3/14
Neuroscience
New approach for brain cell immunotherapy
New approach for brain cell immunotherapy
Penn Medicine researchers have developed a selective medicine to get rid of old microglia, while also replenishing them with transplanted surrogate cells in their place, suggesting future potential for treating and even preventing neurodegenerative disorders.
Eight Penn professors elected 2022 AAAS Fellows
Eight Penn professors elected 2022 AAAS Fellows
Researchers from the School of Arts & Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Perelman School of Medicine, and School of Veterinary Medicine join a class of scientists, engineers, and innovators spanning 24 scientific disciplines.
Through the lens: A digital depiction of dyslexia
Through the lens: A digital depiction of dyslexia
Artist-in-residence and visiting scholar Rebecca Kamen has blended AI and art to produce animated illustrations representing how a dyslexic brain interprets information.
How ketamine acts as ‘switch’ in the brain
How ketamine acts as ‘switch’ in the brain
Penn researchers find that the anesthetic and fast-acting antidepressant switches natural patterns of neuronal activity in the cerebral cortex.
A link between social environment and healthy brains in wild rhesus macaques
A link between social environment and healthy brains in wild rhesus macaques
Research from Penn, Arizona State University, the National Institute of Mental Health, and elsewhere finds that on the island of Cayo Santiago, female monkeys with a higher social status had younger, more resilient molecular profiles.
During sleep, one brain region teaches another, converting novel data into enduring memories
During sleep, one brain region teaches another, converting novel data into enduring memories
Using a neural network model, Penn neuroscientist Anna Schapiro and colleagues found that as the body moves between REM and slow-wave sleep cycles, the hippocampus and neocortex interact in ways that are key to memory formation.
Defining neural ‘representation’
Defining neural ‘representation’
Neuroscientists frequently say that neural activity ‘represents’ certain phenomena, PIK Professor Konrad Kording and postdoc Ben Baker led a study that took a philosophical approach to tease out what the term means.
Exploring the depth of smell through art
Exploring the depth of smell through art
With “RE_______,” a fall exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Sissel Tolaas, a Norwegian artist, chemist, and linguist, the galleries put smell front and center.
Exploring what it means to be curious
Exploring what it means to be curious
In a new book “Curious Minds: The Power of Connection,” Penn’s Dani S. Bassett and twin sibling Perry Zurn weave together history, linguistics, network science, neuroscience, and philosophy to unpack the concept of curiosity.
Deep brain stimulation shows promise against binge eating disorder
Deep brain stimulation shows promise against binge eating disorder
A pilot Penn study finds that an implanted brain-stimulating device dramatically reduces bingeing episodes and helps patients lose weight.
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.
FULL STORY →
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.
FULL STORY →
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.
FULL STORY →
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.
FULL STORY →
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.
FULL STORY →
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.”
FULL STORY →