Neuroscience

Robotic arms could benefit from new UO brain research

HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY, NEUROSCIENCE - Using functional MRI brain imaging, or fMRI, University of Oregon researchers have unraveled some of the neural circuitry behind basic human actions. Their insights, described in a paper published in the journal eNeuro, can be used to improve the design of brain-computer interface technologies, including brain-controlled prosthetic arms that aim to restore movement in people who have lost it.

Curiosity about octopus brains earns grad student a prized fellowship

NEUROSCIENCE - Graduate student Angelique Allen has long been fascinated by the octopus, which led her to be a researcher in Cris Neill's lab in the College of Arts and Sciences's Institute of Neuroscience. Allen and Neill are recipients of the Gilliam Fellowship from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, a competitive award that recognizes student-adviser pairs for their top-notch research, as well as their commitment to advancing equity and inclusion in the sciences.

Neuroscientist Judith Eisen named to National Academy of Sciences

BIOLOGY, NEUROSCIENCE - University of Oregon neuroscientist Judith Eisen has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences for her work on neuron development and how the enteric nervous system in the gut regulates and interacts with microbes in the intestine. Eisen is head of the Department of Biology and a member of the Institute of Neuroscience.

How David McCormick's popular happiness course is changing students' lives

NEUROSCIENCE, PSYCHOLOGY - David McCormick is now at the heart of a booming happiness enterprise at the UO, aiming to restore those connections and inspire students to examine how their minds mold reality. His science-based course, Happiness: A Neuroscience and Psychology Perspective, is one of the most popular electives on campus.