Columbia University in the City of New York

Zuckerman Institute in the News

Columbia's Zuckerman Institute is regularly featured in influential news outlets around the world. We invite you to browse a selection of recent news coverage below.

Above: Zuckerman Institute Principal Investigator Rudy Behnia, PhD, being interviewed on camera.

News from about

The Senses February 9, 2024

Leaving lasting marks with Tessa Montague

When the postdoctoral fellow is not deconstructing cuttlefish camouflage and dodging ink squirts in the lab, you can find her teaching neuroscience courses in correctional facilities, mentoring high school biology students in Ghana and helping to launch DNA experiments into space.

Learning & Memory September 29, 2023

The Neurobiology Of Changing Priorities In A Songbird

Vikram Gadagkar, PhD, shows that when a thirsty and lonely male zebra finch changes his mind from getting a drink of water to prioritizing courtship, his dopamine-releasing brain cells reflect his new intentions.

Computation August 14, 2023

AI Models Struggle To Identify Nonsense, Says Study

The AI models that power chatbots and other applications still have difficulty distinguishing between nonsense and natural language, according to a study released on Thursday.

Scientists Map Cuttlefish Brains Hoping to Understand Complex Camouflage

Rresearch team at Columbia’s Zuckerman Institute creatse the world’s first cuttlefish brain atlas.

Computation June 8, 2023

Where Imagination Lives in Your Brain

Kenneth Kay, PhD, talks about how the brain manages to conjure possible futures.

In the News May 1, 2023

Finding Work-Life Balance One Task at a Time

Bianca Jones-Marlin, PhD, talks about how she balanced the birth of her son at the height of the pandemic and her advocacy for the Black community against racism.

The Senses April 12, 2023

How the brain rewards pleasurable physical touch

Ishmail Abdus-Saboor, PhD, traced a stimulating physical touch from the skin all the way to the reward center of the brain.

Learning & Memory March 1, 2023

Exploring the Role of Dopamine in Natural Behaviors

Vikram Gadagkar, PhD and Ashok Litwin-Kumar, PhD discuss their research on memory.

The Senses February 8, 2023

Scientists mapped the brain circuitry involved in pleasurable touch in mice

Mouse study by Abdus-Saboor, PhD, completes a skin-spine-brain circuit of gentle touch.

The Senses December 12, 2022

An end to chronic pain? Future treatment could look very different

Ishmail Abdus-Saboor, PhD, discusses his research with USA Today