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Science Policy

image of republican and democrat logos on ocean waves with the white house in the background

Big Ideas Science Policy

Shiri Spitz Siddiqi November 16, 2023November 6, 2023 affective polarization, bipartisan, bipartisanship, democrats, partisan, partisan violence, partisanship, political polarization, Politics, republicans

Curbing the Tide of Political Polarization

By Shiri Spitz Siddiqi On January 6, 2021, thousands of armed Americans stormed the United States Capitol Building in an attempt to overturn Joe Biden’s electoral victory over Donald Trump… Read More

Mental Health Neuropolicy Paper Competition 2023 Science Policy

Manaswini Kar September 12, 2023September 12, 2023 Cognitive neuroscience, Diplomacy, global health, mental health, Policy

Establishing a Framework for Global Mental Health Diplomacy

FIRST PLACE WINNER! Policy Brief by Manaswini Kar, Keerthana Manikandan, and Jonathan Klonowski With at least one-eighth of the entire global population living with mental illness, the world stands at… Read More

Science Policy Mental Health Neuropolicy Paper Competition 2023

Elissavet Chartampila September 12, 2023September 12, 2023 Climate Change, Healthcare, mental health, Science Policy

Mental Health: The Forgotten Casualty of Climate Change Policy

Op-Ed by Elissavet Chartampila Climate change presents a formidable and urgent threat to human health. From the loss of life and illness caused by more frequent and severe extreme weather… Read More

Neuropolicy Paper Competition 2023 Science Policy

Katie Cooke September 12, 2023September 12, 2023 androgen receptor gene, CYP17, Estrogen, GD, gender dysphoria, gender-affirming care, gender-affirming hormone, gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist, mental health, testosterone, transgender

Gender Dysphoria: What is it and Why Does it Matter?

Policy Brief by Katie Cooke Introduction The DSM-5 defines gender dysphoria (GD) as a prolonged incongruence between one’s assigned sex at birth and one’s gender identity (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).… Read More

Neuropolicy Paper Competition 2023 Science Policy

Rachel Falleur September 12, 2023September 12, 2023 AAC, Accommodation, Augmentative and alternative communication, Autism, dyspraxia, dysregulation, inclusivity, Research

Participation of Nonspeaking Students with Autism in Research in Neuroscience

Short Essay by Rachel Falleur As an undergraduate student majoring in neuroscience, performing and participating in research is a key part of completion of the program. Participation in research and… Read More

Neuropolicy Paper Competition 2023 Science Policy

Kathleen Carmichael September 12, 2023September 12, 2023 Law, legal, Neuroethics, Neurolaw, neuropolicy, Science Policy

Revealing Injured Minds: Harnessing Cutting-Edge Neuroimaging for Enhanced Brain Injury Claim Validity

Policy Brief by Kathleen Carmichael Executive summary Advances in neuroscience have the power to inform and improve many aspects of our legal system (Chorvat & McCabe, 2004). In the context… Read More

Science Policy Neuropolicy Paper Competition 2023 Neuroscience Technologies

Erin Morrow September 12, 2023September 12, 2023 eye-tracking, Neuroethics, neuropolicy, pupil, Science Policy

The Truth is in Your Eyes: Regulating the Covert Use of Pupil Biofeedback

SECOND PLACE WINNER! Policy Memo by Erin Morrow INTRODUCTION Within the last decade, consumer technologies have become increasingly capable at recording and analyzing physiological data. For instance, smartwatches can now… Read More

Brain Development Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders Neuropolicy Paper Competition 2023 Science Policy

Yug Yadava September 12, 2023September 12, 2023 Genetics, pediatrics, Policy, United States

The National Expansion of Newborn Screening Tests for Leukodystrophies

Policy Memo by Yug Yadava Executive Summary When a child is born at a hospital in the United States, he or she is tested for genetic, inherited, heart, and hearing… Read More

Infographics Mental Health Science Policy

Gil Torten August 28, 2023August 20, 2023 Genetics, GWAS, LGBTQ, mental health, queer

Queer Science

Written and Illustrated by Gil Torten Edited by Lauren Wagner and Justin McMahon… Read More

Neuroscience Art Science Policy

Amy Than August 8, 2023August 8, 2023 Emoji, neuroscience communication, SciComm, Science Communication, Social media

Making the Neuroscience Maze Emoji

By Amy Than As of 2023, the emojis that pop up on phone keyboards when the term “science” is searched for are limited to a lab coat, DNA molecule, microbe,… Read More

Science Policy Brain Development Cognition Sleep

Caitlin Goodpaster June 20, 2023May 24, 2023 Brain development, Data Privacy, Data Security, Instant Gratification, Reward, Sleep, Social media, TikTok

