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The Helen Wills
Neuroscience Institute

Deepening our understanding of the brain and the rest of the nervous system through original research and neurotechnology innovation, and training the next generation of neuroscientists.

The Helen Wills
Neuroscience Institute

Deepening our understanding of the brain and the rest of the nervous system through original research and neurotechnology innovation, and training the next generation of neuroscientists.

An image of dendritic spines on neurons in the mouse cortex, produced using new microscopy technology developed by HWNI member Eric Betzig.   

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Neuroscience

The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute (HWNI) is the nexus for campus-wide multidisciplinary neuroscience research at UC Berkeley. Our community includes over 70 faculty members in 12 academic departments. This unique cross-departmental structure brings together experts from a variety of fields to use the power of interdisciplinary research to achieve breakthroughs in the study of the brain and nervous system, and to drive the development of novel treatments and technologies. 

We support our faculty and their labs in their individual research aims, and foster opportunities for collaboration. We also sponsor major research initiatives, run six innovative neurotechnology and research centers, and train the next generation of neuroscientists through our Neuroscience PhD Program and the training of postdoctoral fellows who conduct research in HWNI faculty labs. We also have over 100 PhD Program alumni who work in a variety of careers across the globe.

Latest News

Leana King named a fellow of the Berkeley Kavli Center for Ethics, Science, and the Public

Leana King named a fellow of the Berkeley Kavli Center for Ethics, Science, and the Public

Congratulations to Neuroscience PhD student Leana King for being chosen as an inaugural fellow!
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Bringing indigenous knowledge to neuroscience

Bringing indigenous knowledge to neuroscience

Andrea Gomez probes how the brain changes, using compounds found in psychedelic mushrooms.
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Markita Landry wins Bakar Prize

Markita Landry wins Bakar Prize

Congratulations to HWNI member Markita Landry! She develops nanotechnologies for use in agriculture and neuroscience.
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Andrea Gomez named a 2023 Sloan Research Fellow

Andrea Gomez named a 2023 Sloan Research Fellow

Congratulations to HWNI faculty member Andrea Gomez!
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Welcome to our new Berkeley Neuroscience Manager Dave Schonenberg!

Welcome to our new Berkeley Neuroscience Manager Dave Schonenberg!

Meet our new HWNI Manager Dave Schonenberg in a message from Executive Director Barbara Peterson.
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New approach puts brain scans on the witness stand in trademark disputes

New approach puts brain scans on the witness stand in trademark disputes

A new study from HWNI faculty member Ming Hsu and collaborators.
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Scientists determine structure of protein megacomplex that controls degradation of cell components

Scientists determine structure of protein megacomplex that controls degradation of cell components

New research from the Hurley lab could aid in development of treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.
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An audacious goal: A collaboration to cure blindness with retinal cell transplants

An audacious goal: A collaboration to cure blindness with retinal cell transplants

Read about HWNI faculty member Teresa Puthussery’s research, and what motivates her and her team.
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Recent Faculty Publications

29 Mar 2023
Brain Sci. 2023 Mar 18;13(3):509. doi: 10.3390/brainsci13030509.ABSTRACTPersonal familiarity facilitates rapid and optimized detection of faces. In this study, we investigated whether familiarity associated with faces can also facilitate the detection...
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27 Mar 2023
J Neurosci. 2023 Mar 27:JN-RM-2459-21. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2459-21.2023. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe meaning of words in natural language depends crucially on context. However, most neuroimaging studies of word meaning use isolated...
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23 Mar 2023
J Vis. 2023 Mar 1;23(3):12. doi: 10.1167/jov.23.3.12.ABSTRACTA critical function of the human visual system is to track emotion accurately and continuously. However, visual information about emotion fluctuates over time. Ideally,...
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23 Mar 2023
Nat Commun. 2023 Mar 22;14(1):1597. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-37180-x.ABSTRACTNeuroscience has long been an essential driver of progress in artificial intelligence (AI). We propose that to accelerate progress in AI, we must invest...
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21 Mar 2023
Annu Rev Vis Sci. 2023 Mar 21. doi: 10.1146/annurev-vision-111022-123758. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTAugmented reality (AR) systems aim to alter our view of the world and enable us to see things...
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