This Month

Studying the gray mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus), one of the world’s smallest primates, in its natural habitat and in the laboratory provides unique perspectives on primate brain evolution, cognition, aging and neurodegenerative diseases, on an accelerated timescale and at a substantially lower cost as compared with larger primate models.

Awards are gratifying, and also a moment to reflect on how one’s research shapes the work of others.

Cichlid fishes are a family of thousands of recently evolved species. As charismatic laboratory models, they are useful for studying anatomical, physiological and behavioral traits that vary across these closely related species.

As a postdoctoral fellowship ends, for some, next is a trek to their new lab.

The globally distributed marine tubeworm Hydroides elegans is emerging as a powerful model for studying bacteria-induced metamorphosis, and offers insights into developmental biology, marine ecology and host–microbe interactions.

What immortal hand or eye, could frame thy fearful symmetry? ―William Blake, “The Tyger”

A journey in science takes initiative, and also an ability to face headwinds. These PhD students aren’t scared away.

Some graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and senior researchers choose a special kind of science-focused summer.

Scientists face many pressures, plenty of which are about identity. Researchers draw strength from within and from allies.

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. —Mr. Spock (Star Trek II)

These researchers put their labs’ philosophies into practice and find it empowers science and collaboration.

Shifting gears in the latter part of one’s career is, for some, a way to do science differently.

At the American Society of Human Genetics’ annual meeting in Denver, some attendees shared how they network at conferences.

At some meetings, one gets to know all attendees. But at large conferences, that’s rather impossible. Some first-time attendees share how they navigated the sizable Society for Neuroscience annual meeting.

The Australian bearded dragon is so called for its distinctive ‘beard’ of spiky scales that can darken and expand during social and defensive displays. This lizard has become a reptilian model system to study the evolution, function and dynamics of neurons and neural circuits (including during sleep) in the amniote brain.

When spouses are both scientists, they mix the typical research career decisions with some marriage-related ones.

Miniature, transparent Danionella fishes, which are among the smallest living adult vertebrates, allow investigation of general principles of brain-wide neural circuits and evolutionary and developmental mechanisms for neurobehavioral innovations.

Developing new methods takes passion and a penchant for risk-taking.

I don’t have good luck in the match points. —Rafael Nadal, Spanish tennis player.

Early-career scientists shared some of their plans, hopes and dreams about being a principal investigator at the 2024 annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research.