Aging

Recent articles

Research image of stem cells derived from people of African ancestry.

Bringing African ancestry into cellular neuroscience

Two independent teams in Africa are developing stem cell lines and organoids from local populations to explore neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions.

By Lauren Schenkman
14 January 2026 | 7 min read
Roads inside a human brain.

Aging as adaptation: Learning the brain’s recipe for resilience

Some age-related changes in the brain and in behavior are not solely the result of cognitive decline but rather part of a larger adaptive process.

By Dana Rubi Levy, Kevin Mastro, Michael Ryan
14 November 2025 | 6 min listen
Tiger in a brain scanner.

Lions and tigers and bears: Long-lived zoo animals offer a promising venue to study mental health and neurodegenerative disorders

These animals’ lifestyles often mirror those of people, making them a more relevant milieu than lab mice for determining how environmental factors influence mental health and cognitive decline. Studying them could improve animal welfare in the process.

By Christine J. Charvet
17 March 2025 | 4 min read
Research image of gene expression in cells in the third ventricle of the hypothalamus of young and aged mice.

Age-related brain changes in mice strike hypothalamus ‘hot spot’

Neuronal and non-neuronal cells throughout the brain also express genes—particularly those related to neuronal structure and immune function—differently in aged mice, according to a new atlas.

By Angie Voyles Askham
8 January 2025 | 5 min read
Six different neurons.

Early trajectory of Alzheimer’s tracked in single-cell brain atlases

Inflammation in glia and the loss of certain inhibitory cells may kick off a disease cascade decades before diagnosis.

By Angie Voyles Askham
23 October 2024 | 8 min read
Photo of the U.S. Capitol Building.

In updated U.S. autism bill, Congress calls for funding boost, expanded scope

The current Autism CARES Act sunsets in late September.

By Rachel Zamzow
5 September 2024 | 5 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Prenatal viral injections prime primate brain for study

The approach makes it possible to deploy tools such as CRISPR and optogenetics across the monkey brain before birth.

By Angie Voyles Askham
22 January 2026 | 5 min read
Researcher Russell Poldrack's face closeup, with a scanner seen out of focus behind him.

A brief history of precision self-scanning

When a researcher solved a logistical problem by going rogue, the idea proved remarkably infectious.

By Lauren Gravitz
21 January 2026 | 14 min read
Pyramidal neurons in the mouse hippocampus.

Sensory profiles in autism, and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 19 January.

By Jill Adams
20 January 2026 | 2 min read

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