From announcements of major philanthropic gifts to support cutting-edge brain science at Brown, to groundbreaking research that demonstrated the first human use of high-bandwidth wireless brain-computer interface, below in reverse chronological order are Carney's top stories of 2021.
Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science
Date
December 20, 2021
Year in Review: 2021 in stories
Amidst the many challenges of 2021, researchers in Brown University's Carney Institute for Brain Science contributed a whirlwind of scientific advances and news about the brain.
December 9, 2021
News from Brown
Researchers identify brain signals associated with OCD symptoms, paving way for adaptive treatment
The discovery of electrical signals in the brain associated with OCD could enable an emerging type of adaptive deep brain stimulation therapy as an improved treatment.
November 8, 2021
Alumni & Friends
Improving mental health through computational neuroscience
The Carney Institute’s new BRAINSTORM program is bridging the gap between basic brain science research and clinical applications for mental well-being.
October 5, 2021
News from Brown
Brown scientist wins NIH innovator award to illuminate undetected brain activity
A five-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will support Ahmed Abdelfattah’s research to shed light on brain activity, which could ultimately benefit patients facing a range of disorders.
News from Carney
Seven students receive Carney graduate awards
Seven Brown University students have received graduate awards for the 2021/2022 academic year from the Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science.
When completing a routine task like cooking or making a cup of coffee, each motion happens more or less automatically and rarely does one think about how each step impacts the next. A new study by researchers affiliated with the Carney Institute for Brain Science describes how these behavioral processes work.
August 17, 2021
News from Brown
Beware the ‘molecular parasites’ involved in aging and disease
Brown researcher John Sedivy, lead author of a sweeping review article about transposons, explains what these mobile genetic elements are, how they are more harmful than benign and where their weaknesses may lie.
August 5, 2021
News from Brown
To advance human rights, consult neuroscience
Scholars at Brown found that brain science bolsters long-held notions that people thrive when they enjoy basic human rights such as agency, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.
August 3, 2021
News from Brown
Computational brain science summer program at Brown opens up a world of science
Through a nine-week program organized by the Carney Institute for Brain Science, undergraduates from multiple universities learn the building blocks of computational brain science, a growing and increasingly important field.
New research out of the Carney Institute for Brain Science identifies how dopamine is transmitted throughout the brain during reward-based learning, providing a new take on traditional understanding of dopamine neurotransmission.
May 13, 2021
News from Brown
Politically polarized brains share an intolerance of uncertainty
A new study on political polarization led by a Brown University team showed how an aversion to uncertainty is often associated with black-and-white political views.
Dr. Linda Carpenter was named president-elect of the Society for Biological Psychiatry at the society’s annual meeting this month.
April 28, 2021
News from Brown
With $30 million in support, Brown launches Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research
By bringing together biomedical research and discovery with world-class physician-scientists advancing care for patients with Alzheimer’s, the center aims to accelerate the pace of development for novel treatments and cures.
News from Carney
Carney researcher to lead new sleep, circadian rhythms center
The new Center for Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Child and Adolescent Mental Health will be led by Mary A. Carskadon, a Brown adjunct professor affiliated with the Carney Institute.
March 31, 2021
News from Brown
Researchers demonstrate first human use of high-bandwidth wireless brain-computer interface
In an important step toward a fully implantable intracortical brain-computer interface system, BrainGate researchers demonstrated the first human use of a wireless transmitter capable of delivering high-bandwidth neural signals.
News from Carney
Carney scientists win awards from Cognitive Neuroscience Society
The Cognitive Neuroscience Society has named two scientists affiliated with the Carney Institute for Brain Science recipients of the 2021 Young Investigator Awards.
February 16, 2021
News from Brown
Why even try? Using brain science to answer one of life’s biggest questions
A new study from a research team based at Brown University sheds light on the cognitive processes that occur when humans decide to exert mental effort.
February 10, 2021
News from Brown
Neurons from patient blood cells enable researchers to test treatments for genetic brain disease
A team led by Brown University researchers reprogrammed patient blood cells into stem cells to test treatments for Christianson syndrome, finding that treatment responses varied according to the mutations present.
January 26, 2021
News from Brown
$25 million gift to Brown will fuel innovation in brain science
The latest major investment in Brown’s cutting-edge brain science research, the generous gift will support computational brain science and endow a program to promote innovative research.
News from Carney
Carney Institute grants $464k in innovation awards to six scientists
Six scientists affiliated with the Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science have received innovation awards from the institute to take risks and test bold ideas.
January 21, 2021
News from Brown
Brown brain scientist wins early-career award from National Academy of Sciences
Michael J. Frank, a Brown professor who directs the Center for Computational Brain Science in the Carney Institute for Brain Science, was named one of two recipients of this year’s Troland Award.