Cover Story
Advancing Techniques Reveal the Brain’s Impressive Diversity
Sara B. Linker, Fred H. Gage, and Tracy A. Bedrosian | Nov 1, 2017 | 10+ min read
No two neurons are alike. What does that mean for brain function?
Features
Getting Drugs Past the Blood-Brain Barrier
Amanda B. Keener | Nov 1, 2017 | 10+ min read
To treat neurological disease, researchers develop techniques to bypass or trick the guardian of the central nervous system.
2017 Life Science Salary Survey
Aggie Mika | Nov 1, 2017 | 7 min read
Industry professionals make more than academic researchers, but for professors, it may not be about the money.
Contributors
Contributors
Contributors
Meet some of the people featured in the November 2017 issue of The Scientist.
Editorial
To Each His Own
To Each His Own
Every human brain is far more unique, adaptable, and vulnerable than ever suspected.
Speaking of Science
Ten-Minute Sabbatical
Ten-Minute Sabbatical
Take a break from the bench to puzzle and peruse.
Notebook
Lessons in Memory from a Champ
Lessons in Memory from a Champ
A four-time winner of the USA Memory Championship is helping scientists understand how the brain works.
An Eye Scan for Alzheimer’s Disease?
An Eye Scan for Alzheimer’s Disease?
Researchers aim for a routine screen to detect the neurodegenerative disease—decades before symptoms appear.
Tracking Invasive Fire Ants in Asia
Tracking Invasive Fire Ants in Asia
These insect transplants have the potential to wreak economic havoc by outcompeting native insects and destroying crops.
These Flies Hijack Frogs’ Love Calls
These Flies Hijack Frogs’ Love Calls
The phenomenon is one of the few examples of eavesdropping across the vertebrate/invertebrate barrier.
Online First
Fast-Tracking Sexual Maturation
Fast-Tracking Sexual Maturation
The brains and bodies of young female rats can be accelerated into puberty by the presence of an older male or by stimulation of the genitals.
Modus Operandi
Implanted Magnetic Probes Measure Brain Activity
Implanted Magnetic Probes Measure Brain Activity
Micrometer-size magnetrodes detect activity-generated magnetic fields within living brains.
The Literature
Presynaptic Neurons Fine-Tune Dopamine Signaling
Presynaptic Neurons Fine-Tune Dopamine Signaling
Vesicles load more of the neurotransmitter in response to neuronal activity, researchers find.
Stronger Neural Connections May Trump Genetic Risk for Bipolar Disorder
Stronger Neural Connections May Trump Genetic Risk for Bipolar Disorder
Healthy siblings of people with the condition harbor more cohesive connections within certain brain networks.
Neural Reward System Activity Varies Throughout the Day
Neural Reward System Activity Varies Throughout the Day
The human brain is more responsive to rewards received in the morning or evening than in the afternoon, researchers find.
Profiles
Flickers of Hope
Flickers of Hope
Li-Huei Tsai began her career in cancer biology, then took a fearless leap into neuroscience, making singular breakthroughs along the way.
Scientist to Watch
Kyle Smith Shines a Light on Addiction
Kyle Smith Shines a Light on Addiction
The Dartmouth College professor uses optogenetics to probe the neurological routes of habitual behavior.
Lab Tools
Lighting Up Monkey Brains
Lighting Up Monkey Brains
Optogenetic and chemogenetic tools illuminate brain and behavior connections in nonhuman primates.
Caught in the Act
Caught in the Act
Molecular probes for imaging in live animals
Careers
Dealing with Unethical or Illegal Conduct in Higher Education
Dealing with Unethical or Illegal Conduct in Higher Education
Investigations into cases of wrongdoing by professors are increasingly in the public eye. But are colleges and universities doing enough to deal with the problem?
Reading Frames
The Benefits of Trepidation
The Benefits of Trepidation
While wiping fear from our brains may seem attractive, the emotion is an essential part of our behavioral repertoire.
Foundations
The Wada Test, 1948
The Wada Test, 1948
A decades-old neurological procedure developed under unique and difficult conditions in postwar Japan remains critical to the treatment of epilepsy.