Rett Syndrome Research Trust has awarded Mark Zylka $400,000 to screen for other compounds of topoisomerase inhibitors that can rebalance expression of long genes safely.

Spencer Smith discussed how new technologies and multidisciplinary research are advancing our understanding of the brain at a congressional briefing organized by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science and National Science Foundation on Thursday, July 9th.

Dr. Jason Stein from UCLA will join the faculty of the Neuroscience Center and the Department of Genetics in January 2016.

Jeffrey Stirman, Ph.D., was just awarded a grant of $500,000 as part of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund’s Career Awards at the Scientific Interface (CASI) program.

Lei Xing of received a two-year Young Investigator Award from Children’s Tumor Foundation. Lei Xing is a Research Scientist in Dr. William Snider’s lab. He proposes to investigate the effect of ERK/MAPK hyperactivation on neural circuit development.

Using a weak electric current to alter a specific brain activity pattern, Frohlich lab increased creativity in healthy adults. Now they’re testing the same experimental protocol to alleviate symptoms in people with depression.

The 15th Perl/UNC Neuroscience Prize award ceremony and lecture was held on Thursday, May 14th at 3PM in G202 MBRB.

Using a new ‘chemogenetic’ technique invented by Bryan Roth’s lab at UNC, scientists turn neurons ‘on’ and ‘off’ to demonstrate how brain circuits control behavior in mice. This unique tool – the first to result from the NIH BRAIN Initiative – will help scientists understand how to modulate neurons to more effectively treat diseases.

Spencer Smith, PhD, assistant professor of cell biology and physiology and member of the UNC Neuroscience Center, was featured on North Carolina Now, a nightly program on UNC TV.

Tom Kash, PhD, led a study, published in Nature Neuroscience, that identifies both where in the brain and how Neuropeptide Y, a protein in the brain, can act to suppress binge alcohol drinking.