It has been an unusual year for neuroscience. From a “coding error” resulting in layoffs at the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to the loss of more than $300 million in funding for neuroscience research and a contentious retraction of a Nature paper about brain cell types, our news coverage has chronicled a turbulent year. Here are our most-read articles about these and other topics in the field over the past 12 months.
Federal Register hold makes ‘end run’ around court pause on NIH funding freeze
by Angie Voyles Askham
U.S. National Institutes of Health-related updates to the Federal Register, which are required for the scheduling of study sections and advisory councils, are on hold indefinitely, according to an email reviewed by The Transmitter.
Acting NIH director dismisses five neuroscientists from advisory boards
by Calli McMurray and Angie Voyles Askham
The letters they received did not include a reason for their termination.
Nature retracts paper on novel brain cell type against authors’ wishes
by Shaena Montanari
A 2022 paper was retracted after an independent team of researchers reanalyzed the data and questioned its validity.
NIH appears to archive policy requiring female animals in studies
by Claudia López Lloreda
Such a shift would “put us back in the dark ages in terms of our science,” says neuroscientist Anne Murphy, who helped to formulate the original policy.
‘Spoonful of plastics in your brain’ paper has duplicated images
by Calli McMurray
The duplications likely do not alter the conclusions, but the paper contains other methodological issues, two independent microplastics researchers say.
Harvard University lays off fly database team
by Claudia López Lloreda
The layoffs jeopardize this resource, which has served more than 4,000 labs for about three decades.
U.S. health agency purge includes 10 lab heads at National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
by Angie Voyles Askham and Sydney Wyatt
The reasons for selecting these researchers—who have led work on neuronal migration, dopamine receptors in neuronal signaling and the structure of ion channels, among other areas—remain unclear.
Coding error caused layoffs at National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke this week, source says
by Sydney Wyatt
Thirty employees—including 11 lab heads—at the institute should “immediately return to work,” according to an email the institute’s Office of Human Resources sent to top administration at the institute.
NIH cuts quash $323 million for neuroscience research and training
by Claudia López Lloreda
“I am frightened for the state of the future of our field if this isn’t reversed rapidly,” says Joshua Gordon, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and former director of the National Institute of Mental Health.
Newly awarded NIH grants for neuroscience lag 77 percent behind previous nine-year average
by Natalia Mesa
Since President Donald Trump took office on 20 January, the National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke and the National Institute of Mental Health have awarded one quarter as many new grants as during the same two-month period, on average, since 2016.
