UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences

Trying to keep an image we’ve just seen in memory can leave us blind to things we are ‘looking’ at, according to the results of a study by researchers at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience.

Our brains are better at hearing new and approaching sounds than detecting when a sound disappears, according to a study by researchers at the UCL Institute. The findings could explain why parents often fail to notice the sudden quiet from the playroom that usually accompanies the onset of mischief.

Targeted health support is necessary for people with lower IQs according to new research which shows that they are unhappier and more likely to have poorer health than people with higher IQs. 

Dementia scientists at UCL are set to gain from a funding boost after Alzheimer’s Research UK committed a record amount of money to new research projects.

A new light-based technique for measuring levels of the toxic protein that causes Huntington’s disease (HD) has been used to demonstrate that the protein builds up gradually in blood cells. Published today (17th) in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the findings shed light on how the protein causes damage in the brain, and could be useful for monitoring the progression of HD, or testing new drugs aimed at suppressing production of the harmful protein.

Professor Andrew Lees has been awarded the German Society of Neurology’s 2012 Dingebauer Prize for outstanding scientific attainment in the field of Parkinson's disease and Neurodegenerative Disorders. Prof Lees is to receive the award on 27th September 2012, during the 85th congress meeting in Hamburg.

Professional ball game players report the sensation of the ball ‘slowing-down’ just before they hit it. Confirming these anecdotal comments, a new study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B shows that time is perceived to slow down during the period of action preparation, as the result of an increased intake of visual information.

Researchers at UCL have been awarded a total of 17 Starting Grants by the European Research Council (ERC), the highest number awarded at UCL under a single funding call to date. These grants have a total value of €21.6 million.