, 2024

Free and open to the public, the annual family-friendly event invites Rhode Islanders to learn about brain science through interactive stations, creative art projects, lively games and engaging lighting talks.

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Health and Medicine

Hannah Doyle: Studying brains in the lab and showing brawn in the ring

December 13, 2023

The Brown neuroscience Ph.D. student and competitive boxer researches how the brain processes combinations — like the ones she practices at the gym — to better understand cognitive disorders.

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News and Events

Journalist Kate Zernike speaks at Brown on 21st century gender discrimination in the sciences

October 19, 2023

Zernike, who wrote “The Exceptions” about women faculty and the fight for fairness at MIT, talked with Brown community members about the challenges facing women in science — and what can be done.

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Health and Medicine

One vial at a time, researchers at Brown analyze the mysteries of Alzheimer’s

August 15, 2023

In a new fluid biomarkers laboratory at Brown’s Carney Institute for Brain Science, researchers study blood samples for biological signals of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, expanding the possibilities of brain research.

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Science and Technology

New tool explains how AI ‘sees’ images and why it might mistake an astronaut for a shovel

June 28, 2023

A team of Brown brain and computer scientists developed a new approach to understanding computer vision, which can be used to help create better, safer and more robust artificial intelligence systems.

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Health and Medicine

Mind-body practice of qigong can improve cancer-related fatigue

May 24, 2023

A study led by Brown University researchers found that a low-impact, meditative movement program involving qigong was as effective as more standard exercise programs in improving cancer-related fatigue.

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Science and Technology

Scientists from Brown show local K-12 students the beauty of the brain

March 20, 2023

Brown students and faculty were among the Brain Week Rhode Island volunteers who brought plastic brains, interactive activities and lots of neuroscience knowledge to schools around the state.

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