The Brain Prize

The Brain Prize

@brainprize.org

The Brain Prize is the world’s largest prize for brain research. It is awarded each year by the Lundbeck Foundation. Learn more https://brainprize.org/

433 followers21 following123 posts

The Brain Prize
@brainprize.org

At the ECNP Congress, Brain Prize 2025 recipient Frank Winkler delivered The Brain Prize Lecture on “Malignant Networks in the Brain,” presenting his research on tumor–brain network interactions. #BrainPrize #Neuroscience #ECNP

The Brain Prize
@brainprize.org

Do you know what the brain does while we sleep? Find out by visiting in The Brain Prize collection at Frontiers for Young Minds. https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2026.1685219 #Neuroscience #BrainPrize

kids.frontiersin.orgBrain Rhythms Form the Brain’s Internal LanguageOur world is filled with beautiful rhythms. Some of which we see and feel, such as the change of day and night and the rhythms of our music. Others are invisible to us—like radio waves, but are still very useful to our lives. In this article, I want to tell you about the rhythms we have in our brains—we do not feel them, yet they are crucial for us. I will explain what they are, what they do, and how they create the internal language of the brain. You will also get to know the special rhythms in your brain that help you remember what you read in this article!
The Brain Prize
@brainprize.org

Did you know that you can control the brain with light? Find out how light is used to control brain activity in the Frontiers for Young Minds Brain Prize collection. https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2026.1784155 #Neuroscience #BrainPrize

kids.frontiersin.orgShedding Light on How the Brain Works Using OptogeneticsUnderstanding how the brain works is one of the most complex and exciting challenges in science. If we succeed, we can better grasp what it means to be human, help “fix” the brain when diseases cause it to malfunction, and inspire better artificial intelligence. To gain this understanding, we need tools that let us break the brain down into its building blocks, see how they work, and control their activity. In this article, I describe optogenetics—a method for controlling brain activity with light—and how combining optogenetics with other tools may bring us closer to truly understanding the...
The Brain Prize
@brainprize.org

Brain Prize 2022 winner Ole Kiehn delivered The Brain Prize Lecture at the KSBNS Annual Meeting in Daejeon, presenting his work on brainstem circuits for movement in brain-wide motor networks and their role in movement disorders. @olekiehn.bsky.social #BrainPrize #KSBNS #Neuroscience

The Brain Prize
@brainprize.org

Is it possible to watch a living brain at work? Yes! Find out about the technology for watching the brain in action at the Frontiers for Young Minds Brain Prize collection. https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2026.1808199 #Neuroscience #BrainPrize

kids.frontiersin.orgThe Power of Two: Watching Living Brain Cells With Two-Photon MicroscopyHow can scientists watch the brain while it is working? In this article, I will tell you about a special research tool called two-photon microscopy. You will learn the basic idea behind how this technique works, why it can see deeper into tissues and more clearly than regular microscopes can, and how it helps researchers view tiny details inside the living brain without damaging the delicate tissues. I will also describe how two-photon microscopy came about almost by accident, and how new lens designs are now letting us study how the brain learns in real time.
The Brain Prize
@brainprize.org

For some people, the causes of stroke was a mystery. Read how the answer to the riddle lay in our genes in the Frontiers for Young Minds Brain Prize collection. https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2026.1784148 #Neuroscience #BrainPrize

kids.frontiersin.orgCADASIL: From Medical Mystery to Scientific DiscoveryIn this article, you will discover how studying one unusual family led us to identify CADASIL, a genetic disease that damages the brain’s small blood vessels. You will learn how we found that changes in a protein called NOTCH3 cause it to build up around these vessels, forming clumps that lead to the loss of important vessel cells. You will also explore how this discovery helped solve a 25-year mystery about how the disease works. Finally, you will read about the biggest open questions in the field and how this research is guiding new treatments and helping us understand many other brain...
The Brain Prize
@brainprize.org

Everything we do depends on our ability to move. Find out how billions of neurons work together to orchestrate movement in the Frontiers for Young Minds Brain Prize collection. https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2026.1734091 #Neuroscience #BrainPrize

kids.frontiersin.orgThe Movement Orchestra: How the Brain Controls Every Move You MakeEverything you do is movement—walking, breathing, talking, or even just moving your eyes across this page. Scientists who study movement explore how these actions are made possible by the coordinated activity of millions of brain cells called neurons. We now understand that movement is like an orchestra: different parts of the nervous system each play their own role to make the “music” of movement, but they must work together in harmony. In my lab, we focus on the brainstem, a key structure that links the brain to the spinal cord and ultimately to the muscles. By listening to neurons “talk”...
The Brain Prize
@brainprize.org

