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How the Brain Learns New Skills
Seeking to discover basic limits on the brain’s plasticity, a new Caltech study discovered that learning is indeed easier when related to skills one already has because pre-existing neuronal structure constrains what one can learn. In other words, it is likely that the skills we already have developed restrict what we can learn easily in […]
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TCCI® Hosts the International Conference on Clinical Assessment of Cognitive Impairment
In April 2019, the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute (TCCI®) for Translational Research co-hosted the International Conference on the Clinical Assessment of Cognitive Impairment together with the Shanghai Medical Doctors Association, and the Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Huashan Hospital in Shanghai, China. The four-day conference and training sessions invited 10 well-known experts and […]
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Minds Wide Open Wins Three New York Film Festivals TV & Film Awards
With the two Gold and one Bronze World Medals, the brain science documentary has won seven international awards and is shortlisted for a 2019 Brand Film Festival London Award. Watch a full version of the film at: https://youtu.be/dkyntB4POQY Menlo Park, CA. Minds Wide Open, a film commissioned by the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute, […]
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Hooked on Salty Foods? These Neurons are to Blame
Potato chips, French fries, popcorn—whichever your preference, we all know that salt is a key component of many tasty foods. But eating too much salt has potential health risks and can lead to cardiovascular and cognitive disorders. Now, Caltech researchers in the lab of Yuki Oka, an assistant professor of biology and Chen Scholar, have […]
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Blech! Brain Science Explains Why You’re Not Thirsty For Salt Water
Chen Scholar, Yuki Oka, an assistant professor of biology at Caltech, was interviewed on NPR’s “All Things Considered” about his research into how the brain regulates sodium appetite. Oka’s team used a technique called optogenetics to switch on the neurons related to sodium appetite in mice brains. The effects were immediate. Learn more on […]
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Evidence for a Human Geomagnetic Sense
Researchers at Caltech and the University of Tokyo developed a robust experiment that shows many humans are able to unconsciously detect changes in Earth-strength magnetic fields. Neuroscientist and TCCI®-affiliated faculty member, Shin Shomojo, worked with Caltech geoscientist Joseph Kirschvink and University of Tokyo neuroengineer Ayu Matani on the project. Read more on the Caltech […]
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Minds Wide Open Shortlisted for Brand Film Festival Award
We are honored that our documentary “Minds Wide Open” has been shortlisted for a Brand Film Festival London Award! Fingers crossed – winners will be announced in early May.
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2019 TCCI Spring Newsletter
We are delighted to share with you TCCI’s 2018 Annual Report which you can download by clicking on the image below. In this report, we’ve endeavored
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TCCI Releases 2018 Annual Report
We’re happy to introduce TCCI’s first Annual Report which endeavors to highlight the momentum and accomplishments enjoyed by our institutional partners, private investigators and graduate fellows in 2018. We’ve included a summary of the exciting research coming out of TCCI at Caltech, highlighted awards won by TCCI-affiliated scientists around the world and tried to give […]
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TCCI® joins the International Brain Initiative
We recently joined the International Brain Initiative (IBI), a collaborative of some of the world’s most significant brain research projects. The IBI’s vision of catalyzing and advancing ethical neuroscience through collaboration and knowledge-sharing aligns well with our own and we’re very happy to support the IBI’s upcoming coordinating body meeting, March 19-20, in Shanghai, China. Read […]