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Neuroscience
Understanding optimal resource allocation in the brain
Understanding optimal resource allocation in the brain
A collaboration between experimentalists and theorists shows how the brain processes information about textures, paving the way for better understanding of sensory perception efficiency.
Two Penn seniors named 2022 Rhodes Scholars
Two Penn seniors named 2022 Rhodes Scholars
Two Penn seniors have been awarded Rhodes Scholarships for graduate study at the University of Oxford, Raveen Kariyawasam, from Colombo, Sri Lanka, and Nicholas Thomas-Lewis, from Kimball, Nebraska.
Penn senior Max Wragan named George J. Mitchell Scholar
Penn senior Max Wragan named George J. Mitchell Scholar
Senior Max Wragan, a neuroscience major and chemistry minor, has been selected for a George J. Mitchell Scholarship, which covers one academic year of postgraduate studies in Ireland, including stipends for living and travel expenses.
In the brain’s cerebellum, a new target for suppressing hunger
In the brain’s cerebellum, a new target for suppressing hunger
A research team led by J. Nicholas Betley in the School of Arts & Sciences has identified an entirely new way the brain signals fullness after eating. The findings offer a novel target for therapies that could dramatically curb overeating.
A new model for how the brain perceives unique odors
A new model for how the brain perceives unique odors
Using statistical physics and insights from biology, this research can help inform new hypotheses and experiments towards understanding the olfactory system, a complex and crucial pathway of the brain.
Darin Johnson breaks down what code switching is
Darin Johnson breaks down what code switching is
The doctoral student at Annenberg School for Communication explores the mental processes behind code switching and their implications.
A microscopic worm may shed light on how we perceive gravity
A microscopic worm may shed light on how we perceive gravity
C. elegans shares more than half of its genes with humans, allowing genetic studies to give insight into which genes are responsible for similar traits in humans, such as pinpointing molecular pathways responsible for gravitaxis, the ability to move in response to gravity.
Reimagining scientific discovery through the lens of an artist
The latest exhibition by Rebecca Kamen, Penn artist-in-residence and visiting scholar, at the American University Katzen Art Center explores curiosity and the creative process across art and science.
Developing new technologies to solve the mysteries of the brain
Developing new technologies to solve the mysteries of the brain
The Perelman School of Medicine’s Flavia Vitale is using her background in biomedical and chemical engineering to develop cutting edge materials and devices that will help clinicians diagnose and treat brain disorders.
Restoring ‘chaperone’ protein may prevent plaque buildup in Alzheimer’s
Restoring ‘chaperone’ protein may prevent plaque buildup in Alzheimer’s
Penn Medicine researchers show how restoring levels of the protein DAXX and a large group of similar proteins prevents the misfolding of the rogue proteins known to drive Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
In the News
Wired
Can a digital reality be jacked directly into your brain?
Researchers led by Daniel Yoshor of the Perelman School of Medicine are developing better electrode arrays, which are used to induce neural activity. Current arrays approved for human use are bulky and contain around 1,000 electrodes, whereas the arrays Yoshor and colleagues are working on would have 64,000 electrodes, and eventually 1,000,000 electrodes.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Who was the man with the uneven gait? Mystery medical photos come to life with discovery of long-lost Penn archives
Penn Archivists J.J. Ahern and J.M. Duffin collaborated with Geoffrey Aguirre of the Perelman School of Medicine and Geoffrey Noble, a former PSOM resident, to learn more about a group of neurological patients photographed in the Victorian era.
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Neo.Life
Neuroaesthetics: Mental health facilities of the future
Anjan Chatterjee of the Perelman School of Medicine comments on what often happens in facilities for people with dementia illnesses.
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The New York Times
Trump true believers have their reasons
Clifford Workman, a postdoctoral fellow in the Perelman School of Medicine, co-authored research about the neuroscience of morality. “People are motivated by shared social values that, when held with moral conviction, can serve as compelling mandates capable of facilitating support for ideological violence,” Workman and colleagues wrote.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
The coming crisis in dementia care and why PA is woefully unprepared
Joel Streim and Alison Lynn of the Perelman School of Medicine comment on how and why Pennsylvania is in a perilous position with dementia care.
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U.S. News & World Report
What increases dementia risk?
Andrea Schneider of the Perelman School of Medicine said research shows that head injuries and genetics can increase a person’s risk of dementia. “One common misconception is that dementia is inevitable with aging. This is not true,” she said. “Dementia is not a normal part of aging; however, the risk of dementia does increase with age.”
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