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What is Personality?
In a new paper, titled “Personality beyond taxonomy,” published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, Caltech researchers from the disciplines of neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy discuss the long-standing question: What is personality? Whereas most studies measure personality in various ways, they are often ambiguous about what personality really is: Is it in the behaviors themselves […]
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Proving a Link Between Chronic Alcohol Exposure and Impaired Inhibitory Function
The GABAB receptor (GABABR) agonist baclofen has been used to treat alcohol and several other substance use disorders yet how exactly it works remains unclear. Professor Tifei Yuan, a Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Translational Research project lead and Principal Investigator at Shanghai Mental Health Center recently published an online paper titled, “Reduced Motor […]
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Neural Networks Playing Video Games Teach Us About Our Own Brains
A new study from Caltech compares brain scans of humans playing classic Atari video games to sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) networks that have been trained to play the same games. The research was led by graduate student Logan Cross, in the laboratory of TCCI®-affiliated Professor of Psychology John O’Doherty and found that the activity in […]
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Love and Hate in the Mouse Brain
Mounting behavior, that awkward thrusting motion dogs sometimes do against your leg, is usually associated with sexual arousal in animals, but this is not always the case. New research by Caltech neuroscientists that explores the motivations behind mounting behavior in mice finds that sometimes there is a thin line between love and hate (or anger) […]
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Professor Mao Ying’s Team Wins 2020 China Neuroscience Major Progress Award
The Chinese Society of Neuroscience recently recognized six projects with the 2020 China Neuroscience Major Progress Awards and one of them awarded to Professor Mao Ying’s team. Mao is the Director of the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Brain Health and Dean of Huashan Hospital. Mao’s team collaborated a team from the Wang Liping Research Institute and the Center for Excellence in Brain Science […]
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The machine as an extension of the body
Combining neuroscience and robotic research has gained impressive results in the rehabilitation of paraplegic patients. A research team led by Prof. Gordon Cheng from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) was able to show that exoskeleton training not only helped patients to walk, but also stimulated their healing process. With these findings in mind, Prof. […]
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Stanford researchers develop new tool for watching and controlling neural activity
A new molecular probe from Stanford University could help reveal how our brains think and remember. This tool, called Fast Light and Calcium-Regulated Expression or FLiCRE (pronounced “flicker”), can be sent inside any cell to perform a variety of research tasks, including tagging, recording and controlling cellular functions. “This work gets at a central goal […]
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Shanghai hospital clears ethical reviews for chip brain implant treatment for depressed patients
TCCI’s recently opened Frontier Lab for Brain Research in Shanghai, is mentioned in this article which touches on progress in the area of brain-computer interfaces (BCI) in China. The article mentions that although China has been lagging in this area, recent investments in this technology, like similar work being done at the Chen Frontier Lab […]
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Hibernation: Translating Insights from Nature into Manned Deep Space Exploration
During a long‐duration manned spaceflight mission, such as flying to Mars and beyond, all crew members will spend a long period in an independent spacecraft with closed‐loop bioregenerative life‐support systems. Saving resources and reducing medical risks, particularly in mental health, are key technology gaps hampering human expedition into deep space. Professor Tifei Yuan, a Tianqiao […]
