Neurons in the eye turn light into electrical signals. How and where signals travel between these cells is thought to affect vision.

Researching the brain and mind requires a major financial investment on a global scale, and takes place in a wide variety of locations and organizations.

Scientists who study the brain do so for many reasons. For some, the opportunity to study the most complex living structure in the known universe is itself an exciting quest. So much is still unknown about brain function and development.

The human brain — a spongy, three-pound mass of tissue — is the most complex living structure in the known universe.

Neuron formation begins in the earliest stages of human development. Signaling molecules “turn on” certain genes and “turn off” others, beginning nerve cell induction.

As our understanding of the processes that underlie brain damage progresses, it becomes possible to use small-molecule drugs, such as antibiotics and anti-tumor drugs, to alter these processes.

Chemical reactions within brain cells translate the neurotransmitter message for the neuron.

Providing a high-quality, three-dimensional image of organs and structures inside the body without X-rays or other radiation, MRIs are noninvasive and unsurpassed in the anatomical detail they show.

Sleep is crucial for concentration, memory, coordination, and even emotional health. Research holds promise for devising new treatments to allow millions of people to get a good night’s sleep.

The brain uses some unconventional means to communicate.