Hurricane changed ‘rules of the game’ in monkey society For more than 17 years, PIK Professor Michael Platt and his collaborators have followed a free-ranging colony of rhesus macaques in the Puerto Rican Island of Cayo Santiago who, in 2017, experienced the devastation of Hurricane Maria. The team showed that the macaques who invested in relationships had higher survival rates, findings that can provide insights into human social behavior and health in the face of environmental change.(Image: Courtesy of Lauren J. Brent) 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 Lorraine Ruppert wore a virtual reality headset and zoomed in and out of her virtual world, which shows sites of historical memory and resistance in Philadelphia's Chinatown.nocred 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 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.
Different brain structures in females lead to more severe cognitive deficits after concussion than males Image: iStock/DedMityay 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 Image: iStock/Nathan Devery 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 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.
Addressing declining fertility 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) Q&A Addressing declining fertility In a Q&A with Penn Today, Michael Platt talks about the socioeconomic and emotional factors leading to plummeting fertility rates.
Organ transplant drug may slow Alzheimer’s disease progression in individuals with seizures Image: iStock/Dr_Microbe Organ transplant drug may slow Alzheimer’s disease progression in individuals with seizures A new study from a team at Penn Medicine finds that inhibiting neuron excitability slows the cognitive effects of Alzheimer’s disease.
What’s the best music to study to? Aim for predictability, says Penn professor Image: iStock/shironosov What’s the best music to study to? Aim for predictability, says Penn professor Maria Geffen, a professor of otorhinolaryngology, neuroscience, and neurology, researches how the brain responds to music and what is conducive to studying.
Man does DNA test, not prepared for what comes back ‘unusually high’ Penn In the News Newsweek Man does DNA test, not prepared for what comes back ‘unusually high’ César de la Fuente of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and Perelman School of Medicine says that Neanderthal DNA provides insights into human evolution, population dynamics, and genetic adaptations, including correlations with traits such as immunity and susceptibility to diseases.