https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=662nJsV7GSIVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: How are zebrafish advancing brain research? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=662nJsV7GSI)

Zebrafish brain research is helping to give scientists like Melina Hale a better understanding of how neural circuits and neurons are used in different behaviors.

NSF BRAIN Initiative Published APRIL 2, 2014

How do social signals modify an animal’s brain?

Researching the social signals of non-mamallian animals can give researchers like Walt Wilczynski a better understanding of how their brains are modified by past social interactions and how that affects their behavior in the future.

NSF BRAIN Initiative Published APRIL 2, 2014

The mapping of the mouse brain is giving researchers like Partha Mitra a better understanding of how neurons are connected and how they communicate across the regions of the brain.

NSF BRAIN Initiative Published APRIL 2, 2014

How do environment and genetics influence the cichild fish’s brain?

Cichlids provide excellent model organisms for such studies because thousands of species of cichlids have evolved; many of these species are genetically similar but behaviorally and socially different from one another. Hofmann is using the diversity of cichlid species to help identify which genes regulate various behaviors and evaluate how different social environments affect brain function and behavior.

NSF BRAIN Initiative Published APRIL 2, 2014

Why the octopus’ nervous system makes it such a successful predator?

The nervous system of an octopus is a complex system, involving the invertebrate’s eyes, brain and tentacles. Researcher Clifton Ragsdale is currently pioneering the use of modern molecular techniques to study how the octopus’s unique nervous system processes visual information, and if its processing system significantly differs from those of vertebrates.

NSF BRAIN Initiative Published APRIL 2, 2014