Groundbreaking studies deepen understanding of brain function and disease. Investigations into hypoxia reveal HIF-1α’s graded activation regulating tumor cell survival. Research in dementia with Lewy bodies identifies reduced α-synuclein in red blood cells as a potential biomarker. Additional work elucidates neural circuits underlying indirect sensory associations, cognitive fatigue brain regions, and synaptic changes during sleep linked to learning enhancement. These insights advance potential biomarker development and therapeutic targeting for neurological disorders.