How TikTok Hijacks Your Brain

By Caitlin Goodpaster TikTok, a video-sharing app that has taken the world by storm, was first introduced as Douyin in 2016 in China, where it gained 100 million users in… Read More

Science Policy Aging Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders

Sarah Wade April 4, 2023April 4, 2023 aducanumab, Alzeihmer's disease, amyloid-β plaques, clinical trials, CMS, Cognitive Decline, donanemab, FDA, lecanemab, Science Policy, Tau

FDA Under Scrutiny: A Tale of Two Drugs

By Sarah Wade Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating illness that gradually destroys the brain. This disease affects over 30 million people worldwide (Haque & Levey, 2019) and is the… Read More

Science Policy Sleep

Mary Cooper March 16, 2023March 17, 2023 circadian clock, circadian rhythm, clock genes, Daylight Savings, Hypothalamus, jet lag, Science Policy, Sleep, suprachiasmatic nucleus

The Cost of Daylight Savings

By Mary Bullock Cooper Spring forward an hour in March or fall back an hour in November… you know the drill. It’s once again that time of year when everyone… Read More

Brain Development Mental Health Science Policy

Vincent A Medina September 13, 2022June 5, 2023 Emotions, gun reform, Limbic system, maturation, policy regulation, Prefrontal Cortex, school shooting, worldwide policy

The Fatal Relationship Between Firearm Policy and Brain Development

By Vincent A Medina Gun deaths in the United States far exceed those of every other developed country in the world (Sam & Rupp, 2022). This has prompted frequent discussions… Read More

Science Policy

Bineh Ndefru May 17, 2022October 21, 2022 Air pollution, Cognitive Impairment, environment, Neurodegenerative disease, Policy, Technology

Protecting our Communities with Technology Standards for Future Hydrogen Fuel Combustion Facilities

Written by Bineh Ndefru Natural gas-fired plants meet much of the electric power generation need in California. In 2020, natural gas plants generated over 48% of the state’s electricity and… Read More

Mental Health Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders Science Policy

Cecilia Rabayda April 27, 2022April 26, 2022 Cognition, Decriminalization, Drugs, mental health, Opiates, Psychosocial, Science Policy

Criminalization is an outdated approach to the US addiction crisis

(And why now is the perfect time to change it) The first time I heard the word prohibition was in eighth grade. The 18th amendment banned alcohol in 1918 in… Read More

Science Policy

Zoe Guttman November 6, 2021January 6, 2022 circadian clock, circadian rhythm, Daylight Savings, Legislation, Politics, Science Policy, Sleep

Why are legislators trying to get rid of daylight saving time?

It’s that time of year again when the days are getting shorter and the clocks are moved back. While many of us may consider the biannual time change to be… Read More

Science Policy

Yuki Hebner October 5, 2021November 1, 2021 Adolescence, Adolescent, Exercise, Gender, Hormone, Hormones, Legislation, Politics, Reproductive Health, Science Policy, Sex, sport, Sports, Transgender Rights, Women's Rights

Why “Saving Women’s Sports” Won’t Help Anyone

A wave of legislation marketed to improve conditions for women athletes conflates transgender participation with the enduring marginalization of women in sport. Ensuring supportive, not mutually exclusive, access to sports… Read More

Brain Development Science Policy

Yuki Hebner May 24, 2021 Abortion, Brain development, Cortex, cortical development, Development, Fetal Tissue, Healthcare, induced pluripotent stem cells, iPSC, Legislation, Neurodevelopment, Reproductive Health, Science Policy, Stem Cell Research, Stem Cells

Compartmentalizing A Culture War: A Stem Cell Biologist’s Relationship With Abortion Policy

The use of fetal tissue for scientific research has long been at the intersection of political polarization and medical breakthroughs. In 2019, the Trump administration passed restrictions on human fetal… Read More

Science Policy

Yuki Hebner May 10, 2021February 3, 2023 Chemical Substances, FDA, Government, Legislation, Policymaking, Regulation, Science Communication, Science Policy, Tear Gas

The Wild Wild West of Tear Gas Regulation

Last summer, images of tear gas-laden protestors engulfed the news cycle amidst clashes with local police. When Paula Rogish attended a protest in May of 2020 in front of Austin… Read More

Interviews Science Policy

Zoe Guttman April 27, 2021May 3, 2021 Government, Legislation, Policymaking, Science Communication, Science Policy

How Can a Neuroscientist Work in Policy?

