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Neuroscience
Breaking through the mysteries of predicting coma recovery
Breaking through the mysteries of predicting coma recovery
Penn Medicine’s David Fischer created the RECOVER (REcovery of COnsciousness Via Evidence-Based Medicine and Research) program to provide specialized, comprehensive, and ongoing care for coma patients in various stages of coma recovery.
Four academic journeys explored
Four academic journeys explored
Vijay Balasubramanian and Tukufu Zuberi in the School of Arts & Sciences, Amy Hillier in the School of Social Policy & Practice, and Brittany Watson in the School of Veterinary Medicine share their academic paths toward interdisciplinary work.
Who, What, Why: Lasya Sreepada on decoding Alzheimer’s disease
Who, What, Why: Lasya Sreepada on decoding Alzheimer’s disease
The doctoral candidate at the School of Engineering and Applied Science discusses her path to brain research and how it set her on a course to demystifying neurological diseases using data science approaches.
Hurricane changed ‘rules of the game’ in monkey society
Hurricane changed ‘rules of the game’ in monkey society
PIK Professor Michael Platt and collaborators from the University of Exeter find Hurricane Maria transformed a monkey society by changing the pros and cons of their interpersonal relations.
Making virtual worlds
Making virtual worlds
In a class this spring, Jeffrey Vadala of the Penn Brain Science Center taught students to analyze virtual reality landscapes and create their own.
Fruitful insights on the brain
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.
Different brain structures in females lead to more severe cognitive deficits after concussion than males
Different brain structures in females lead to more severe cognitive deficits after concussion than males
New Penn Medicine research finds that axons in brains of female mammals may be more vulnerable to damage.
B cells drive responses of other immune cells, can be modified to prevent multiple sclerosis symptoms
B cells drive responses of other immune cells, can be modified to prevent multiple sclerosis symptoms
Penn Medicine research finds that abnormally active B cell metabolism causes an inflammatory immune response in individuals with MS.
More than two hearts beat as one
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.
Addressing declining fertility
Addressing declining fertility
In a Q&A with Penn Today, Michael Platt talks about the socioeconomic and emotional factors leading to plummeting fertility rates.
In the News
HealthDay
Too often, ER docs don’t spot migraines in minority kids
A study by Marissa Maliakal Anto of Penn Medicine finds that Black and Hispanic children seen in ERs are more likely to have their migraines go undiagnosed.
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ARS Technica
When does your brain think something is worth the wait?
Research by Joe Kable of the School of Arts & Sciences and colleagues finds that subjects with damage to certain regions of the prefrontal cortex are less likely to wait things out.
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PBS NewsHour
‘Brains and Beauty’ exhibit explores how the mind processes art and aesthetic experiences
Anjan Chatterjee of the Perelman School of Medicine says that the aesthetic triad is a mental system for engaging with an artwork.
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SciTechDaily
Scientists unveil 16+ distinct nerve cell types behind human touch
A study by Wenqin Lo of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues used detailed analyses of the genes used by individual nerve cells to identify 16 distinct types of nerve cells in humans.
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
Free West Philly community clinic, which provided care to hundreds, is closed
Penn Medicine resident Noor Shaik and Michael Rubenstein of the Perelman School of Medicine discuss a West Philadelphia clinic that became a model for collaborations between academic health systems and community organizations.
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The Washington Post
Alzheimer’s patients and their families hear a new word: Progress
Jeffrey Maneval of the Perelman School of Medicine classifies two new drug treatments for Alzheimer’s as “a double, not a home run.”
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