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Nathi Magubane

Science News Officer
  • nathi@upenn.edu
  • (215) 898-8562
  • A portrait of science writer Nathi Magubane
    Articles from Nathi Magubane
    Fruitful insights on the brain
    Photograph of researcher, China Byrns, in front of monitor showing microscopy images of fly brain

    China Byrns used high-magnification confocal microscopy to visualize senescent glia (red) in Drosophila brains as part of a multidisciplinary approach to define the origin and effects of senescent cells in brain aging.

    (Image: Courtesy of Riya Anand)

    Fruitful insights on the brain

    Research led by China Byrns of the lab of Nancy M. Bonini in the School of Arts & Sciences have uncovered new details about the role of zombie-like cells in brain aging, using the fruit fly as a model.
    New insights on cellular clones and inflammation in bones
    Hajishengallis, an expert in the immune mechanisms behind the gum disease periodontitis

    Hajishengallis, an expert in the immune mechanisms behind the gum disease periodontitis, worked with an international team to show that the innate immune system--typically thought to lack immune memory--can in fact be trained to "remember" past threats.

    New insights on cellular clones and inflammation in bones

    Research led by George Hajishengallis of Penn Dental sheds light on an aging-related condition that drives inflammation in older populations.
    Brewing brilliance
    Nader Engheta and Firooz Aflatouni sit at a table clutching Penn-branded mugs filled with tea.

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    Brewing brilliance

    Nader Engheta and Firooz Aflatouni of Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science turn tea time into new ideas.
    More than two hearts beat as one
    A person in a suit and button-down shirt sitting on a stairwell landing, smiling. The intricate white stairwell and a brick wall behind it are to the person's right.

    Penn Integrates Knowledge professor Michael Platt holds appointments in the Department of Psychology in the School of Arts & Sciences, the Department of Neuroscience in the Perelman School of Medicine, and the Marketing Department in the Wharton School.

    More than two hearts beat as one

    PIK Professor Michael Platt and collaborators studied how physiologic measures like cardiac synchrony can guide decision making in groups. Their study found that heart rate synchrony was a much better predictor than standard questionnaire-based surveys.
    University-led research project seeks to streamline air travel
    "Digital display showing the word 'DELAYED' in red alongside other information in blue on an airport board.

    Long lines at check-in, frustrated passengers stranded at airports, and the chaotic cancellation of flights due to unexpected storms or technical outages are becoming increasingly commonplace. Now, Megan Ryerson of the Weitzman School of Design is part of a NASA-supported multidisciplinary team working to mitigate many of the deleterious effects of airport delays.

    (Image: iStock / phive2015)

    University-led research project seeks to streamline air travel

    Megan Ryerson of the Weitzman School of Design is part of a collaborative NASA-funded research team taming the turbulence of airport delays.
    Addressing declining fertility
    Artist rendering of fertility decline. Depopulation, demographic crisis. Baby bottles in the form of graph and down arrow.

    In a recent paper, PIK Professor Michael Platt and the Perelman School of Medicine’s Peter Sterling posit that the underlying mechanism of the looming concern of human fertility declines is the epidemic of despair.

    (Image: iStock / TanyaJoy)

    Addressing declining fertility

    In a Q&A with Penn Today, Michael Platt talks about the socioeconomic and emotional factors leading to plummeting fertility rates.
    Turning up the heat on data storage
    Researcher sits in a laboratory filled with equipment, holding up a small, metallic-looking sample for examination.

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    Turning up the heat on data storage

    Researchers from Penn have developed a heat-resistant memory device that can withstand temperatures over 1,000° F. Their findings pave the way for AI computing in extreme environments.
    2024 tropical cyclone prediction
    View of Hurricane Ida from space with satellite visible above orbit.

    An image of Hurricane Ida taken aboard the International Space Station shortly before the Category 4 storm made landfall in Louisiana on Aug. 29, 2021. It marked the ninth named hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic season. As such storms increase in both frequency and intensity, Penn researchers argue that the resilience methods used in the past won’t work in the future.

     (Image: European Space Agency)

    2024 tropical cyclone prediction

    Michael Mann and colleagues predict a record-breaking 33 named storms for the 2024 North Atlantic hurricane season. It is the highest count ever projected.
    Six from Penn elected 2024 AAAS Fellows
    Clockwise from top left: Dolores Albarracín, T. Tony Cai, Noam A. Cohen, Shu Yang, Edward A. Stadtmauer, and Michael Lampson.

    Penn’s new AAAS Fellows for 2023, clockwise from top left: Dolores Albarracín, T. Tony Cai, Noam A. Cohen, Shu Yang, Edward A. Stadtmauer, and Michael Lampson.

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    Six from Penn elected 2024 AAAS Fellows

    Researchers representing six schools join a class of scientists, engineers, and innovators spanning 24 scientific disciplines.
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