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Neuroscience
Sharing space to support ‘better science’
Sharing space to support ‘better science’
Across disciplines, Penn researchers in the Computational Neuroscience Initiative put their heads together to better understand the brain.
Bioengineer takes big step forward in radical approach to treating neurodegeneration
Bioengineer takes big step forward in radical approach to treating neurodegeneration
Research by D. Kacy Cullen, an associate professor of neurosurgery in the Perelman School of Medicine, could aid patients with neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s disease.
Hormones flatten social hierarchy and synchronize behaviors
Hormones flatten social hierarchy and synchronize behaviors
Findings from a study of male rhesus macaques from PIK professor Michael Platt and postdoc Yaoguang Jiang could lead to treatment options for social impairments in disorders like autism and schizophrenia.
Addressing unseen scars of a traumatic brain injury head on
Addressing unseen scars of a traumatic brain injury head on
Research at Penn Med explores the lasting effect of traumatic brain injuries on the nervous system to expand how we understand physical injury to the brain and behavior.
Risk tolerance linked to amygdala and prefrontal cortex brain regions
Risk tolerance linked to amygdala and prefrontal cortex brain regions
New research links willingness to take risks to brain structure and function, specifically the amygdala, the prefrontal cortex, and connections between the two.
Being hungry shuts off perception of chronic pain
Being hungry shuts off perception of chronic pain
Finding food is a necessary survival skill, but so is avoiding pain. Research led by J. Nicholas Betley and postdoctoral researcher Amber Alhadeff showed that being hungry activates a neural pathway that inhibits the sensing and responding to chronic pain. The findings offer up new targets for treating pain.
Researchers prove that timed brain stimulation improves memory
Performance can be enhanced by as much as 15 percent, according to a study by Penn neuroscientists published in Nature Communications. It is the first time such a connection has been made.
Researcher awarded Swartz Fellowship to investigate mechanisms of learning and memory
Gaia Tavoni, a postdoctoral fellow of the Computational Neuroscience Initiative, has been named a Swartz Foundation Fellow for Theory in Neuroscience for her research proposal suggesting pathways to investigate the brain mechanisms involved in learning and memory.
Neuroscientists construct first whole-brain map of electrical connections key to forming memories
Low-frequency rhythms of brain activity, when brain waves move up and down slowly, primarily drive communication between the frontal, temporal and medial temporal lobes.
Researchers discover which brain region motivates behavior change
Have you ever been stuck in a rut, going through the same motions day in and day out? How do you motivate to change your behavior?
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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