Boston University neuroscientist Steve Ramirez has devoted his career to understanding how memories form and whether they can be intentionally altered. His groundbreaking 2013 research with MIT colleague Xu Liu demonstrated that false memories could be created in mice using optogenetics, a technique that manipulates brain cell activity with light. A fortunate lab accident—placing a protein marker in an unexpected location within the hippocampus—led to this pivotal discovery, revealing precisely where fear memories could be artificially implanted and reactivated.
Ramirez explores these findings and their implications in his new book “How to Change a Memory: One Neuroscientist’s Quest to Alter the Past,” which has been shortlisted for the 2026 Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize. The work weaves together scientific concepts with personal reflections on loss, trauma, and addiction, proposing that memory manipulation could eventually treat conditions like PTSD and dementia. Central to this research is understanding “engrams”—the physical building blocks of memory within the brain—which Ramirez describes as crucial to predicting and preventing memory-related disorders.
While optogenetics shows promise in animal models, applying such invasive techniques to humans presents significant challenges. Ramirez suggests less invasive alternatives may ultimately prove more practical for human treatment, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or emerging non-invasive technologies. He emphasizes the importance of establishing ethical boundaries, insisting that memory manipulation research must remain medically motivated and clinically supervised to prevent misuse and ensure it benefits individuals struggling with memory disorders.
Originally reported by Livescience →
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