15 December 2016
In the first part of this 3-part series, Susana Lima told us about her work on mate choice, a process by which individuals find “the one”. But as we all know, just because we think we found “the one” today, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we’ll be in the mood to see them again tomorrow, not to mention for the rest of our lives… Why is that? What internal changes make us respond differently to the same person? More…
23 December 2016
Brilliant Minds: Graduation Ceremony 2016
To get a PhD is to become the world-expert on a problem people don’t even know they have – yet. – Zach Mainen, director of Champalimaud Research.
05 January 2017
“We made the patients become a dolphin swimming in the ocean”
“The brain seems to have an endogenous capacity to repair itself after it’s injured. So we wondered: what if there is a way to amplify, to take advantage of, to interact with this spontaneous healing capacity?” – John Krakauer, BLAM Lab, Johns Hopkins University
John Krakauer, neuroscientist and stroke rehabilitation specialist in the Department of Neurology at Johns Hopkins, says he still feels like “uma criança”. And he says it in Portuguese because… he actually spent his childhood in Portugal and grew to love it.
12 January 2017
The neurobiology of sex. Part 3: A happy ending is only the beginning
After finding the one and getting in the mood comes the grand finale, “a happy ending”.
19 January 2017
Humans of science: Nuno Loureiro
Who are today’s scientists? Inspired by the project “Humans of New York”, Ar Magazine turns the spotlight on individual humans of science every month.
Name: Nuno Loureiro
Lab @ CCU: Neurobiology of Action Lab
Title of PhD project: Operant EEG-based BMI: actively controlling external devices through brain activity
Photo credit: Marina Fridman
26 January 2017
Creating high-tech devices for the study of the brain
“Scientists seek the unknown, and we construct what does not yet exist.” – Filipe Carvalho, Head of the Scientific Hardware Platform.
The Scientific Hardware Platform is in charge of designing and producing unique, ultra-precise mechano-electronic devices. Without them, the neuroscientists working in the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown would face bigger challenges to carry out many of their experiments.
30 January 2017
Statement from Champalimaud Research on the recent US immigration ban
The faculty of Champalimaud Research are deeply troubled by recent reports of scientists stranded abroad due to the recent US travel restrictions for citizens of Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Libya, and Sudan. We encourage scientists affected by this order who may be stranded in Europe to contact us. We will make every effort to accommodate your needs here at the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown in Lisbon, Portugal.
02 February 2017
An alternative America - How will the Trump Administration impact science?
A mere fortnight had passed since the inauguration of Donald Trump as the President of the United States, a short period that has sent shock waves throughout the world. Whether you are a supporter or not, the fact is that Trump is a controversial leader whose presidency will have implications into many fields, both nationally and abroad.
09 February 2017
From brouhaha to coordination: motor learning from the neuron's point of view
In the [animal] motor cortex, activity is highly variable at the beginning [of motor learning] and then becomes consistent, not so variable – it crystallizes. So Vivek [Athalye] wanted to know: “Can we devise a way to see how the brain does this?” – Rui Costa.
13 February 2017
Simple rule explains complex group swimming patterns
Watching the smooth movement generated by hundreds of fish as they swim in unison is truly mesmerising. But it’s not only its sheer beauty that makes it so hard to look away, for scientists, it’s also the fact that its emergence is so difficult to explain.
