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NEI Research News

Thanks to the work of NEI scientists and grantees, we’re constantly learning new information about the causes and treatment of vision disorders. Get the latest updates about their work — along with other news about NEI.

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New approach reveals structure and function of individual synapses

An interdisciplinary team of scientists at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience have developed a novel approach to measure the activity and strength of individual synapses that drive a neuron’s response to sensory input.

Researchers Discover Clue to How to Protect Neurons and Encourage Their Growth

A multi-university team identified a family of enzymes called GCK-IV kinases whose inhibition is robustly neuroprotective, while also permitting axon regeneration.

Brain Clears the Way for Binocular Vision Even Before Eyes are Open

Researchers from Duke University and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory discovered that chandelier cells are selectively removed from the developing mouse visual cortex even before the animal’s eyes are open.
Neurons in different colors and shapes

The tree of cortical cell types describes the diversity of neurons in the brain

An international team has published a new study that provides one of the most detailed and complete characterizations of the diversity of neural types in the brain so far.

Cortex over reflex: Study traces circuits where executive control overcomes instinct

A new study by MIT neuroscientists shows how the brain is wired for both by tracking the specific circuits involved and their effect on visually cued actions.
diagram of the eye

Unique Schwann Cells: The Eyes Have It

A new study from University of Connecticut details a method of characterizing every cell in the cornea using an approach known as single-cell RNA sequence analysis to answer questions about the cornea’s healing process.

Envision color: Activity patterns in the brain are specific to the color you see

Researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI) have decoded brain maps of human color perception.

The mammalian brain is built from many kinds of neurons. A new study reveals a holistic way to look at them.

A new lens on visual neurons is laying the groundwork for a more complete “family tree” of the mammalian brain. Study reveals a new categorization of mouse neurons that relies on multiple types of data drawn from each individual cell.
aisle in grocery store as seen by a person with normal vision

Novel population of neurons identified that control binocular eye movements in 3D space

University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers have discovered a previously undescribed population of neurons that help control our eyes as they view in three-dimensional space.
Color-coded map of gene expression. Credit: Desplan Lab/NYU

NYU researchers create a "developmental atlas" of gene expression in neurons

New York University researchers created a “developmental atlas” of gene expression in neurons, using gene sequencing and machine learning to categorize more than 250,000 neurons in the brains of fruit flies.