History of neuroscience

Recent articles

Composite of headshots of neuroscientists who passed away in the past several years.

The leaders we have lost

Learn more about the lives and legacies of the neuroscientists who passed away between 2023 and 2025.

By The Transmitter
15 November 2025 | 4 min read
Illustration of a brain made up of ones and zeros.

Long-standing theoretical neuroscience fellowship program loses financial support

Funding from the Swartz and Sloan Foundations helped bring physicists and mathematicians into neuroscience for more than 30 years.

By Calli McMurray
26 August 2025 | 5 min read
Judit Pungor and Angelique Allen stand in front of a saltwater tank.

Cephalopods, vision’s next frontier

For decades, scientists have been teased by the strange but inaccessible cephalopod visual system. Now, thanks to a technological breakthrough from a lab in Oregon, data are finally coming straight from the octopus brain.

By Calli McMurray
27 May 2025 | 13 min read
Illustration of a shrew, sandpiper, locust, axolotl, monarch butterfly, African killifish, naked mole rat, octopus, bat and cichlid.

The non-model organism “renaissance” has arrived

Meet 10 neuroscientists bringing model diversity back with the funky animals they study.

Drawing by Santiago Ramón y Cajal of a hypothesis for how signals travel through neurons.

‘Sacred objects’ display discredits Golgi and Ramón y Cajal’s rivalry: Q&A with curator Daniel Colón Ramos

A new exhibit that opened last week shows drawings from the influential duo side by side for the first time and recasts them as collaborators. It also reveals lessons for modern scholars.

By Claudia López Lloreda
10 December 2024 | 9 min read
Illustration of a brain separated into four panes, each rendered in different colors and with different decorative elements.

How did consciousness evolve? An excerpt from ‘A History of Bodies, Brains, and Minds: The Evolution of Life and Consciousness’

In his new book, to be published in September, neuroscientist Francisco Aboitiz links consciousness back to the earliest days of biological life.

By Francisco Aboitiz
26 August 2024 | 12 min read
Illustration of a group of books floating against a light blue and yellow background.

Six new neuroscience books for fall—plus five titles you may have missed

We highlight the most anticipated neuroscience books for the remainder of 2024 and recap notable releases since last December.

By Francisco J. Rivera Rosario
26 August 2024 | 6 min read

Redrawing Santiago Ramón y Cajal: Q&A with Dawn Hunter

The painter and visual arts professor spent hours recreating Ramón y Cajal’s art and poring over his sketchbooks and self-portraits in the National Archives of Spain, uncovering unappreciated aspects of his techniques and influences.

By Rebecca Horne
4 June 2024 | 9 min read
Picture of two Degus in a cage.

How inbreeding almost tanked an up-and-coming model of Alzheimer’s disease

But new genetic analyses and behavioral assays have made the Chilean degu a viable model again, researchers say.

By Calli McMurray
21 May 2024 | 10 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Illustration of an open journal featuring lines of text and small illustrations of eyes and mouths.

Role of maternal factors in autism; and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 17 November.

By Jill Adams
18 November 2025 | 2 min read
complex stack of rectangular prisms.

Neurophysiology data-sharing system faces funding cliff

After the primary grant supporting Neurodata Without Borders ends in March 2026, the platform may no longer be maintained or kept up to date.

By Lauren Schneider
17 November 2025 | 5 min read
Kevin B Marvel.

A change at the top of SfN as neuroscientists gather in San Diego

Kevin B. Marvel, longtime head of the American Astronomical Society, will lead the Society for Neuroscience after a year of uncertainty in the neuroscience field.

By Natalia Mesa
16 November 2025 | 6 min read

privacy consent banner

Privacy Preference

We use cookies to provide you with the best online experience. By clicking “Accept All,” you help us understand how our site is used and enhance its performance. You can change your choice at any time. To learn more, please visit our Privacy Policy.