Casingal et al. finds that TSC proteins regulate the balance between radial and intermediate progenitors, shaping cortical organization and upper-layer neuron production. Evolutionary downregulation of TSC expression in humans likely supports expansion of upper layer neurons necessary for the development of complex cognitive functions.

Full publication can be found here.

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Alzheimer’s disease not only robs people of their memory but also affects mood, often causing anxiety and depression. Until now, scientists haven’t fully understood how these symptoms are connected in the brain.  

The study, published in Neuron and led by UNC School of Medicine’s Juan Song, PhD, focused on two distinct groups of brain cells in a region called the supramammillary nucleus (SuM) located in the posterior hypothalamus – a small region deep in the brain. One group helps regulate memory, while the other influences emotional responses. While examining Alzheimer’s model mice, researchers discovered these two circuits do not function properly, but when the team used light-based stimulation to activate each pathway, they were able to restore memory or emotional function separately. 

Original full article can be found here.

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Congratulations to Dr. Celia Shiau and Dr. En Yang for receiving the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Neuroscience Collaborative Pairs Pilot Project Phase 2 Acceleration Award! Their project, “Cholesterol Dynamics from Diet to Brain-wide Circuits,” aims to understand how irregular cholesterol levels in the brain and/or body may correlate with cognition, a relationship that is poorly understood. This will allow Shiau, Yang, and their colleagues to watch how cholesterol moves from food to the body and the brain as well as how neurons fire at single-cell resolution, providing insights into how increased cholesterol affects cognition and their potential neuroimmunological underpinnings. Original full article can be found here.

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A new study from UNC School of Medicine researchers, published this week in Neuron, reveals a unique look at how junk food rewires the brain’s memory hub – leading to risk of cognitive dysfunction. This new research opens the door to early interventions that can prevent even long-term memory loss associated with obesity.

Original full article can be found here.

The post Published in Neuron, new research demonstrates how a high-fat diet, even short-term, can rapidly affect brain health, but there are ways to reverse this and prevent long-term cognitive decline. appeared first on UNC Neuroscience Center.

The Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences provides research funding to early-career investigators whose work stands to substantially impact human health. This year, 22 scholars were appointed from 209 nominations submitted by leading U.S. academic centers.

“Pew-funded scientists have long contributed to biomedical research discoveries that have improved human health,” said Lee Niswander, a 1995 Pew scholar and chair of the program’s national advisory committee. “I’m confident this new class of scholars, with their innovative and creative approaches to scientific research, will continue this tradition.”

The 2025 scholars were announced by Pew on Aug. 12. Each scholar will receive four years of funding support to pursue an exploratory research project.

“This award will significantly accelerate my research by providing the flexibility to pursue high-risk, high-reward directions beyond the scope of traditional grants,” said Yang, who is an assistant professor in the department of biology and an Institute for Convergent Science faculty fellow.

Yang uses zebrafish as an experimental model to study the neural pathways involved in learning and memory formation. At the intersection of experimental and computational neuroscience, she and her colleagues image zebrafish brains in real time — at a single-cell resolution — for a uniquely comprehensive view of how memories are written. They aim to use these insights to explore how these pathways are disrupted in neurodegenerative diseases, and how they might reactivate these pathways or help the brain adapt around the deficits.

With this award, Yang will use virtual reality to study the neurons and signaling pathways that activate while fish navigate simulated scenarios. Her team will then disrupt those pathways to evaluate the impact on memory and wayfinding capabilities and examine how the brain adapts to overcome these challenges.

“With Pew’s support, I can bridge systems neuroscience, behavior and neural engineering to uncover the brain-wide mechanisms underlying memory formation, recall and internal visualization,” Yang said.

Yang said she also looks forward to the unique sense of camaraderie the Pew Biomedical Scholars program will provide. She is excited to connect “with a vibrant community of scientists who challenge norms, support one another and push the boundaries of biomedicine.

“At this stage in my career, that sense of community and intellectual freedom is invaluable,” she said. “It strengthens my commitment to mentoring the next generation of interdisciplinary scientists and fostering a lab culture grounded in curiosity and rigor.”

Learn more about Yang’s research.

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The Neurobiology of Brain Disorders (NBD) Awards support innovative research by U.S. scientists who are studying neurological and psychiatric diseases. The awards encourage collaboration between basic and clinical neuroscience to translate laboratory discoveries about the brain and nervous system into diagnoses and therapies to improve human health.

An additional area of interest is the contribution of the environment to brain disorders. Early-life environmental stress is a powerful disposing factor for later neurological and psychiatric disorders. Studies show communities of color are at higher risk for these stressors, which range from environmental (e.g. climate, nutrition, exposure to chemicals, pollution) to social (e.g. family, education, housing, poverty). From a clinical perspective, understanding how environmental factors contribute to brain disease is essential for developing effective therapies.

“From decoding the complex mechanisms that underlie neurodegeneration to charting the circuitry of pain and uncovering how paternal exposures shape brain health, the researchers selected for this year’s award are pushing the frontiers of neuroscience in bold and necessary directions,” said Michael Ehlers, M.D., Ph.D., Chair of the Awards Committee and Entrepreneur Partner at MPM BioImpact. “This year’s projects include investigations into the higher-order interactome in C9orf72-mediated ALS, myelin dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease, the spinal output map of pain states, and, for the first time since announcing our emphasis two years ago, an environmentally focused project examining how paternal stress impacts offspring neurobiology. These efforts promise to reshape our understanding of brain disease and point to transformative therapeutic possibilities for the future.”

Multiple awards are given each year. This year’s four awards are:

Hyejung Won, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Genetics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, and co-principal investigator David Shechner, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Deciphering the higher-order interactome in C9orf72-mediated ALS

Original full article can be found here.

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The research team is led by Sarah Cohen, assistant professor in the medical school’s cell biology and physiology department and member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Cohen’s lab found that Apolipoprotein E4, a protein long known as the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s, has a surprising effect on certain brain cells.

Original full article can be found here.

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Original full article can be found here.

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Dr. Boettiger’s obituary can be found below:

It is with great sorrow that the Boettiger family announce the loss of our dear Charlotte Ann Boettiger Cooney, at the early age of 55. Charlotte lost her 8-year courageous cancer battle on March 27, 2025, at her home in Chapel Hill, NC with her loving husband Jeffrey Cooney and children, Fiona and Avery. Charlotte was born in Bellevue WA on November 20, 1969, to Richard and Eileen Boettiger and was a caring and devoted daughter. She graduated from Redmond High School in 1988, obtained her bachelor’s degree at University of California, Berkeley and doctorate degrees at University of California, San Francisco, and enjoyed a profound career as Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She and Jeff built a wonderful, action-packed loving life together with their two beautiful children and enjoyed many adventures with family and friends. She was a caring, thoughtful, smiling daughter, granddaughter, niece, cousin, wife, mother, friend, mentor, animal lover and bread maker. The name Charlotte means one that encompasses strength, resilience, and determination. This is our Charlotte, she meant so much to so many people and will live in our hearts forever.

Please hold Rick, Eileen, Jeffrey, Fiona and Avery in your thoughts and prayers during this heart-breaking time.

To see the full obituary from the Seattle Times, click here.

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Watch a video about this research here.

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