The Bautista lab has found that a viral protein actively stimulates neurons that trigger sneezing.
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The Helen Wills
Neuroscience Institute
Deepening our understanding of the brain and the rest of the nervous system through original research and neurotechnology innovation, and training the next generation of neuroscientists.
The Helen Wills
Neuroscience Institute
Deepening our understanding of the brain and the rest of the nervous system through original research and neurotechnology innovation, and training the next generation of neuroscientists.
An image of dendritic spines on neurons in the mouse cortex, produced using new microscopy technology developed by HWNI member Eric Betzig.
The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute (HWNI) is the nexus for campus-wide multidisciplinary neuroscience research at UC Berkeley. Our community includes over 70 faculty members in 12 academic departments. This unique cross-departmental structure brings together experts from a variety of fields to use the power of interdisciplinary research to achieve breakthroughs in the study of the brain and nervous system, and to drive the development of novel treatments and technologies. We support our faculty and their labs in their individual research aims, and foster opportunities for collaboration. We also sponsor major research initiatives, run six innovative neurotechnology and research centers, and train the next generation of neuroscientists through our support of the Neuroscience PhD Program.
Latest News
For new professor, psychedelics and octopuses may hold keys to the human mind
Gül Dölen is known for her research on how psychedelics affect "critical periods" and learning.
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Are stressed-out brain cells the root cause of neurodegenerative disease?
Rapé lab research suggests that constant stress triggered by clumping proteins is killing brain cells.
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Department of Neuroscience to launch at UC Berkeley
HWNI member and inaugural Neuroscience Department chair Dan Feldman discusses the exciting new department!
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Bob Knight receives 2024 American Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions
Congratulations to HWNI member Robert Knight!
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World-renowned neuroscientist doctor Gül Dölen to join UC Berkeley faculty
Dölen will join HWNI, Psychology, and the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics.
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Cell types in the eye have ancient evolutionary origins
The Shekhar lab and collaborators found that retinal cell types are remarkably conserved across vertebrates.
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Berkeley Neuroscience PhD alum Emily Jacobs leads new initiative to advance study of women’s brain health
Jacobs directs UC’s Bowers Women’s Brain Health Initiative, which she wrote about in Nature.
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Recent Faculty Publications
Nature. 2024 Apr 17. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07327-x. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTMetabotropic glutamate receptors belong to a family of G protein-coupled receptors that are obligate dimers and possess a large extracellular ligand-binding...
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Nat Ecol Evol. 2024 Apr 16. doi: 10.1038/s41559-024-02404-w. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTVertebrates rely on rod photoreceptors for vision in low-light conditions. The specialized downstream circuit for rod signalling, called the...
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15
Apr
2024
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024 Apr 23;121(17):e2400086121. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2400086121. Epub 2024 Apr 15.ABSTRACTVision can provide useful cues about the geometric properties of an object, like its size,...
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Nat Commun. 2024 Apr 12;15(1):3196. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-47361-x.ABSTRACTThe dorsal hippocampus (dHPC) is a key brain region for the expression of spatial memories, such as navigating towards a learned reward location. The...
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11
Apr
2024
Nat Commun. 2024 Apr 11;15(1):3142. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-47208-5.ABSTRACTTRAAK, TREK-1, and TREK-2 are mechanosensitive two-pore domain K+ (K2P) channels that contribute to action potential propagation, sensory transduction, and muscle contraction. While structural...
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