The brain contains thousands of types of cells, but it is only in recent years that these have been brought into focus, thanks to new techniques that can distinguish them based on their functions, morphology, physiology and electrical properties. Such fine resolution is essential to understand the brain, argues Dr Renata Batista-Brito, from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Her most recent research has uncovered a previously unknown role for a rare type of inhibitory neuron in the cortex. In this interview, she discusses the journey to finding the function of these cells, the nature of sleep, and the importance of believing in yourself.

Dr Dietmar Plenz, from the National Institute of Mental Health, recently spoke at SWC. He described his work that shows how even a single artificial spike in a cortical neuron can trigger widespread and meaningful responses across the surrounding network in awake mice. Despite the sparse and weak connections, these signals spread efficiently, even within the noisy and highly active environment of the brain. The key to this may be that the cortex operates in a critical state - a dynamic balance between order and chaos - allowing small events to have large effects.