How do brains fold? By combining MRI scans, soft gel experiments, computer simulations, physics and mathematics, researchers from the lab of L. Mahadevan studied brain development and mistakes therein, using data from ferrets, macaques, and humans. Their work shows that a simple physical mechanism—faster growth of the cortex relative to deeper tissue—can explain both normal brain folding across species and in some developmental brain disorders.

What if every cell in your brain had its own unique genome that permanently records its history, its sibling cells, its age, the effects of disease, and its struggle for survival? How would that change the way we think about aging and degeneration in the brain? Christopher Walsh discusses these questions in light of two new studies from his lab and collaborating groups.

Host-microbe interactions are essential for neurological function. Valentina Lagomarsino shares new research from the Rao Lab showing how microbes play a vital role in regulating the neuroendocrine axis and activity of motor circuits in the colon.