Monkeys

A marble bust of a face that is covered in real leaves.

Newly found circuit through visual cortex powers first look at faces

The superior colliculus, an evolutionarily ancient brain area responsible for eye movements, responds to faces before the canonical face areas do, a study of macaque monkeys suggests.

By Olivia Gieger
19 July 2024 | 5 min read
Black-and-white headshots of Nancy Kanwisher, Winrich Freiwald and Doris Tsao.

2024 Kavli Prize awarded for research on face-selective brain areas

Studies by Nancy Kanwisher, Winrich Freiwald and Doris Tsao revealed how the brains of humans and other primates identify faces and helped establish an understanding of brain specialization.

By Olivia Gieger
12 June 2024 | 4 min read
Illustration of a yellow brain and a pink brain

Monkey studies throw wrench into decade-old idea about movement’s effect on visual cortex

Movements that boost activity in the visual cortex of mice have the opposite or no effect in marmosets and macaques, prompting questions about whether mice are a suitable model for the primate visual system.

By Angie Voyles Askham
20 February 2024 | 9 min read
A photograph of Peter Schiller

Remembering Peter Schiller, principled pioneer of vision research

Schiller, best known for his research on how the superior colliculus controls eye movements, died last month at the age of 92.

By Angie Voyles Askham
16 January 2024 | 8 min read
Research image of various types of cells.
Cell types Microphone

Vast diversity of human brain cell types revealed in trove of new datasets

The collection offers a glimpse into differences in cell composition — across people and brain regions — that may shape neural function.

By Angie Voyles Askham
12 October 2023 | 6 min listen
Photograph of a family of rhesus macaque monkeys.
Spectrum Microphone

Father’s genes may drive sociability in male monkeys

The findings in rhesus macaque monkeys may provide clues to sex differences in the heredity of social behavior in people.

By Charles Q. Choi
18 August 2023 | 3 min read

Spotted around the web: Synthetic embryos; Angelman gene therapy

Here is a roundup of news and research for the week of 26 June.

By Jill Adams, Calli McMurray
30 June 2023 | 3 min read
Long-tailed macaque in the canopy of a fruiting strangler fig tree, surrounded by ripening figs. Gunung Palung National Park, Borneo.
Spectrum Microphone

RNA therapy restores gene function in monkeys modeling Angelman syndrome

The result raises hopes for an ongoing clinical trial in people — and offers fresh insight into the biology of imprinting and the UBE3A antisense transcript.

By Brendan Borrell
7 April 2023 | 5 min read
Illustration of a pregnant woman seated next to a large diagram of the brain featuring chromosomes, bacteria and other microbes.
Spectrum Microphone

The link between maternal infection and autism, explained

Having an infection during pregnancy is tied to a small increase in the chances of having an autistic child, but the connection may not be causal.

By Charles Q. Choi
13 December 2022 | 7 min read
Two marmosets looking in different directions.

Naturally chimeric marmosets present opportunities for autism research

Findings on microglia and other brain cell types bolster the animal's validity as a model system for the condition.

By Peter Hess
13 November 2022 | 3 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Research image of neurons in the fly’s ventral nerve cord.

New connectomes fly beyond the brain

Researchers are mapping the neurons in Drosophila’s ventral nerve cord, where the central nervous system meets the rest of the body.

By Laura Dattaro
26 July 2024 | 7 min read
Illustration of researchers talking to laypeople amidst strands of DNA.

Building an autism research registry: Q&A with Tony Charman

A purpose-built database of participants who have shared genomic and behavioral data could give clinical trials a boost, Charman says.

By Cathleen O’Grady
25 July 2024 | 8 min read

Cerebellar circuit may convert expected pain relief into real thing

The newly identified circuit taps into the brain’s opioid system to provide a top-down form of pain relief.

By Angie Voyles Askham
24 July 2024 | 6 min read