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The human brain is the center of the human nervous system and is a highly complex organ. Enclosed in the cranium, it has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is over three times as large as the brain of a typical mammal with an equivalent body size.

Do repeated football head hits disrupt the gut microbiome?

A small exploratory study of collegiate football players found that non-concussive head impacts are correlationally linked to acute and season-long shifts in gut microbiome composition, with changes most pronounced 48–72 hours after significant impacts. However, most associations weakened after correction for multiple testing, and the authors stress the findings are preliminary and hypothesis-generating.

10 May 2026

Can meditation backfire? Study finds brief mindfulness may heighten stereotype bias

Mindful meditation may not only fail to reduce cognitive bias but, based on the study findings, may exacerbate stereotypes.

10 May 2026

Tiny cellular structure found crucial for brain development processes

A largely overlooked structure inside our cells may play a crucial role in how the brain forms, offering new insight into developmental disorders and potential therapies.

8 May 2026

Multi-center research initiative aims to improve glioblastoma patient outcomes

Investigators at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center are part of a new multi-institution research effort aimed at improving care and outcomes for patients diagnosed with glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat cancers.

8 May 2026

Scientists uncover cellular mechanism behind rare childhood brain disorders

Thousands of times per year, a family's moment of joy turns to unexpected grief. A seemingly healthy infant stops smiling or making eye contact.

8 May 2026

Wearable devices track real-time health effects of pollution and heat

As climate change drives more frequent extreme heat and worsening air pollution, researchers are seeking better ways to understand how these exposures affect health in real time.

8 May 2026

Study challenges assumptions about testosterone’s role in brain cancer

Scientists have long suspected that androgens, male sex hormones like testosterone, may help tumors grow because the hormones can suppress immune responses to some cancers.

8 May 2026

A brain-based approach may improve smoking cessation treatment success

For many people who smoke, quitting is not just a matter of willpower. It is a tug-of-war in the brain – between the pull of reward and the ability to resist.

8 May 2026

New brain findings open pathways for understanding behavioral and neurological disorders

When danger lurks, instinct keeps us safe. It compels us to run from a burning building or wrestle a knife-wielding attacker to the ground. It also adjusts our body physiology to support these behaviors.

8 May 2026

Insulin-dependent diabetes linked to sharply higher dementia risk

Individuals with diabetes are at an increased risk of developing dementia but those with insulin-requiring type 2 diabetes and type 1 diabetes have the greatest risk, according to research presented at the 28th European Congress of Endocrinology in Prague.

8 May 2026

Clinicians find evolutionary explanations for anxiety more helpful than genetics

Mental health clinicians are over five times more likely to see evolutionary explanations of anxiety as helpful for their patients, rather than the genetic approaches currently taught to trainee doctors and psychiatrists in the UK and US, a new study shows.

8 May 2026

Adults of all ages can improve brain performance through practice

A landmark study recently published in the Nature Portfolio journal Scientific Reports reveals that cognitive decline is not an inevitable part of aging.

8 May 2026

Metformin targets the gut instead of the liver to lower glucose

For decades, physicians and scientists thought metformin, the leading Type 2 diabetes medication taken by millions worldwide, mainly targets the liver to suppress glucose production.

8 May 2026

The power of organoids in speeding up lifesaving drug development

Organoids are miniature tissue or organ models formed by stem cells (including pluripotent stem cells, tissue-specific adult stem cells, etc.) or progenitor cells in an in vitro three-dimensional culture system, which possess structural features and partial functions analogous to their corresponding in vivo organs. In 2009, the Hans Clevers laboratory developed the first intestinal organoid, marking the inception of organoid-based disease modeling.

8 May 2026