New knowledge of these protein functions will help researchers develop new drug targets for chronic pain, autism spectrum disorders, epilepsy, migraines, and other neurological conditions.

Joseph Piven, MD, the Thomas E. Castelloe Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics and director of the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities was given the award for his fundamental contributions to research on autism spectrum disorders.

Neurologists Winnie K. Lau, MD, and David Y. Hwang, MD, highlight needed research in the emerging field of neuropalliative care.

Building off previous groundbreaking research, a new study identifies specific genetic variants that have significant impacts on brain development and are shared across eight different psychiatric disorders. Targeting these variants could pave the way for treatments that address multiple conditions at once.

Two new models, developed by Li Wang, PhD, associate professor of radiology in the UNC School of Medicine, can produce more accurate and reliable analysis of brain structures, which is critical for early detection, medical diagnosis, and neurological research.

Using technology first designed by Bryan L. Roth, MD, PhD, the Michael Hooker Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology, researchers at the UNC School of Medicine have engineered a molecular technology that can turn off pain receptors.

Harvard Neuroscientist David D. Ginty, PhD, will receive the Perl-UNC Neuroscience Prize for his pivotal discoveries on the sensation of touch and how our body communicates with the brain.

Athena Stein, postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Flavio Frohlich, PhD, professor of psychiatry, is developing next-generation non-invasive brain stimulation treatments alongside her new family in the lab.

The lab of Graham Diering, PhD, assistant professor of cell biology and physiology at the UNC School of Medicine, shows how sleep loss during early life impacts key aspects of brain development and how it can increase one’s risk for developing autism spectrum disorder.

The lab of Jason Stein, PhD, associate professor of genetics and member of the UNC Neuroscience Center, has created a controlled model system that could help researchers identify the context-dependent functions of genetic variants that increase one’s risk for developing a psychiatric disorder, such as schizophrenia.

In May 2022, Yael Shiloh-Malawsky, MD, a neurologist at the UNC School of Medicine, met two new patients combatting a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder called Batten disease. With help from UNC, the twin girls were able to get personalized treatment from bench to bedside in record time.

UNC School of Medicine researchers Mohanish Deshmukh, PhD, professor of cell biology and physiology, and Praveen Sethupathy, PhD, a former professor of genetics and current chair of Biomedical Sciences at Cornell University, show that a molecule called miR-29 is instrumental in driving the aging process.

Tag: Neuroscience

Proteins Important in Neural Communication Have Different Roles Than Previously Thought

Piven Earns Prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Autism Research

Researchers Outline New Research Priorities in Neuropalliative Care

Eight Psychiatric Disorders Share the Same Genetic Causes, Study Says

How Artificial Intelligence Can Make MRI More Accurate, Reliable

Researchers Create Gene Therapy with Potential to Treat Peripheral Pain Conditions

Ginty Named 23rd Perl-UNC Neuroscience Prize Recipient

How an Australian Researcher Found Her Home at UNC-Chapel Hill

Let Sleeping Babies Lie: Scientists Highlight Negative Impacts of Sleep Disruption on Early Brain Development

Researchers Create New System to Decode Genetic Risk for Psychiatric Disorders

UNC Fast-Tracks Personalized Treatment for Twins with Ultra Rare Genetic Disorder

Small RNA Molecule Discovered to Have Role in Driving Aging