For the first time in U.S. history, the science advisor to the president has been elevated to a cabinet-level position. While this move was perhaps precipitated by the scientific nature… Read More

Studying Alzheimer’s Disease Using Open Data - Feature Image

Aging Big Ideas Learning and Memory Science Policy

Cally Xiao November 15, 2020December 15, 2021 Alzheimer’s disease, Analysis, Data, Data Sharing, Meta-analysis, Open Data, Research

Studying Alzheimer’s Disease Using Open Data

Open data sharing efforts can advance research by analyzing existing data for new trends and fostering collaborations across institutions and countries, which are especially useful for complex diseases such as… Read More

Big Ideas Did You Know?Science Policy

Zoe Guttman October 31, 2020February 18, 2021 Behavioral Neuroscience, Decision, Decision-making, Science Policy

Evidence-Based Solutions to the Mass Incarceration Crisis: Neuroscience and Cash Bail

Mass incarceration is a public health crisis with particular relevance to the neuroscience community. Much of our work as neuroscientists revolves around the criminal justice system, including mental illness, adolescent… Read More

Neurolaw feature image, depicting libra scales with a brain on the left scale and a book on the right scale.

Science Policy Big Ideas Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders

Brainfacts.org November 22, 2017November 21, 2017 Addiction, Courtroom, Drug policy, Drugs, Eyewitness testimony, Jed Rakoff, Justice, Law, Memory, Memory consolidation, Neurolaw, Neuroscience, Prison, Rehabilitation

Neurolaw: Combining Neuroscience and Criminal Justice

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he number of U.S. judicial opinions citing neuroscience more than doubled in the seven years from 2005 to 2012, according to an analysis in the Journal of Law and the Biosciences.… Read More

Science Policy Big Ideas Sensation and Perception

Ellen Wann September 6, 2017September 7, 2017 Brain, diabetes, Funding, Golden Fleece Award, Golden Goose Award, John Eng, NIH, Research Funding, Science Policy, Sensation, Somatosensory, stroke, Taq polymerase

Risky Business, or Is It?

[dropcap]B[/dropcap]iologist Marston Bates once described research as “the process of going up alleys to see if they are blind.” Bates was referring to the inherent uncertainty in predicting and managing… Read More

Did You Know?Science Policy

Kayleen Schreiber May 10, 2017June 30, 2017 Bias, Fact, fake news, Infographic, Internet, Neuroscience, News, Reference, Research, SciComm, Science, Search, Source

Should you trust that article you’re reading?

It’s easy to find information on the internet — especially information that confirms what you already believe to be true. Through search engine bias, your Facebook newsfeed bubble, and confirmation… Read More

Neuro News Science Policy

Kate Fehlhaber April 19, 2017December 4, 2017 Advocacy, Budget, March, March for Science, National Institutes of Health, NeuroTransmissions, NIH, resist, Science, STEM, Videos

March for Science

America feels like it’s unraveling. And science is holding on by a thread.… Read More

Science Policy Big Ideas

Kate Fehlhaber February 6, 2017October 8, 2017 Alternative Facts, Darwin, Dunning-Kruger effect, Einstein, Fact, Facts, illusion of confidence, illusory superiority, Instructor, Knowledge, Lemon, McArthur Wheeler, Politics, Psychology, SciComm, Socratic, Student, Stupid, Teacher, Trump, Veritasium, Vsauce

The Consequences of Illusory Superiority

On January 6, 1995, a large five-foot-six 270-pound middle-aged man robbed two Pittsburgh banks in broad daylight. He didn’t wear a mask or any sort of disguise. And he smiled… Read More

Science Policy

Jenn Tribble April 6, 2016March 5, 2017 Appropriation, Budget, Capitol Hill, Congress, Fiscal Year, Hill Day, House of Representation, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, NIH, NSF, Policy, President, Research, Senate, SfN, Society for Neuroscience

Translating Science to Policy: How to be a Science Advocate

Every year in our nation’s Capitol, there is a different kind of March Madness, otherwise known as appropriation season. … Read More

Did You Know?Neuro News Science Policy

knowingneurons September 25, 2015March 5, 2017 Budget, Capitol, DC, Funding, Money, National Institutes of Health, NIH, Research, Science Advocacy, Science Policy, Washington

Science Advocacy on Capitol Hill: Bridging the Legislative Gap to Medical Research Funding

Last Thursday, September 17th I had the privilege of joining over 300 organizations including patients, physicians and fellow researchers in the Rally for Medical Research on Capitol Hill. Now in… Read More

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We strive to make neuroscience accessible to anyone interested in learning about the brain. Here, you can delve into the mind via stories, infographics, interviews, and more!

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