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UC Santa Barbara

This shows a brain made of computer chips.

·May 19, 2025·7 min read

Rewiring Memory: A New Model That Learns Like a Human Brain

A new memory model called Input-Driven Plasticity (IDP) offers a more human-like explanation for how external stimuli help us retrieve memories, building on the foundations of the classic Hopfield network. Unlike traditional models, which assume memory recall happens from a fixed starting point, the IDP framework describes how stimuli reshape the brain’s “energy landscape” in real time to guide memory retrieval.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 13, 2025·6 min read

Hormone Cycles Reshape the Brain and Boost Learning

A new study reveals that natural hormone fluctuations during the estrous cycle dramatically alter neuron structure and activity in the mouse hippocampus, a brain region key to learning and memory. Using advanced laser microscopy, researchers observed that high estrogen levels increase dendritic spine density and enhance signal propagation in neurons—both critical for synaptic plasticity.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·January 2, 2025·7 min read

Gene Expression Drives Evolution of Human Brain Complexity

While humans share over 95% of their genome with chimpanzees, our brains are far more complex due to differences in gene expression. Research shows that human brain cells, particularly glial cells, exhibit higher levels of upregulated genes, enhancing neural plasticity and development.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 10, 2024·7 min read

How the Brain Deciphers Context to Guide Decisions

Research reveals that the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and hippocampus (DH) play distinct roles in resolving ambiguous situations where the meaning of stimuli changes based on context. The OFC helps regulate behavior by using contextual knowledge, while the DH is critical for applying prior knowledge to accelerate learning new relationships.

This shows a woman on an exercise bike and a brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 9, 2024·4 min read

Single Bouts of HIIT Exercise Boost Brain Power

New research finds that even single bouts of intense exercise can improve cognitive performance in young adults, particularly in memory, attention, and executive functioning. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and cycling yielded the most substantial cognitive benefits, especially when lasting under 30 minutes. While the cognitive boost was modest, it suggests that brief, vigorous exercise may have a more immediate effect on brain function than previously thought.

This shows the outline of a woman and a brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 21, 2024·5 min read

Pregnancy Dramatically Reshapes the Brain

A new study provides the first detailed map of brain changes during pregnancy, showing significant neuroplasticity in adults. Researchers found a decrease in gray matter volume and a temporary increase in white matter in a pregnant brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 25, 2024·9 min read

Mosquitoes Detect Humans Using Infrared Radiation for Targeting

Researchers have discovered that mosquitoes, particularly the species Aedes aegypti, can detect infrared radiation (IR) from human skin, enhancing their ability to find hosts. This newly identified sense doubles their host-seeking behavior when combined with other cues like CO2 and human odor.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 7, 2023·8 min read

Decoding Morality: How Our Brains Differentiate Right from Wrong

Researchers, guided by the Moral Foundations Theory (MFT), explored the neural basis of morality. They discovered that while a general brain network is involved in judging moral violations, distinct activity patterns arise for different moral issues, supporting a pluralistic view.

This shows a glowing outline of a person.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·May 17, 2023·7 min read

Feeling the Burn? Channel That Generates Pain Sensation Also Blocks It

Researchers discovered a novel pain-suppression pathway in fruit flies, regulated by just two neurons named 'Epione' or 'Epi'. Remarkably, the molecule that controls this process in adults has an inverse role in larvae. This breakthrough understanding of pain suppression, or 'nociception', may have wider implications for human pain management.

Featured Neuroscience

·January 4, 2023·7 min read

An Added Layer of Nuance in Our Sense of Smell Revealed

Study reveals an integral feature in how our brains recognize different smells.

This shows the outline of a woman's head and brain

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 4, 2021·5 min read

The Sensitive Brain at Rest

A new study sheds light on how highly sensitive people process information. After experiencing something emotionally evocative, brain activity displayed a depth of processing while at rest. Depth of processing is a key feature of high emotional sensitivity.