Stories by Helen Shen

March 14, 2018 — Helen Shen and Nature magazine

Portrait of a Memory

Researchers are painting intricate pictures of individual memories and learning how the brain works in the process

March 7, 2018 — Helen Shen

Does the Adult Brain Really Grow New Neurons?

A new study stirs up debate over a long-held finding, and could dim hopes for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

February 5, 2018 — Helen Shen

Brain Stimulation Is All the Rage--but It May Not Stimulate the Brain

Research indicates that techniques fail to trigger the type of brain activity thought to produce therapeutic benefits

December 27, 2017 — Helen Shen

Cracking the Brain’s Enigma Code

Neuroscientists are taking cues from cryptography to translate brain activity into movements

Engineering

Beyond Terminator: Squishy "Octobot" Heralds New Era of Soft Robotics

Ditching conventional electronics and power sources, the pliable robot operates without rigid parts

August 25, 2016 — Helen Shen and Nature magazine

July 14, 2016 — Helen Shen and Nature magazine

Brain-Data Gold Mine Could Reveal How Neurons Compute

Allen Brain Observatory releases an unprecedented survey of activity in the mouse visual cortex

Engineering

Meet the Soft, Cuddly Robots of the Future

Rigid robots step aside—a new generation of squishy, stretchy machines is wiggling our way

February 3, 2016 — Helen Shen and Nature magazine

June 25, 2015 — Helen Shen and Nature magazine

New Oxytocin Neuroscience Counters "Cuddle Hormone" Claims

Researchers are still working out the nuances of how oxytocin affects the brain, with few studies definitively linking autism to problems in oxytocin signaling

Health

Dozens of Genes Implicated in Explaining Why Only Some People Develop PTSD

The new identification of possible genetic markers for post-traumatic stress disorder supports treatment with a steroid hormone a few hours after trauma

August 12, 2014 — Helen Shen and Nature magazine

May 12, 2014 — Helen Shen and Nature magazine

New Brain Cells Erase Old Memories

Neurogenesis interferes with past learning in infant and adult mice

March 20, 2014 — Helen Shen and Nature magazine

Eavesdropping Deep within the Brain

Long-term recordings of neural activity may help researchers understand the roots of depression and OCD

December 5, 2013 — Helen Shen and Nature magazine

Dyslexia Linked to Brain Communication Breakdown

The brain's language centers struggle to access phonetic information

December 3, 2013 — Helen Shen and Nature magazine

"Genetic Surgery" May Be Enabled by a New Technology

Scientists launch company to develop the therapeutic potential of gene-snipping enzymes

November 15, 2013 — Helen Shen and Nature magazine

Octopuses Propelled by Wormlike Movement

Lacking in central coordination, the animal's tentacles can execute complex movements

November 6, 2013 — Helen Shen and Nature magazine

Precision Gene Editing Paves Way for Transgenic Monkeys

Despite political challenges, engineered primates could be better disease models than mice

September 23, 2013 — Helen Shen and Nature magazine

Sleep Therapy Can Change Bad Memories

Mitigating fears during sleep could help to ease anxieties felt when awake

August 28, 2013 — Helen Shen and Nature magazine

Stem Cells Mimic Human Brain

Studying such 'mini-brains' helps researchers look into neurological diseases in living human tissue