Department of Neuroscience
The brain is a marvel of evolution and essential to our humanity. We decode the staggering complexity of the brain to understand how it works and how to keep it healthy. We pinpoint how disease, injury and aging undermine our nervous system and use what we learn to turn the tables on disorders ranging from autism to addiction to Alzheimer’s disease.
Our Research
The Department of Neuroscience studies the nervous system at multiple levels, from the genes and molecules inside individual neurons to the flow of information in the brain that allows us to think and move. We pinpoint how disease, injury and aging undermine our nervous system and use what we learn to address a large variety of neurological disorders.
Neuroscientists at Scripps Research study the nervous system and the mechanisms that cause neurological and psychiatric disorders, sensory impairment and addiction. The range of neuroscience taking place at Scripps Research is truly remarkable. We explore the mechanisms underlying everything from how the brain controls movement to cognitive processes such as learning, memory and consciousness. By understanding how the nervous system works, we develop the knowledge and expertise necessary to develop new ways to prevent and treat neurological disorders—then we educate the next generation of scientists to carry on this crucial research.
The department focuses on several scientific and disease areas, including:
- Neural stem cell behavior and development of the brain and sensory organs
- The complex neural circuits underlying nervous system function and disrupted by diseases
- Molecular, cellular and cognitive underpinnings of a range of neurological disorders
- Translating scientific findings into treatments for such important disorders as schizophrenia, autism, depression, addiction, learning disability, sensory impairment, pain and Alzheimer’s disease
Our Team
Major Achievements
2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Solving a fundamental question—how the brain perceives pressure and touch—has opened a multitude of scientific discoveries, and merited Scripps Research neuroscientist Ardem Patapoutian, PhD, the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Mapping the body’s “hidden sixth sense”
Scripps Research neuroscientists are leading major, mulitmillion-dollar effort to decode how the nervous system monitors internal organs.
Illuminating the inner workings of the brain and nervous system
Neuroscientists are uncovering the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, revealing new molecular targets and potential therapies for drug development and creating powerful new genomic and imaging tools to understand the complex interconnections in the brain and nervous system.
