30 days to the launch of Elusive Cures! I learned so much writing it, and I want to share it.
Elusive Cures
A neuroscientist’s bold proposal for tackling one of the greatest challenges of our time—brain and mental illnesses
For the next 30 days, I'll post brain & mind research breakthroughs on odd days, and highlight unmet needs on even ones. #ElusiveCures30
First breakthrough: Recording tech & why it matters.
The brain is a complex system in which its parts need to be studied simultaneously b/c its emergent properties follow from their interactions.
We can now do that for the first time in history. Up to 1 million neurons in mice!
https://www.cell.com/neuron/abstract/S0896-6273(24)00121-1
And this is leading to ways to measure things we've never been able to before. Like how activity in the hypothalamus of a mouse gets sucked into a persistent "line attractor" to drive aggression. Understanding that is a step toward understanding emotion in humans.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07915-x
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07915-x