Salk Institute

Deep within your brain, a group of cells helps you move, learn, and form habits. Now, scientists have mapped those cells in unprecedented detail.

Salk researchers and global collaborators have created a 3D atlas of the human basal ganglia, identifying the cells that make up this important brain region and examining how their genes are regulated.

The atlas could help scientists better understand conditions linked to the basal ganglia, including Parkinson’s disease, Tourette syndrome, and addiction—and guide the development of more targeted treatments.

salk.edu/news-release/b…

#Neuroscience #BrainResearch #BrainAtlas #BRAINInitiative #SalkInstitute

For the first time, we welcomed Salk's Discovery Society members to view the fall equinox sunset.

Founder Jonas Salk and architect Louis Kahn aligned Salk's "River of Life" water feature in the Institute's iconic courtyard to align perfectly with the sunset twice a year, on the spring and fall equinoxes. For this equinox, we held an exclusive event for Discovery Society members, featuring cocktails, discussions with scientists, and a view you can't beat.

For access to exclusive events like this, donate directly to Salk science and join the Discovery Society today: salk.edu/discovery-soci….

#Foundationalscience #SalkInstitute #SanDiegoEvents

Salk’s orange groves aren’t just here to look pretty. 🍊🌳

The Institute’s orange groves and grassy areas serve a second, less visible purpose: They act as natural cooling elements for infrastructure beneath the campus.

From the landscaping you see to the complex systems you don’t, Salk’s Facilities Services team works behind the scenes to keep the campus—and the science it supports—running smoothly.
That’s what it takes to maintain the life of the Institute.

Read “Maintaining the Life of the Institute” in Inside Salk: inside.salk.edu/fall-2026/tim-…

#SustainableArchitecture #GreenInfrastructure #LouisKahn #SalkInstitute

When it comes to food allergies, scientific thinking has changed dramatically. 🥜

For years, parents were advised to delay introducing common allergens like peanuts and tree nuts to young children. Research has since shifted that thinking: Introducing common allergens once babies begin eating solid foods can actually help reduce the risk of developing certain food allergies.

But there’s still a big question scientists are working to answer: Why does the immune system tolerate a food in one person and attack it in another?

That’s what Salk scientist Jamie Blum and her lab are investigating. By bringing together immunology, metabolism, and plant biology, they’re searching for the molecules that may help tip the immune system toward tolerance—or an allergic response.

Swipe to hear from Blum, and read more in Inside Salk: inside.salk.edu/fall-2026/jami…

#allergies #foodallergyresearch #foodallergy #salkinstitute

Three minutes, one slide, and a winning pitch! Congratulations to Salk postdoctoral researcher Adam Rochussen for taking first place in the Torrey Pines Training Consortium Postdoc Pitch competition.

Cancer immunotherapy rarely takes into account the fact that the cellular environment inside the body is not constant, but rhythmic. Adam found a way to integrate circadian rhythms into next-generation cancer immunotherapies that leads to more effective treatment of multiple cancer types.

The competition challenges postdoctoral researchers from Salk, Sanford Burnham Prebys, Scripps Research, and UC San Diego to explain their research and why it matters in just 180 seconds.

Congratulations, Adam!

#SalkInstitute #PostdocResearch #CancerResearch #ScienceCommunication