Research Explore our research specialties

To find new treatments for the devastating disease of addiction, researchers at the McKnight Brain Institute are tackling the disorder from all angles: at the molecular level, via behavioral neuroscience and through human laboratory studies and epidemiological approaches.

Brain tumors, which are abnormal growths of cells within the brain, can be cancerous (malignant) and spread if not properly treated. Researchers at the McKnight Brain Institute pioneered the use of radiosurgery and immunotherapy to attack aggressive brain tumors.

With most forms of neural injury or disease, people suffer from inadequate breathing, swallowing difficulties and the inability to prevent aspiration. Our researchers are developing new therapies to enhance breathing and swallowing ability for those with neurological disorders.

Chronic neurological diseases — Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), Huntington’s disease, neuromuscular disease, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy, to mention only a few — afflict millions of Americans worldwide and account for tremendous morbidity and mortality.

Cognitive aging is a natural process in which older adults typically experience decline in many functions, such as memory, that can negatively impact their quality of life. With healthier lifestyles and advances in medical science, the human lifespan has almost doubled in the past century. However, improvements in physical health at advanced ages have outpaced our ability to maintain brain functions that support cognition and memory.

The neurobehavioral sciences are gaining recognition for their potential to positively affect quality of life. Progress made in neuroscience has contributed new technologies to the armament of approaches for treating mental disorders.

Sensory system disorders — including the debilitating chronic facial pain condition called trigeminal neuralgia (TN), migraine and the inability to smell (anosmia) — significantly impact health and quality of life. To date, TN and related neuropathic pain have been incurable and there is no therapeutic treatment for anosmia. It is critical to discover ways to reduce or block neuropathic pain and to help those who have lost, or never had, the sense of smell and/or taste.

Injury to the central nervous system — which consists of the brain and spinal cord — often results in far-reaching physical, emotional and economic consequences. Each year in the U.S., approximately 2.8 million Americans experience a traumatic brain injury, 800,000 have a stroke and 17,000 endure a spinal cord injury.