Muir et al. explore threat discrimination in male and female mice and find that, despite similar behavioral acquisition, there are surprising sex differences in the neural encoding that drives suppression of reward seeking under threat.

The spatial relationship between neuronal and vascular activity remains highly debated. In this study, the authors used multiscale optical imaging to show how vascular architecture limits the spatial specificity of neurovascular coupling.

Single-cell profiling in the human cortex reveals aging-associated transcriptomic changes across all brain cell types, which overlap with effects with Alzheimer’s disease and show a convergent signature with psychopathology across multiple cell types.

The study of neural plasticity has focused on excitatory neural connections, but inhibitory connections can also change. Learning at inhibitory synapses may support high-level cognitive phenomena, such as selecting information for memory storage.

This study shows that the brain can link action to value through neural population subspaces, balancing reliable binding of action to value and generalization to novel stimuli.

Perceptual abilities can be improved by training, up to certain limits. Martin et al. show that vagus nerve stimulation in mice boosts performance on an auditory task via cholinergic modulation, beyond the level achieved by training alone.

Neural changes in pregnancy are not well understood. Here Pritschet et al. present an open-access precision brain imaging resource, mapping neuroanatomical change in an individual from preconception through postpartum.

Tonic and burst-like locus coeruleus firing distinctly tune brain topology toward associative and sensory regions, recruiting both astrocytic and neuronal inhibitory activity.

The mechanisms underlying the ability to remyelinate in aging and disease are unclear. Here, the authors show that DOR-mediated activation of α-ketoglutarate in mature oligodendrocytes can promote myelin production in mice during demyelination and aging.

Defective neoangiogenesis and blood–brain barrier leakiness are pathological hallmarks of neuroinflammation. Here the authors show that vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) promotes venous endothelial cell proliferation, resulting in the formation of leaky vessels around demyelinating lesions in multiple sclerosis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Nature Neuroscience now welcomes Registered Reports — a publishing format designed to prioritize methodological rigor.

What follows is not a detailed biography of Jim Simons, whose diversity of talents and activities as a mathematician, educator, administrator, life scientist, philanthropist and visionary in this country and abroad would fill several volumes. It is simply a glance at this wonderful man as I knew him in connection with his growing interest in life sciences and as a friend.