Madeline Lancaster

Stories

Lab-grown brain tissue cracks the psychiatric diagnosis problem

Developed first cerebral organoid protocol

Johns Hopkins engineers grew miniature brains from patients' skin cells and found each disorder leaves its own pattern of electrical firing. Machine learning sorted those patterns with 83% accuracy, rising to 92% after a gentle electrical pulse, in a study of just 12 patients.

Updated Oct 31

Mice with human brain cells open a new path to studying brain disease

New Capabilities

As of September 2026: Not involved in the study; commented on its implications

Stanford scientists created mice that grow lab-grown human neurons where their own brain cells were — the deepest integration yet of human tissue into an animal brain. The team depleted roughly 14 million native mouse cortical neurons and gave 4 million human ones room to expand.

Updated Sep 16

Notable Quotes

It's so simple to make brain organoids. There is even a kit you can buy that has everything in it.

from Lab-grown brain tissue cracks the psychiatric diagnosis problem · Updated Oct 31

"The goal here is clearly not to make a mouse that's super intelligent — nor would it be."

from Mice with human brain cells open a new path to studying brain disease · Updated Sep 16