neuroscience

Sharing Science at the NIH Research Festival

Poster Sessions Showcase IRP Discoveries

IRP postdoctoral fellow Siobhan Lawler

No single event captures the incredible breadth of research going on in the IRP as effectively as the annual NIH Research Festival. In fact, the event is so jam-packed that it typically stretches over multiple days, running this year from September 23-25. The first day of the 2024 Research Festival kicked off with a poster session where scientists from all across NIH showcased the cutting-edge science they have been working on, demonstrating research on subjects like how cooking affects the brain, vaping’s impact on lung health, 3D models for studying pregnancy complications, and much more. Read on to dive deeper into a few of the more than 400 research projects presented at this celebration of IRP science.

Inside the NIH Brain Bank

IRP Group Supports Neuropsychiatric Research

gloved hands holding a brain

More than half of Americans are registered organ donors, signed up to gift organs like kidneys and livers to patients in need of a transplant when they die. However, far fewer people have signed up to donate their brains to biomedical research upon their deaths. At NIH, the Human Brain Collection Core (HBCC) acts as a steadfast steward of this precious and scarce scientific resource, giving the brains of deceased donors a second life as a key driver of life-changing neuropsychiatric research.

Nearly 60 million adults in the U.S. suffer from a psychiatric disorder, and examining the brains of these individuals is indispensable for determining the molecular mechanisms underlying these diseases. Consequently, the HBCC provides invaluable assistance to scientists seeking to improve our understanding and treatment of such conditions. In recognition of World Mental Health Day today, let’s take a glimpse into how the Core is accelerating investigations into the mass of gray and white matter that makes each of us who we are. 

Dysfunction in Janitorial Gene Contributes to ALS

IRP Study Points to Treatment Target for Fatal Neurological Disorder

person taking out the trash

Just like we throw out our busted toasters and other appliances, our cells must continuously dispose of malfunctioning equipment to keep themselves working optimally. In certain neurological diseases, though, neurons die because they can’t get rid of misbehaving molecules. New IRP research provides crucial insights into a key player in this process, suggesting that restoring the function of a particular gene or boosting the levels of the enzyme it produces could help patients with the devastating disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Illuminating the Brain’s Hidden Secrets

New Molecules for PET Scans Shed Light on Psychiatric Disorders

PET scans of the brain

For most kids, witnessing a classmate get teased for strange behavior or learning struggles is an unfortunate but common part of life. Growing up, IRP senior investigator Robert Innis, M.D., Ph.D., viewed the situation differently when he observed it during a high school geometry class.

“Some of my classmates were criticizing one student like he was a bad person,” he remembers. “I kept thinking, ‘You can’t blame him. It’s the chemistry in his brain that causes him to act that way. Don’t think you’re so high and mighty. It’s just your chemistry!’”

That interest in brain chemistry and how it relates to normal and abnormal behavior laid the foundation for Dr. Innis’s research in neuropsychiatry and brain imaging. As we observe World Brain Day on July 22, we took the opportunity to talk with Dr. Innis about his research, which uses a technique called positron emission tomography (PET) to measure the levels of various proteins in people’s brains and learn about their function in both healthy states and neuropsychiatric diseases.

Jekyll-and-Hyde Gene Has Dual Influences on Dementia Risk

IRP’s Priyanka Narayan Explores How the ApoE Gene Affects Fat Management in the Brain

two DNA molecules overlaid on top of a brain

Just as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde exhibited the extremes of good and bad qualities in a single man, IRP Stadtman Investigator Priyanka Narayan, Ph.D., is showing how a single gene can both protect against and raise the risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. As we observe Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness month this June, we talked with Dr. Narayan about her work.

“Our research focuses on understanding fundamental cell biology in brain cells and how genetic factors affecting that biology can predispose individuals to Alzheimer's disease,” Dr. Narayan says. “More recently, we’ve become interested in protective factors that make people more resistant to getting Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of neurodegenerative diseases as well.”

