At Scripps Research, neuroscientists are unraveling the brain’s internal wiring to tackle neurological disorders at their source.
The brain governs how we think, move, feel, remember and age. When it falters, the effects can be devastating, leading to conditions such as Alzheimer’s, chronic pain, addiction and neurodevelopmental disorders.
From the genes and molecules inside individual neurons to the circuits that encode memory, regulate behavior and sense the world, our researchers study the nervous system at every level. By uncovering how aging, disease and the environment disrupt brain function, we are developing new strategies to prevent, treat and even reverse neurological disorders.
For more information on our neurological disorder research programs, please contact us.
The life and science of a Nobel laureate
Ardem Patapoutian talks about his path at Scripps Research and the Nobel Prize.
Scripps Research is a very unique organization. It brings chemists and biologists together to find the next big discoveries in biology and the next cures in medicine.
By combining advanced molecular tools, AI and cellular models, we are uncovering the biological mechanisms that shape brain development, behavior and neurodegeneration, while translating these insights into new therapeutic approaches.
By integrating artificial intelligence, small-molecule discovery, and advanced cellular models with a deep understanding of the brain’s memory architecture, researchers are uncovering strategies to slow cognitive decline and fight neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Our researchers are mapping how genetic risk and early brain development interact to shape lifelong mental health. Using powerful tools such as in vivo genetic screening, single-cell genomics and spatial brain mapping, researchers are identifying the cellular mechanisms behind conditions such as autism, epilepsy and rare neurodevelopmental disorders, opening new paths for early diagnosis and intervention.
Pioneering research by Hugh Rosen and colleagues led to the development of the drug navacaprant, which precisely targets one of the brain’s behavioral circuits and is currently in clinical testing for major depressive disorder.
Scripps Research scientists are uncovering the molecular sensors that allow the nervous system to detect touch, temperature, pressure and injury. These discoveries are reshaping understanding of chronic pain and inflammation and are already guiding the development of next-generation, non-opioid pain therapies.
We investigate how alcohol and other substances reshape stress-related brain circuits that drive dependence and relapse. By revealing how drugs alter decision-making, motivation and emotional regulation, this work is accelerating the development of more effective, science-based treatments for substance use disorders.
At Scripps Research’s drug discovery arm, the Calibr-Skaggs Institute for Innovative Medicines, scientists transform fundamental neuroscience discoveries into treatments for a range of psychiatric illnesses and brain disorders.
