From Circuits to Behavior: Insights from NeuroBoston Fall Symposium 2026

Understanding how the brain gives rise to behavior increasingly depends on connecting multiple levels of analysis, from molecules and circuits to systems and cognition. Progress in each of these areas has accelerated, yet work at different levels is often published separately, limiting opportunities to see how findings at one level inform another. Bringing these perspectives into dialogue is essential for building a more integrated understanding of the neural basis of behavior in both health and disease.This editorial project focuses on the interface of behavioral, systems, and circuit neuroscience, launched in conjunction with the NeuroBoston Fall Symposium, held December 2, 2026 at Boston University in partnership with the Boston University Center for Systems Neuroscience and the Neurophotonics Center at Boston University.Neuroscience in the greater Boston area spans broad areas of mutual interest across these disciplines: circuit mechanisms underlying learning, memory, and affective regulation across development; neuroendocrine and neuromodulatory signaling relevant to stress and motivation; systems-level and computational approaches to circuit and glial dynamics; and behavioral methods for characterizing motivated and fear-related behavior. Recent progress in circuit-level recording, fiber photometry, and behavioral quantification has opened concrete opportunities to link neural circuits, behavioral neuroscience, and systems neuroscience.All symposium participants are strongly encouraged to submit their work to the Research Topic, while the project is also open to non-attendees whose research speaks to the same questions.As different levels of neuroscience research have much to learn from each other, this collection aims to capture the collaborative spirit of the Boston neuroscience community and promote a more integrated understanding of how neural circuits shape behavior in health and disease.We welcome all article types, including original research, methods, perspectives, and reviews. Papers will span a wide variety of topics, including behavioral, cognitive, computational, molecular, and systems neuroscience, promoting an integrated understanding of neuroscience relating to the brain, mind, and/or behavior in health and disease.Toward this aim, we welcome contributions addressing, but not limited to:● neural mechanisms of learning, memory, affective behavior, motivation, and decision-making,● circuit-level approaches for investigating neural function and behavior, including recording, imaging, and manipulation techniques,● interactions among neuronal, glial, and other cell populations in shaping circuit function and behavior,● neuroendocrine and neuromodulatory mechanisms underlying behavior and cognition,● sex differences and hormonal influences on neural function and behavior,● neural and behavioral mechanisms of stress, resilience, and adaptation,● developmental changes in neural circuits, cognition, and behavior across the lifespan,● translational perspectives linking molecular, cellular, circuit, systems, and behavioral mechanisms to psychiatric and neurological disorders. Topic editors: Lisa Y. Maeng, Heidi Catherine Meyer, Jessica Alison Babb, Rebecca Suthard, Alev Ecevitoglu, Shveta Parekh Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/87040/from-circuits-to-behavior-insights-from-neuroboston-fall-symposium-2026