A researcher at the University of Buffalo’s Institute of Addictions won a five year, $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to investigate the role of “endocannabinoids” (the brain’s own marijuana) in combating stress and anxiety, an integral part of modern lifestyles. The study, as recently revealed on the University of Buffalo’s website, is an attempt to address one of the most widely acknowledged reasons why people abuse marijuana worldwide — to relieve stress. Read more →

I once thought the brain was only a big cerebral cortex. I never thought that there is the little guy hidden underneath with such a dynamic function and prominent role in human behavior. When we talk about the brain, most people often imagine the big cerebral cortex that is responsible for out cognitive functions such as analyzing, thinking, memorizing, and etc. Our perception is that brain functions are all about abstract mind function. But there are other functions that we seldom realize in our lives that the small brain is responsible for. Read more →

When I first explored the intricacies of brain function, I was amazed how the brain works in such a sophisticated fashion. My main interest at the time was in higher brain functions – the cortex and its relation to our conscious mind. However, I soon shifted my focus to low brain function, the way the limbic system worked under the hood. In my profession, I always struggle to make distinction between head and heart. It seems like a mystery how the conscious and subconscious minds worked in conjunction with the high and low brain functions. In my next few postings, I would like to explore the functions of the human brain — particularly of the limbic system, responsible for impulsive (or subconscious) behavior.