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The Department of Neurobiology and Behavior (NBB) was among the first to combine the study of animal behavior with its neural basis. Our faculty and students are dedicated to exploring a wide range of scientific topics, from single neurons and complex circuits to whole organisms and their societies. Central to our mission is the quest to unravel the profound mysteries of how nervous systems generate behavior, including the evolutionary pathways that have shaped brains and behavior over time. We believe these scientific frontiers are not just fascinating but also critical for understanding the intricacies of the brain, the least understood organ that underlies human experience
A classic psychedelic was found to activate a cell type in the brain of mice and rats that silences other neighboring neurons, providing insight into how such drugs reduce anxiety.
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"Cornell alumni are generous with their time and efforts to assist students, to answer questions from students, or connect them to people and places."
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Peter John Loewen says he's excited to support faculty in their research, meet students and showcase the value of a liberal arts education.
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The study answers how people can keep learning new things for a lifetime without using up all of their neurons.
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NBB has a room called the Rosenblatt room, named after Frank Rosenblatt. You can read about Frank Rosenblatt in the Cornell Chronicle.
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The authors of the paper, “Maternal Care Leads to the Evolution of Long, Slow Lives,” published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on June 14, 2024 are worried the paper may be taken out of context in what a mother's care means. "Humans are a primate and we live much longer lives...
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The relationship between mother and child offers clues to the mystery of why humans live longer lives than expected for their size – and sheds new light on what it means to be human.
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