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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.

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An image of dendritic spines on neurons in the mouse cortex, produced using new microscopy technology developed by HWNI member Eric Betzig.   

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Neuroscience

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 five innovative neurotechnology and research centers, and train the next generation of neuroscientists through our Neuroscience PhD Program and the training of postdoctoral fellows who conduct research in HWNI faculty labs. We also have over 100 PhD Program alumni who work in a variety of careers across the globe.

Latest News

2023 Q&A with the Neuroscience PhD Program graduates

2023 Q&A with the Neuroscience PhD Program graduates

Congratulations to our recent and upcoming graduates! Read our Q&A with some of them.
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A decoder that uses brain scans to know what you mean — mostly

A decoder that uses brain scans to know what you mean — mostly

NPR features research from PhD alum Alexander Huth. Current student Amanda LeBel is a co-author.
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Marla Feller elected to National Academy of Sciences

Marla Feller elected to National Academy of Sciences

Congratulations to HWNI member Marla Feller!
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Deep sleep may mitigate Alzheimer’s memory loss, Berkeley research shows

Deep sleep may mitigate Alzheimer’s memory loss, Berkeley research shows

New paper from HWNI members Matthew Walker and William Jagust.
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Marla Feller named American Academy of Arts & Sciences fellow

Marla Feller named American Academy of Arts & Sciences fellow

Congratulations to HWNI member Marla Feller!
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Diana Bautista receives Graduate Assembly Faculty Mentor Award

Diana Bautista receives Graduate Assembly Faculty Mentor Award

The award recipients have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to mentoring UC Berkeley graduate students.
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Faculty focus on Jim Hurley

Faculty focus on Jim Hurley

Interview with HWNI member James Hurley.
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Yang Dan named winner of the 2023 Scolnick Prize in Neuroscience

Yang Dan named winner of the 2023 Scolnick Prize in Neuroscience

HWNI member Yang Dan wins Scolnick Prize for key discoveries about the neurobiology of sleep.
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Recent Faculty Publications

08 Jun 2023
Front Neuroinform. 2023 May 23;17:1128866. doi: 10.3389/fninf.2023.1128866. eCollection 2023.ABSTRACTInformation theory is a viable candidate to advance our understanding of how the brain processes information generated in the internal or external...
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07 Jun 2023
Cereb Cortex. 2023 Jun 6:bhad155. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhad155. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTContext modulates sensory neural activations enhancing perceptual and behavioral performance and reducing prediction errors. However, the mechanism of when and...
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05 Jun 2023
J Cell Biol. 2023 Jul 3;222(7):e202304011. doi: 10.1083/jcb.202304011. Epub 2023 Jun 5.ABSTRACTTwo papers in this issue resolve a long-standing obstacle to a "standard model" for autophagosome biogenesis in mammals. The...
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02 Jun 2023
Cereb Cortex. 2023 Jun 1:bhad179. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhad179. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTEncoding an event that overlaps with a previous experience may involve reactivating an existing memory and integrating it with new...
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01 Jun 2023
Commun Biol. 2023 Jun 1;6(1):586. doi: 10.1038/s42003-023-04953-5.ABSTRACTRecent studies identify a surprising coupling between evolutionarily new sulci and the functional organization of human posteromedial cortex (PMC). Yet, no study has compared...
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