Olfaction is a critical sense for many animals, guiding their foraging behavior, mate choice and predator avoidance. Mice use ~1000 odorant receptor types in the main olfactory system…
Prof. Engert (second from left) and Dr. Abeanu (right) with a few students from the course. Dr. Albeanu (left) and Prof. Engert making an adjustment to the microscope.…
A moment’s introspection reveals that our perceptions and actions are strongly affected by our behavioral states. Whether you are sleepy, awake, distracted or vigilant will affect how you…
Our brains generally represent the outside world using ordered maps. For example, neighboring points in visual space activate neighboring points on the retina, and this relation is preserved…
The human brain represents approximately 2% of the total body weight, but accounts for about 20% of the energy consumed. Functional hyperemia (local increases in blood flow triggered…
Venkatesh Murthy Looking back on his career, Venkatesh (Venki) Murthy sees no direct path or single-minded passion. “I find there’s joy on the side roads,” explains the newly…
Program participants (clockwise from top-left): Jaline Gerardin, Varun Narendra and unidentified University of Chicago student; Kevin Zhang; local student and Yonit Lavin; Megan Srinivas Throughout history, scientists have…
Perhaps you have had the experience of walking into a new environment, such as a Moroccan bazaar or a Chinese supermarket for the first time, and being struck…
Imagine a cocktail party, full of conversing people. As a group, these people love to talk, but for a good party their chatter should be neither too quiet…
Figure 1 Communication between neurons occurs at specialized structures called synapses, where neurotransmitters released by synaptic vesicles activate receptors on the postsynaptic neuron to elicit chemical and electrical…
