# Messages about Brain Anatomy and Physiology

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Brain Science for Everyone — Including You 
                                                                      By Joshua Gordon on                March 13, 2023

This Brain Awareness Week, Dr. Gordon shows that it is not only scientists who can study the brain—you can too, in your backyard, classroom, or even on a hiking trail near a waterfall!

Looking Back, Moving Forward
                                                                      By Joshua Gordon on                January 30, 2023

In this Director’s Message, Dr. Gordon reflects on some exciting NIMH-supported developments from the past year.

Exploring the Role of Somatic Mosaicism in Human Biology
                                                                      By Joshua Gordon on                November 22, 2022

In this Director’s message, Dr. Gordon introduces the Somatic Mosaicism across Human Tissues (SMaHT) Network—an NIH-wide initiative that aims to transform our understanding of how somatic mosaicism in human cells influences biology and disease. 

A Milestone in Mapping the Brain
*By Joshua Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., and Walter Koroshetz **, M.D., director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke* on              October 6, 2021

In this Director’s message, Dr. Gordon and Dr. Koroshetz, director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, discuss the first major product to result from the Brain Initiative Cell Census Network, a comprehensive description of the cell types in the motor cortex of mice, monkeys, and humans.

Showing Support for Basic Researchers
                                                                      By Joshua Gordon on                January 11, 2021

In Dr. Gordon’s latest Director’s Message, he expresses support for the critical work of NIMH’s Dr. Elisabeth Murray and others who are advancing brain science through basic research.

Piecing Together the Genetic Puzzle of Autism
                                                                      By Joshua Gordon on                April 22, 2020

In this Director’s Message, Dr. Gordon looks at new findings that help shed light on the complex causal web that leads from genes to autism.

Piecing Together the Genetic Puzzle of Schizophrenia
                                                                      By Joshua Gordon on                March 13, 2020

In this Director’s Message, Dr. Gordon highlights new findings that advance our understanding of how genetic differences contribute to the development of schizophrenia.

What Can Animals Tell Us About Mental Illnesses?
                                                                      By Joshua Gordon on                October 21, 2019

In this Director’s Message, directed toward a general audience, Dr. Gordon discusses the role of animals in mental health research and what they can tell us about human mental illnesses.

A Hypothesis-Based Approach: The Use of Animals in Mental Health Research
                                                                      By Joshua Gordon on                October 21, 2019

In this Director’s Message, directed toward the research community, Dr. Gordon provides guidance to researchers on the use of animals in mental health research funded by NIMH.

Planting the Seed: Today’s Research Shapes Tomorrow’s Breakthroughs
                                                                      By Joshua Gordon on                June 19, 2019

In this Director’s message, Dr. Gordon digs into the historical roots of the hippocampus and the role it plays in human memory – an example of how scientists build upon past research discoveries and, in turn, advance the science that could benefit future generations.

It Begins with Basic Science
                                                                      By Joshua Gordon on                November 30, 2018

Those of you who follow Dr. Gordon on Twitter (@NIMHDirector) may have seen snippets of his experiences at the 2018 annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), the largest gathering of neuroscientists in the world. In this Director’s message, Dr. Gordon highlights some of the excellent basic research on display at this year’s conference.