11/15
Neuroscience
From Play-Doh to Slinkies, an engaging introduction to the basics of the brain
From Play-Doh to Slinkies, an engaging introduction to the basics of the brain
The Kids Judge! Neuroscience Fair brought West Philadelphia fourth graders and Penn neuroscience students together for a morning of hands-on fun.
Do adolescents have a natural tendency to engage in more risk-taking than children?
Do adolescents have a natural tendency to engage in more risk-taking than children?
An article published in Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences coming out of the Annenberg Public Policy Center reviews research into whether adolescents are actually more likely to take risks than children, as some neuroscience theories have suggested.
The gene that governs the need for slumber when sick
The gene that governs the need for slumber when sick
A study of fruit flies reveals a direct link between illness and the need for more sleep.
Bigger brains are smarter, but not by much
Bigger brains are smarter, but not by much
Using a large dataset and controlling for a variety of factors, including sex, age, height, socioeconomic status, and genetic ancestry, Gideon Nave of the Wharton School and Philipp Koellinger of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam found that people with larger brains rated higher on measures of intelligence, but only accounts for two percent of the variation in smarts.
The world’s oldest nightmare: Understanding sleep paralysis
The world’s oldest nightmare: Understanding sleep paralysis
Sleep paralysis has been linked to the supernatural for centuries. Neuroscientists work to uncover the science of REM disorders.
The next frontier of precision medicine: Parkinson’s disease
The next frontier of precision medicine: Parkinson’s disease
The Molecular Integration in Neurological Diagnosis (MIND) Initiative is working to understand the nature of Parkinson's disease with molecular-level accuracy, so doctors can treat the root cause.
The psychology of binge-watching
The psychology of binge-watching
Though binge-watching—and even the way we crave television at all—is a relatively recent phenomenon, the psychology behind why we become consumed in stories is actually a tale as old as time.
To reduce concussions in football, change kickoffs
To reduce concussions in football, change kickoffs
Research findings support an experimental rule in football that reduced concussions by moving the kickoff line from the 35- to 40-yard line and the touchback line from the 25- to 20-yard line.
What happens to the brain after a traumatic injury?
What happens to the brain after a traumatic injury?
Two undergrads interning with Penn Medicine’s Ramon Diaz-Arrastia spent the summer looking for biomarkers in the blood of TBI patients, and studying whether the generic form of Viagra might help promote recovery after such an injury.
New center will study the complex genomics within individual cells
New center will study the complex genomics within individual cells
Junhyong Kim and James Eberwine are leading a multi-disciplinary team in developing cutting-edge technologies that can assess the genetic material inside individual compartments of single cells. The new Center for Sub-Cellular Genomics aims to revolutionize therapies for diseases such as bipolar disorder, autism, and Alzheimer’s disease.
In the News
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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Medscape
The next frontier of antibiotic discovery: Inside your gut
César de la Fuente of the Perelman School of Medicine and School of Engineering and Applied Science says the main pillars that have enabled us to almost double our lifespan in the last 100 years have been antibiotics, vaccines, and clean water.
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Nature
Five ways science is tackling the antibiotic resistance crisis
César de la Fuente of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and Perelman School of Medicine is using AI to identify antimicrobial peptides found in modern and extinct humans, as well as other extinct animals.
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Bloomberg
How wildfire smoke could cause dementia
A study by Holly Elser of the Perelman School of Medicine finds that wildfire smoke exposure can significantly increase the risk of dementia.
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