A new way to treat neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, and epilepsy could emerge from something that started as a failed experiment. Daniella Rylander Ottosson, from Lund University, entered the field of research surrounding a cell called Parvalbumin in this way. This little cell can be likened to a conductor – who makes sure that everyone is coordinated – that the flow of information takes place at the right pace. If the Parvalbumin cells are damaged or dead, the timing becomes inaccurate, and the signals fall out of sync. There is much to suggest that this could be one of the causes of diseases such as epilepsy, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s.