Brain Development
Early Brain Research
Understanding Brain Development
Many UCLA scientists have made important contributions to understanding how the brain develops, here are a few. Together these studies have established important principles of development and uncovered the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying circuit formation.
Important Contributions
Astrocytes
Astrocytes have been implicated in a range of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and autism.
Autism Biomarkers
Diagnosing ASD isn't as easy as taking a blood sample, conducting a brain scan or measuring the circumference of a child's head. One of the more challenging aspects of research and treatment is the lack of objective biological measures to diagnose the condition or precisely measure improvements in a child receiving treatment.
Autism and the Developing Brain
Autism, now known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, delays in verbal and non-verbal communication, and repetitive and restricted patterns of behavior.
Brain Tumor
Tremendous progress has been seen in cancer treatment in recent years as doctors identify which specific drugs will work on certain types of cancers and refine the accuracy of surgery and radiation. However, the brain is a special organ, and it's not surprising that tumors arising in the brain pose special challenges.
Generating and Regenerating Neural Circuits
The extraordinarily diverse functions of the nervous system, from cognition to movement, are possible because neurons are assembled into precisely ordered networks that permit them to rapidly and accurately communicate with their synaptic targets.
Neuroimaging in Autism
Neuroimaging is a tool that's helping rapidly to peel away some of the mystery of ASD and in the process is raising new questions and ideas about how symptoms emerge and how they may be ameliorated.
Neural Stem Cells
Rapid development in stem cell biology harbors enormous potential to provide insights into psychiatric disorders including autism. Neural stem cells from patients can be coaxed into becoming neurons in a dish, but instead of settling for a flat, two-dimensional patch of cells, researchers are now able to create 3-D brain-like structures from the neural stem cells.
Donate to Power the Future of Neuroscience
At UCLA, neuroscience research is transforming how we understand the brain and how we treat conditions that affect millions of people. Right now, breakthroughs are within reach, but only sustained support can turn discovery into impact.