AI in neuroscience: Promise,
friction, progress

Recent articles

The Transmitter and INCF are hosting a session at the FENS Forum 2026 in Barcelona in July: “The modern neuroscience lab in the age of AI.” This panel brings together researchers exploring what artificial intelligence can do for neuroscience—and grappling with where it falls short. Over the next month, read more from our panelists: Satrajit Ghosh, Sean Hill, Rachel Parkinson and Mariya Toneva. They will explore how to use these tools for literature review, data curation and synthesis, and for modeling how the brain processes language, and they’ll also reflect on the important work that remains for humans.

A brain shape outlined in cylindrical dials with multi colored wires stretched between them.

Transforming AI models into useful model organisms

These systems were not built to explain the brain. But treating them as model organisms that we can perturb and evolve will move us closer to that goal.

By Mariya Toneva
22 June 2026 | 6 min read
Illustration of pixelated eye and stacks of paper.

Writing science that humans and machines can read

Large language models are now routinely used to search, summarize and synthesize the literature at scales impossible for any individual researcher—yet scientific publishing has not adapted to that reality.

By Rachel Parkinson
15 June 2026 | 7 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Cortical area remixes macaques’ knowledge blocks to solve new problems

When monkeys draw complex shapes, their neural activity reflects patterns of activation elicited by drawing simpler, component shapes.

By Lauren Schenkman
19 June 2026 | 0 min watch
Photo illustration of Kaela Singleton.

Getting grants feels good, but giving them is even better

As director of grants management at the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, Kaela Singleton bets on bold science and shares in the joy of discovery.

By Katie Moisse
19 June 2026 | 8 min read
Photo collage featuring Tempest McDonald.

When autistic kids grow up, Chapter 3: Would there be data?

Tempest McDonald takes a postdoctoral position at Vanderbilt University. Researching her paper accusing the National Institutes of Health of discrimination threatens everything she has built.

By Brady Huggett
18 June 2026 | 27 min listen