Picturing Stroke Recovery

IRP’s Larry Latour Peeks Into the Damaged Brain

x-ray view of the brain as a person experiences a stroke

The word ‘stroke,’ attributed to the idea of ‘a stroke of God’s hand,’ was first used in 1599 to describe the sudden seizure, paralysis, and brain damage that was previously called ‘apoplexy.’ It was a fitting analogy. Strokes, which affect nearly 800,000 Americans every year, hit suddenly and terrifyingly, with devastating consequences. Speed is critical to good treatment outcomes, but until recently very little could be done. 

May is Stroke Awareness Month, a time to draw attention to the risks and symptoms of stroke and the new treatments that are helping people recover with fewer lasting effects. We recently spoke with IRP senior scientist Lawrence L. Latour, Ph.D., an expert on brain imaging who leads the Acute Cerebrovascular Diagnostics Unit, a unique partnership between the NIH Intramural Research Program and two hospitals in the metro, D.C., area: Suburban Hospital and Medstar Washington Hospital Center. The collaboration, launched in 2000, aimed to incorporate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in examinations of patients experiencing symptoms of stroke. This allowed the clinicians to diagnose patients more easily and then, through imaging at later time points, look at how patients responded to their treatments in order to learn ways to improve therapy.

Gender Differences in Emotional Responses May Start in the Womb

Research Suggests Hormonal Exposures In-Utero Influence Mental Health

illustration of connections in the brains of a man and a woman

Over the past few decades, broad stereotypes about how men and women behave have given way to a more nuanced understanding of the many factors that contribute to sex differences. While culture and environment undoubtedly play a huge role, it’s becoming increasingly clear that biological influences shape male and female brains differently starting at the very beginning of life. Recent IRP research sheds additional light on this age-old question by revealing that women exposed to higher levels of certain hormones in-utero had emotional responses to the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic that more closely matched those of men.

From Fruit Fly Genes to Sweet Dreams

IRP’s Susan Harbison Unravels the Genetics of Sleep Disorders

swarm of fruit flies on an apple

Comedian George Carlin used to call sleep “a bizarre activity.” In his act, he observed, “For the next several hours, while the sun is gone, I’m going to become unconscious, temporarily losing command over everything I know and understand. When the sun comes up, I’ll resume my life.”

Every year on March 15, the celebration of World Sleep Day reminds us that sleep remains a baffling biological mystery. What happens when we sleep, why we need it, and why it varies so much between individuals are still unclear despite the best efforts of many scientists. That enduring enigma is what has driven IRP senior investigator Susan Harbison, Ph.D., to investigate the biological basis and genetics of sleep.

IRP Graduate Students Show Off Their Work at Annual Symposium

Event Highlights Efforts of Early-Career Researchers

IRP graduate student Kenya Debarros poses with her scientific poster

The IRP’s reputation as a leader in biomedical research attracts scientists in all stages of their careers and from all corners of the U.S. and the world. Once a year, the motley collection of graduate students who are completing their Ph.D. research in NIH labs gets to tout its scientific accomplishments at NIH’s Graduate Student Research Symposium, which took place this year on February 15.

During the event’s two poster sessions, more than 120 IRP graduate students presented the results of their research so far, from the development of better ways to grow retina-like collections of cells in the lab to insights into how the brain regulates feelings of hunger. Read on for a brief look at a few of the IRP’s brilliant budding scientists and the discoveries they showed off at the event.

Brain Pathway Amplifies Pain After Injury

Mouse Study Could Aid Development of Treatments for Chronic Pain

patient with shoulder injury talks with doctor

Getting hurt or sick is bad enough, but millions of patients around the world continue to experience pain or hypersensitivity even after their ailment resolves itself. Despite the prevalence of chronic pain, few effective treatments are available, especially ones without the potential for addiction that opioid medications carry. However, new IRP research has shown that suppressing the electrical firing of neurons in a certain brain area can alleviate injury-induced hypersensitivity in mice, providing a promising new target for treatments aimed at relieving chronic pain.