News

How does the brain really see? In a new study, Victoria Zhanqi Zhang and the Ponce Lab reveal that neurons across the primate visual cortex are tuned not just to objects, but to animal features—highlighting a surprising bias in how the brain encodes natural scenes. Their findings shed light on the fundamental principles of visual representation.

It was long thought that only neurons in the outermost regions of the brain, called the cortex, could adapt and change their properties in response to visual experience. Takuma Sonoda and Chinfei Chen share new findings revealing that the visual thalamus, a structure in the center of the brain, at an earlier stage in the visual pathway than the cortex, can also change based on what animals see. Their discovery expands our understanding of how sensory systems learn and adapt.

For many years, researchers have debated whether language in humans emerged through the evolution of gestural communication or vocal communication. Erin Hecht shares new data from chimpanzee research supporting a model where both modalities together contributed.

The Harvard Gazette profiles Michael Rich, whose research outlines the impact of screen time on developing brains from toddlerhood through the teen years.

HMS News interview with Rachel Wolfson, a physician-scientist who studies how the brain receives signals from gastrointestinal organs. Wolfson recently launched her lab in the cell biology department at HMS.

Round up of awards and honors earned by the HBI community.