Nicola Allen

Associate professor
Salk Institute

Nicola Allen is associate professor of molecular neurobiology at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California.

From this contributor

Astrocytes

By Lauren Schenkman

26 September 2022

7 min read

How star cells’ secretions may stunt neurons: Q&A with Nicola Allen

Non-neuronal brain cells called astrocytes secrete proteins that seem to hamper the growth of neurons in people with autism-related syndromes. These proteins could be new drug targets, Allen says.

Astrocytes

How star cells’ secretions may stunt neurons: Q&A with Nicola Allen

By Lauren Schenkman

26 September 2022 | 7 min read

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Fiona Sanderson, a senior program manager at the Brain Canada Foundation, shares how she got into grant administration and how she helps connect researchers with funding and one another.

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This paper changed my life

By Earl K. Miller

14 October 2026

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Illustration of the brain processing different shapes.

This paper changed my life: A first glimpse into the ‘middle’ of brain processing

Work by Jeffrey Moran and Robert Desimone showed that monkeys could focus their attention on different stimuli in their visual field without shifting their gaze. Their work marked a key milestone in the emergence of cognitive neuroscience.

This paper changed my life