Of all the worlds still to be explored, among the most mysterious may be closest to home. Indeed, it may be right between your ears.

A type of cell called the astrocyte accounts for more than 25 percent of the human brain, yet a small percentage of how this cell function contributes to brain function is actually understood. 

Virginia Tech neuroscientist Michelle Olsen seeks to change that through a new five-year, $1.6 million grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health. She hopes her work will one day allow scientists to more deeply understand how this cell develops and functions in the healthy brain so that they can better treat neurodevelopmental disorders and neurological disease.

Read more...