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Postdocs

From corals to humans, a shared trigger for sperm to get in motion
coral diving

With coral reefs under threat from climate change, pollutants, sedimentation, and other factors, Barott and colleagues hope to continue investigating how such challenges may influence coral reproduction and persistence. (Image: Courtesy of Kelsey Speer)

From corals to humans, a shared trigger for sperm to get in motion

Coral sperm require a specific pH to move, according to research from the School of Arts & Sciences, which identifies a signaling pathway that is shared by organisms including humans. The results inform how corals may fare with climate change.

Katherine Unger Baillie

In the brain’s cerebellum, a new target for suppressing hunger
A graphic with a stomach and a brain next to one another

Signals between the brain and stomach help animals decide when and how much to eat. A research collaboration involving Penn neuroscientists has uncovered a sensor for fullness in an area of the brain never before associated with satiation: the cerebellum. (Image: Courtesy of the Betley laboratory)

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.

Katherine Unger Baillie

A new model for how the brain perceives unique odors
a diagram of a simplified brain created with string and pins

A new study from the lab of Vijay Balasubramanian describes a statistical model for how the olfactory system discerns unique odors. This work provides a starting point for generating new hypotheses and conducting experiments that can help researchers better understand this complex, crucial area of the brain.

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.

Erica K. Brockmeier

A microscopic worm may shed light on how we perceive gravity
Micrsoscopic view of Caenorhabditis elegans, a free-living transparent nematode, about 1 mm in length

Caenorhabditis elegans, a free-living transparent roundworm, about 1 mm in length.

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.

From Penn Engineering Today

Mapping words to color
fanned out color sample sheets depicting a rainbow of shades

A Penn study has looked at the communicative needs that drive similarities and differences in how languages develop vocabularies for color. 

Mapping words to color

Researchers led by postdoc Colin Twomey and professor Joshua Plotkin developed an algorithm that can infer the communicative needs different linguistic communities place on colors.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Reimagining scientific discovery through the lens of an artist
a headshot of Rebecca Kamen in front of an abstract painting

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.

Erica K. Brockmeier

New engineering approaches to address unmet oral health needs
Three images of circles and squiggles representing microbes and fungi

Time-lapsed fluorescence imaging captures how fungi can be killed precisely. Such approaches can improve how tooth decay-causing biofilms might be targeted. (Image: CiPD)

New engineering approaches to address unmet oral health needs

With a new NIH training grant, awards, and new faculty and publications, the recently launched Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry is leveraging technological advancements to improve oral health.

Katherine Unger Baillie

U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, explained
US soldiers holding guns are running behind a tank with an American flag on top in sand in Syria

The 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team on the ground in Syria. (Image: The National Guard)

U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, explained

Sara Plana, a 2021-22 Postdoctoral Fellow at Perry World House, shares her thoughts on the airstrikes targeting Iranian-backed militias and the bigger picture of what’s happening in the region.

Kristen de Groot

2021 cohort of Postdoctoral Fellows for Academic Diversity named
a photograph of Penn's college hall framed by green leaves during the summer

The Office of the Vice Provost for Research announces the 2021 cohort of Penn’s Postdoctoral Fellows for Academic Diversity, the largest in the program’s history thus far. This fellowship program is designed to help postdocs advance their careers while enriching the community of scholars here at Penn. 

2021 cohort of Postdoctoral Fellows for Academic Diversity named

The competitive program, managed by Office of the Vice Provost for Research, is designed to support early career researchers and scholars while enriching the Penn community.

Erica K. Brockmeier

Black in Marine Science is building a community
Camille Gaynus in scuba gear in the water with mountains in the background

A dive trip in Indonesia cemented Camille Gaynus’s desire to pursue a career in marine biology. Her hope is that Black in Marine Science helps normalize the idea of Black people pursuing their interest in the field. (Image: Courtesy of Camille Gaynus)

Black in Marine Science is building a community

Postdoc Camille Gaynus of the School of Arts & Sciences and colleagues formed a nonprofit dedicated to lifting up Black voices in marine science and inspiring a new generation to follow their curiosity about the ocean.

Katherine Unger Baillie