Life depends on our ability to learn, adapt and make smart decisions. Which bit of the brain is responsible? Find out about the brain’s CEO in the Frontiers for Young Minds Brain Prize collection https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2026.1734097 #Neuroscience #BrainPrize

kids.frontiersin.orgHow Your Brain’s CEO Helps You Learn, Adapt, and Make Smart DecisionsImagine your brain as a busy company with many departments working together—co-ordinating your memory, movement, and emotions. To keep everything running smoothly, the brain needs a leader. A brain area called the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is your brain’s chief executive officer or CEO. The PFC oversees what are called the executive functions—the mental skills that allow you to make smart decisions that help you reach your goals. In this article, you will learn about some key executive functions and discover how they help you manage temptations, think creatively, and stay calm even when you...
The Brain Prize
@brainprize.org

Childhood brain cancers are devastating and difficult to treat. Find out how brain tumours hijack the brain’s communication system at the Frontiers for Young Minds Brain Prize collection. https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2026.1763974 #Neuroscience #BrainPrize

kids.frontiersin.orgA New Hope for Treating Childhood Brain CancerThe brain is full of billions of healthy cells—but sometimes a few of them can start growing out of control and become cancerous. The cells that “go bad” can form brain tumors called gliomas. We discovered that glioma cells actually connect directly with healthy brain cells and “hijack” the brain’s normal communication system. They use the same electrical signals and chemical messengers that usually help the brain grow and learn to fuel their own growth instead. In this article, I will explain what we currently know about how glioma cells communicate with healthy brain cells, and how this...
The Brain Prize
@brainprize.org

Proteins are life’s building blocks. How does something as complicated as the brain make them? Read about the brain’s protein factories at the Frontiers for Young Minds Brain Prize collection. https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2026.1727230 #Neuroscience #BrainPrize

kids.frontiersin.orgCellular Proteins On-Demand: The Brain’s Production and Delivery SystemThe brain is an amazing communication network made of hundreds of billions of cells working together to help us learn, remember, and experience the world. Key to this network are neurons, the cells that send and receive messages. Scientists once thought neurons worked like simple factories, where all the products are made in one central spot. But surprising discoveries revealed a very clever system: neurons can also build what they need right where they need it—near the points where they connect to other neurons, which are called synapses. This lets synapses adjust quickly, keeping the...
The Brain Prize
@brainprize.org

We make thousands of decisions every day - from the mundane to the life-changing. Find out how the brain makes decisions at the Frontiers for Young Minds Brain Prize collection. https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2026.1699853 #Neuroscience #BrainPrize

kids.frontiersin.orgThe Science of Making Good DecisionsWhat made you start reading this article? Was it a desire to learn about how people make decisions, or was it just a feeling that you could not put into words? And how did you choose what to wear this morning for school? Did you consider different outfits, or did you choose the first item you found in your closet? In the study of decision making, we try to understand and model the brain mechanisms that are involved. In this article, we will explain how your brain makes decisions and share some tricks on how you can become a better decision maker in your daily life. We hope that your...
The Brain Prize
@brainprize.org

Did you know that AI learns like the brain? Find out more about the neuroscience of AI in The Brain Prize collection at Frontiers for Young Minds. https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2026.1689717 #Neuroscience #BrainPrize

kids.frontiersin.orgThe Power of Learning: From Brainpower to Artificial IntelligenceComputation is not just something computers do—it is happening everywhere, from inside our cells to the circuits of artificial intelligence. It is the foundation of our greatest superpower: learning—and now, it is becoming the superpower of machines too. Did you know that AI systems learn by mimicking how our brains work, and can even create brand-new ideas from past experiences? In this article, we explore how learning unfolds through “recipes” called algorithms—in both brains and machines—and why AI is not here to replace us, but to work with us. As these tools become part of our daily...
The Brain Prize
@brainprize.org

The Frontiers for Young Minds Brain Prize collection introduces the work of winners of The Brain Prize, studying memory, emotions, behaviour, brain circuits, and neurological disorders. Learn more: https://kids.frontiersin.org/collections/73884/the-brain-prize-collection #Neuroscience #BrainPrize

kids.frontiersin.orgThe Brain Prize Collection<a href="https://brainprize.org/"><img src="https://kids.frontiersin.org/files/Brain Prize.png" alt="Brain Prize" style="width:25%"></a> <br/><br/>Our brains are one of the great frontiers of human research – from understanding human function, such as thoughts and behaviors, to treating neurological and psychiatric disorders, supporting mental health, and unravelling new mysteries of our brain’s inner workings. <br/><br/>This fascinating field of research is rapidly growing, including new advances in technology for innovative diagnostic and therapeutic tools, and providing new insights...
The Brain Prize
@brainprize.org

The Brain Prize 2025 winners Frank Winkler and Michelle Monje delivered The Brain Prize Lecture at the FENS Forum in Barcelona, sharing insights from their groundbreaking work in cancer neuroscience. #CancerNeuroscience #BrainPrize #FENS