Number of pain receptors in the brain : 0
MIT has pioneered discoveries about the brain since the 1960s.
Percentage of Americans affected by spinal cord injuries, serious stroke, and brain injuries : 5
Spinal cord stem cells could be the basis of new treatment for spinal cord injury.
Age of the oldest skulls showing signs of trepanation, the surgical removal of bone from the cranium, in years : 7,000
The "Skulls" of Phi Kappa Sigma established the fraternity's Alpha Mu Chapter at MIT in 1903.
Year magnetic resonance scanners (MRIs) allowed noninvasive imaging of the human brain : 1980
Noninvasive Imaging in Biology and Medicine is one of over 1,900 classes on MIT OpenCourseWare.
Number of hours logged in 2008 on the MRI scanners at MIT’s Martinos Imaging Center : 3,500
Scan the website of the Magnetic Imaging Resonance Group at MIT.
Minutes a child must lie still in a scanner to help MIT researchers understand the developing mind : 45
Kids can develop their minds in one of MIT's educational programs for K-12 students.
Chances an American child will be affected by an Autism Spectrum Disorder : 1 in 166
MIT and 12 other institutions in the Autism Consortium work to decrease those odds.
Chances a girl will develop Rett syndrome, the most common form of autism in girls : 1 in 10,000
MIT researchers were the first to show that multiple genes are implicated in autism.
Number of MIT departments and affiliated research centers, respectively, involved in autism research : 10, 4
The Simons Initiative on Autism and the Brain launched in 2009 to strengthen autism research at MIT.
Minimum number of Americans afflicted by Parkinson’s disease today : 500,000
Watch a short documentary about an MIT laboratory researching Parkinson's.
Year the MIT-affiliated Whitehead Institute found a link between genetics and environment for Parkinson’s : 2009
A breakthrough method of programming cells holds future promise for people with Parkinson's.
Percentage change in deaths in the United States from Alzheimer’s disease from 2000 to 2006 : +47
Could musical technology help detect and alleviate Alzheimer's?
Number of current MIT faculty whose work relates to the brain and who have received the Nobel Prize : 3
Named professorships help faculty pursue Nobel-worthy ideas.
Year Pat and Lore McGovern established the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT : 2000
When it comes to brainy topics, the media turn to McGovern Institute experts.
Number of graduate students in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences : 104
Get a snapshot of graduate student life at MIT on the Grad Blog.
Cost of tuition and stipend for a one-year graduate fellowship at MIT : $65,000
Approximate number of super burritos that amount would buy at the Stratton Student Center: 13,400
Number of brains at work at MIT in 2008-2009 : 21,799
Many more brains—MIT's alumni—are at work all over the world.
