It’s often said that the human brain is the most intricate structure in the known universe. That may or may not be true—whale and dolphin brains are pretty amazing, too. But thanks to major advances in imaging and neuromodulation technologies, we do know much more about the brain’s workings, and its failings, than we did just a few years ago.
Using tools like functional MRI and transcranial magnetic stimulation, for example, neuroscientists are able to pinpoint the specific regions of the brain that seem to be responsible for specific cognitive processes such as face recognition, not to mention squishier tasks such as making judgments about what other people are thinking. The new science of optogenetics, meanwhile, allows researchers to experiment on neurons in-situ by controlling their inputs. By using millisecond bursts of light to manipulate neurons involved in storing experiences, they’ve even been able to implant false memories in mice.
Meanwhile, it’s becoming clear that the brain is far more self-renewing than we once thought, generating new cells and remaining “plastic” throughout a person’s lifetime. Advances in our understanding of the consequences of concussions and other forms of violence to the brain are leading to new ideas about diagnosing and treating traumatic brain injuries. And trials are underway to find drugs that can block the processes thought to cause dementia in Alzheimer’s patients.
Piece by piece, brain scientists are beginning to assemble an account of how a panoply of neurochemical signals give rise to emotions, perceptions, actions, and consciousness—and how these processes can go wrong. To help journalists understand these complex developments, the Knight Science Journalism program at MIT, with generous support from the Kavli Foundation, is assembling top Boston-area neuroscientists for a two-day intensive course on frontiers in brain science on June 11 and 12, 2015.
Through in-depth presentations, our guest scientists will explain their work to a selected group of journalists and editors, with plenty of time for interaction and Q&A. To support attendance at the workshop by media professionals from outside Cambridge and Boston, we are able to provide travel stipends of $750 to a dozen journalists, chosen through a competitive online application process.
To apply for travel support, use our online forms to send us a personal statement about why you’d like to attend, a CV, a couple of recent published articles, and (for applicants in staff positions) a letter from your employer supporting your participation. Please click here for the full application instructions and a link to the application forms. That’s also the page where, in the coming weeks, we’ll share the full workshop agenda and speaker list.
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