Topic description and stories

Neuroscience has transformed our understanding of the brain and promises treatments for devastating disorders that affect millions.

Charts map rapid growth and slow decline of brains

06 April 2022

An international team of researchers has created a series of brain charts spanning our entire lifespan – from a 15 week old fetus to 100 year old adult – that show how our brains expand rapidly in early life and slowly shrink as we age. 

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Representative images of two Parkinson's Disease patients stained for alpha-synuclein.

Parkinson’s ‘trigger’ directly observed in human brain tissue for the first time

01 Oct 2025

Scientists have, for the first time, directly visualised and quantified the protein clusters believed to trigger Parkinson’s, marking a major advance...

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Silhouette of a person facing glass wall

‘Preventable deaths will continue’ without action to make NHS more accessible for autistic people, say experts

15 Sep 2025

Life-saving opportunities to prevent suicide among autistic people are being missed because systemic barriers make it difficult for them to access...

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Silhouette photography of man

Depression linked to presence of immune cells in the brain’s protective layer

01 Sep 2025

Immune cells released from bone marrow in the skull in response to chronic stress and adversity could play a key role in symptoms of depression and...

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Emily Wheldon, tested before and after her arm amputation surgery

Gone but not forgotten: brain’s map of the body remains unchanged after amputation

21 Aug 2025

The brain holds a ‘map’ of the body that remains unchanged even after a limb has been amputated, contrary to the prevailing view that it rearranges...

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Man undergoing an eye examination

Cambridge researchers play key role in evidence leading to approval of new treatment for hereditary blindness

07 Aug 2025

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has today announced the approval of a new treatment for a form of hereditary blindness...

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Traffic jam

Long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution linked to increased risk of dementia

24 Jul 2025

An analysis of studies incorporating data from almost 30 million people has highlighted the role that air pollution – including that coming from car...

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Spatika delivers her talk on stage at the FameLab UK final 2025.

Cambridge PhD student heading to CERN for the International FameLab final

16 Jun 2025

Earlier this month, Cambridge PhD student Spatika Jayaram was crowned the winner of the FameLab 2025 UK final at this year’s Cheltenham Science...

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Visual representation of focal epilepsy

Powerful new MRI scans enable life-changing surgery in first for adults with epilepsy

21 Mar 2025

Scientists have developed a new technique that has enabled ultra-powerful MRI scanners to identify tiny differences in patients’ brains that cause...

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Graphic demonstrating deep brain stimulation

Cambridge and London hospitals to pioneer brain implants to combat alcohol and opioid addiction

17 Mar 2025

People suffering from severe alcohol and opioid addiction are to be offered a revolutionary new technique involving planting electrodes in the brain...

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A person laying in a bed under a blanket

Chronic diseases misdiagnosed as psychosomatic can lead to long term damage

03 Mar 2025

A ‘chasm of misunderstanding and miscommunication’ is often experienced between clinicians and patients, leading to autoimmune diseases such as lupus...

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Substantia nigra in the human brain, illustration

Cambridge researchers developing brain implants for treating Parkinson’s disease

23 Jan 2025

Cambridge researchers are developing implants that could help repair the brain pathways damaged by Parkinson’s disease.

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Person looking out through window

Loneliness linked to higher risk of heart disease and stroke and susceptibility to infection

03 Jan 2025

Interactions with friends and family may keep us healthy because they boost our immune system and reduce our risk of diseases such as heart disease...

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