Category: General Neuroscience

2025-26, General Neuroscience

Blood Flow Disruptions as an Early Warning Sign of Alzheimer’s Disease

By: Judy Zhao, Class of 2029 Figure 1. Image of a white rat, often used as a model organism in basic scientific experiments One of the most significant pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the buildup of amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaque in the brain. A study conducted by Dr. Kim and colleagues at Stony Brook University investigated the association between brain blood flow and the … Continue reading Blood Flow Disruptions as an Early Warning Sign of Alzheimer’s Disease

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2025-26, General Neuroscience

Cholinergic Interneurons and Nicotinic Receptors are drivers of Serotonin Release in the Dorsal Striatum

By Kang Lai 2026 The dorsal striatum is a major input region of the basal ganglia and plays critical roles in goal-directed and habit learning. Neural processes within this region are largely shaped by serotonin, also known as 5-HT. Previous research has shown that monoamines and acetylcholine (ACh) can regulate the release of each other in the striatum. For example, dopamine causes excitation of striatal … Continue reading Cholinergic Interneurons and Nicotinic Receptors are drivers of Serotonin Release in the Dorsal Striatum

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2025-26, General Neuroscience

Brain Senescence and TFAP4 as Regulators of Parkinson’s Disease

By Kang Lai, Class of 2026 Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, a crucial dopamine-producing region in the midbrain. Recent studies conducted by Markus Reissland and colleagues at Stony Brook University have investigated cellular senescence transcriptional regulators as potential drivers of senescence and Parkinson’s Disease progression.. Cellular senescence is defined by … Continue reading Brain Senescence and TFAP4 as Regulators of Parkinson’s Disease

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2025-26, General Neuroscience

CaV3.2 Channels: Inducing Spinal Cord Injury Neuropathic Pain via Hyperexcitability and Spontaneous Activity in Nociceptors

By Maegan Diep, Class of 2029 Figure 1.  An illustration of pain localized along the lower spine. Following spinal cord injury, up to 60-70% of patients are affected by spinal cord injury neuropathic pain (SCI-NP). Despite the large population affected, there is a lack of effective treatment plans to combat SCI-NP. Currently, anticonvulsant and antidepressant drugs are typically prescribed to affected patients, but many still … Continue reading CaV3.2 Channels: Inducing Spinal Cord Injury Neuropathic Pain via Hyperexcitability and Spontaneous Activity in Nociceptors

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2025-26, General Neuroscience

Protecting the Brain: How a CRISPR Mutation Safeguards Neurons

By Adil Ali Khan, Class of 2029 Figure 1: A Niemann Pick cell in the spleen Acid sphingomyelinase (aSMase) is an enzyme that hydrolyzes sphingomyelin (SM) to ceramide and phosphocholine. Niemann-Pick Disease (NPD) is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by impairment or loss of aSMase. It presents in two forms: Type A, which is severe, and Type B, which is milder. The gene that codes … Continue reading Protecting the Brain: How a CRISPR Mutation Safeguards Neurons

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2025-26, General Neuroscience

My Brain Is Shrew-nking: Connections Between Eurasian Common Shrew’s Evolutionary History and Their Seasonal Neuroplasticity

By Katie Au, Class of 2029 Figure 1.  Image of the Eurasian common shrew The Eurasian common shrew (S. araneus) has two rare traits. One is seasonal brain size plasticity, where the brain shrinks during winter and regrows in spring. The other is extensive chromosomal rearrangements, or structural differences in chromosomes, within the species. In a study examining S. araneus, William R. Thomas and his … Continue reading My Brain Is Shrew-nking: Connections Between Eurasian Common Shrew’s Evolutionary History and Their Seasonal Neuroplasticity

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2025-26, General Neuroscience

A Real Eye-Opener: How Demyelination May Be Linked to Poor Color Vision

By Katie Au, Class of 2029 Figure 1.  Retinal fundus photographs of the right and left eyes in a patient with acute optic neuritis, a common presenting manifestation of multiple sclerosis. Acute optic neuritis (ON) is a common first symptom for a later diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). It is known that high-contrast visual acuity—the ability to read black letters on a white background—tends to … Continue reading A Real Eye-Opener: How Demyelination May Be Linked to Poor Color Vision

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2025-26, General Neuroscience

The Pandemic on the Brain: How COVID-19 may be affecting the nervous system

By Katie Au, Class of 2029 COVID-19, a disease that notably affects the respiratory system, has also been shown to affect the nervous system. While some have initial experiences of insomnia and even stroke, others continue to have long-term neurocognitive changes like memory loss after the initial acute symptoms, which researchers have labeled as neurological post-acute sequelae (N-PASC). Xiaohua Yang and colleagues from the Renaissance … Continue reading The Pandemic on the Brain: How COVID-19 may be affecting the nervous system

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Brain, Depression, General Neuroscience, General Psychology, Neuroscience

Contrasting Chronic and Nonchronic Depression with Neuromelanin-sensitive MRI

Author: Maegan Diep, Class of 2029 Depression varies in traits and characteristics among individuals, making its causes and mechanisms difficult to treat. Though depression can be categorized into chronic and nonchronic courses, the issue of reliable diagnoses persists, as there is a lack of evidence in distinguishing the etiology and physiological processes of the condition. Thus, researchers from the Klein lab at Stony Brook University … Continue reading Contrasting Chronic and Nonchronic Depression with Neuromelanin-sensitive MRI

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General Neuroscience, Neurology, Neuroscience

Clinical Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Neurocardiology

Author: Amal Bilal, Class of 2028 Neurocardiology is a new and emerging field that examines the heart-brain interaction in the context of health and disease. Conditions such as stroke and cardiac arrhythmia are connected by the heart-brain axis: a network of neural, vascular, and physiological signals. Early and accurate detection of abnormalities along this axis is essential for improving patient outcomes. Stony Brook Medicine researcher … Continue reading Clinical Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Neurocardiology

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Cognition, General Neuroscience, Neurology, Neuroscience

Celestial Maps: A Newly Discovered Method of Navigation in Bogong Moths

Author: Sean Krivitsky, Class of 2026 Figure 1. Clustering formation of bogong moths following migration Many different species of animals have been observed to perform migratory travels for a variety of reasons, including searching for food, being influenced by changes in climate, or finding a safe breeding ground. These animals do so using unique methods of navigation–some may learn from previous generations’ migration patterns. In … Continue reading Celestial Maps: A Newly Discovered Method of Navigation in Bogong Moths

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Brain, Cognition, Degenerative Disease, General Neuroscience, Neurology

Hippocampal interneuron activity drives functional hyperemia leading to neurovascular disfunction and Alzheimer’s Disease

Author: Kang Lai, Class of 2026 Functional hyperemia, or the dilation of blood vessels in response to increased metabolic activity, is critical for regulating the levels of oxygen and glucose in the brain. Moreover, it facilitates the clearance of metabolic byproducts such as amyloid-β peptide (Aβ), an accumulation of which underlies Alzheimer’s disease. In Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), disruptions in vascular dynamics are significant but poorly … Continue reading Hippocampal interneuron activity drives functional hyperemia leading to neurovascular disfunction and Alzheimer’s Disease

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