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environmental neuroscience

This shows two heads, one made of DNA and the other of environmental factors.

·April 6, 2026·10 min read

100,000 Small Factors Rival DNA in Disease Risk

A new study of 100,000+ associations reveals that the "exposome"—the total sum of our environmental exposures—is as influential as DNA in determining disease risk. Researchers found that cumulative exposures can explain up to 43% of certain heart disease markers.

This shows a brain made of trees and a cityscape.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 3, 2026·10 min read

How Your Neighborhood and Nation Shape Your Brain’s Age

A 34-country study reveals that the "exposome"—the combination of pollution, social inequality, and political context—is 15 times more predictive of brain aging than any single risk factor. The research calls for a shift from individual "lifestyle" advice to broad structural policy changes to protect global brain health.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·March 16, 2026·7 min read

Turning Plastic Bottles into Parkinson’s Medication

Researchers have successfully turned discarded plastic bottles into L-DOPA, proving that plastic waste is a valuable resource for human health.

This shows a person getting a glass of tap water and a brain.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·March 2, 2026·5 min read

Home Drinking Water May Impact Parkinson’s Risk

New research reveals that drinking water from modern, shallow groundwater systems is associated with a significantly higher risk of Parkinson’s disease.

This shows the outline of a brain with industrial, smoggy buildings in the background, implying the link between air pollution and Alzheimer's disease.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·February 17, 2026·7 min read

Air Pollution’s Primary Role in Alzheimer’s Risk Identified

A study of 27 million Americans finds that air pollution directly contributes to Alzheimer’s risk, especially in stroke survivors.

This shows a child reaching to touch neurons.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·December 3, 2025·6 min read

Early-Life Stimulation Switches On a Molecular Code for Memory

New research shows that childhood environments shape lifelong memory through a single molecular switch that controls learning-related gene activity. In animal models, enriched early experiences activated this switch, strengthening neural circuits involved in memory and cognition, while deprived environments suppressed it.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·November 5, 2025·6 min read

Your Neighborhood Could Influence Your Risk of Dementia

Researchers found that living in a socioeconomically deprived neighborhood can harm brain health as early as midlife. People from these areas showed more signs of small-vessel brain damage, slower thinking skills, and poorer control of lifestyle factors such as blood pressure, obesity, and sleep.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·September 23, 2025·4 min read

Cleaner Air May Protect Children’s Eyesight and Slow Myopia

New research reveals that cleaner air may protect children’s eyesight and help slow the rise of myopia, especially in younger children. Using machine learning, scientists found that children living in less polluted areas had better vision, even after accounting for genetics and screen time.

This shows a brain made up of clouds and smoke stacks.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·September 6, 2025·8 min read

Air Pollution Linked to Toxic Protein Clumps Driving Lewy Body Dementia

A new study reveals a molecular link between fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) and Lewy body dementia, a devastating neurodegenerative condition. By combining human epidemiological data and animal experiments, researchers showed that PM2.5 exposure triggers toxic clumps of alpha-synuclein in the brain, similar to those seen in patients.

This shows a pregnant woman in a field surrounded by "danger" signs.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 18, 2025·6 min read

Prenatal Pesticide Exposure Linked to Lasting Brain Damage in Children

A new study provides the strongest evidence yet that prenatal exposure to the insecticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) disrupts brain development, leaving children with structural abnormalities and impaired motor control well into adolescence. Using brain imaging and behavioral assessments of over 270 New York City children, researchers found that higher CPF exposure levels were directly linked to widespread changes in brain structure, function, and metabolism.

This shows a child's head, a brain and smoke stacks.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 14, 2025·6 min read

Air Pollution Alters Fetal Brain Structures

A new study reveals that prenatal exposure to common air pollutants like NO₂, PM2.5, and black carbon is associated with subtle but measurable changes in fetal brain structure during the second and third trimesters. Using specialized ultrasound scans, researchers found increased volumes in brain cavities, including the lateral ventricles and cisterna magna, and changes in areas related to motor coordination and sensory processing.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·June 10, 2025·6 min read

Genetic Sensitivity to Environment May Shape Mental Health Traits

A large international study of over 21,000 identical twins has identified genetic variants that influence how individuals respond to life experiences, affecting traits such as anxiety, depression, and autistic traits. By analyzing genetic differences in identical twins, researchers discovered that certain genes make people more or less sensitive to environmental exposures.