11/15
Neuroscience
Understanding optimal resource allocation in the brain
Understanding optimal resource allocation in the brain
A collaboration between experimentalists and theorists shows how the brain processes information about textures, paving the way for better understanding of sensory perception efficiency.
Two Penn seniors named 2022 Rhodes Scholars
Two Penn seniors named 2022 Rhodes Scholars
Two Penn seniors have been awarded Rhodes Scholarships for graduate study at the University of Oxford, Raveen Kariyawasam, from Colombo, Sri Lanka, and Nicholas Thomas-Lewis, from Kimball, Nebraska.
Penn senior Max Wragan named George J. Mitchell Scholar
Penn senior Max Wragan named George J. Mitchell Scholar
Senior Max Wragan, a neuroscience major and chemistry minor, has been selected for a George J. Mitchell Scholarship, which covers one academic year of postgraduate studies in Ireland, including stipends for living and travel expenses.
In the brain’s cerebellum, a new target for suppressing hunger
In the brain’s cerebellum, a new target for suppressing hunger
A research team led by J. Nicholas Betley in the School of Arts & Sciences has identified an entirely new way the brain signals fullness after eating. The findings offer a novel target for therapies that could dramatically curb overeating.
A new model for how the brain perceives unique odors
A new model for how the brain perceives unique odors
Using statistical physics and insights from biology, this research can help inform new hypotheses and experiments towards understanding the olfactory system, a complex and crucial pathway of the brain.
Darin Johnson breaks down what code switching is
Darin Johnson breaks down what code switching is
The doctoral student at Annenberg School for Communication explores the mental processes behind code switching and their implications.
A microscopic worm may shed light on how we perceive gravity
A microscopic worm may shed light on how we perceive gravity
C. elegans shares more than half of its genes with humans, allowing genetic studies to give insight into which genes are responsible for similar traits in humans, such as pinpointing molecular pathways responsible for gravitaxis, the ability to move in response to gravity.
Reimagining scientific discovery through the lens of an artist
The latest exhibition by Rebecca Kamen, Penn artist-in-residence and visiting scholar, at the American University Katzen Art Center explores curiosity and the creative process across art and science.
Developing new technologies to solve the mysteries of the brain
Developing new technologies to solve the mysteries of the brain
The Perelman School of Medicine’s Flavia Vitale is using her background in biomedical and chemical engineering to develop cutting edge materials and devices that will help clinicians diagnose and treat brain disorders.
Restoring ‘chaperone’ protein may prevent plaque buildup in Alzheimer’s
Restoring ‘chaperone’ protein may prevent plaque buildup in Alzheimer’s
Penn Medicine researchers show how restoring levels of the protein DAXX and a large group of similar proteins prevents the misfolding of the rogue proteins known to drive Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
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.
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 →
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.
FULL STORY →
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.
FULL STORY →
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.
FULL STORY →