News

Aug 13, 2026

NSF CAREER Award: Understanding how the brain learns complex skills

Tarkeshwar Singh, associate professor of kinesiology in the Penn State College of Health and Human Development, has been awarded a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The five-year, $775,450 CAREER award will support Singh’s research on the interaction between cognition, decision-making and motor control to plan and coordinate complex movement sequences and skills.

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Aug 12, 2026

Andrew Patterson named H. Thomas and Dorothy Willits Hallowell Chair

Andrew Patterson has been named the H. Thomas and Dorothy Willits Hallowell Chair in Agricultural Sciences at Penn State. The professorship, which is named for H. Thomas Hollowell and his wife Dorothy Willits Hallowell, is granted to distinguished University faculty members to help enhance Penn State's commitment to the commonwealth by supporting the faculty member’s contributions to education, research and public service.

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Jul 21, 2026

Ganda, Kovac and Hao named Huck chairs

A trio of Penn State faculty members have been named Huck chairs by the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences in recognition of their research endeavors and track records of service to key Huck units.

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Jul 01, 2026

Fourteen interdisciplinary research teams receive 2026 IEE seed grants

Fourteen interdisciplinary research teams have received funding through the Institute of Energy and the Environment’s (IEE) 2026 Seed Grant Program. The program supports basic and applied research that lays the groundwork to pursue external funding and is guided by IEE’s five strategic research themes. This year, the program awarded seed funding to more than 40 researchers across 10 colleges and campuses and 21 departments and units.

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Jun 10, 2026

Huck names Leadership Fellows for 2026-27

The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences has selected three faculty members to serve as Huck Leadership Fellows for the 2026-27 academic year. The competitive program prepares faculty for future leadership roles while engaging them in strategic initiatives that advance interdisciplinary research at Penn State.

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May 08, 2026

Elevated blood sugar levels during pregnancy may result in poorer birth outcomes

Pregnant women in the United States are routinely tested for gestational diabetes, a condition where the body has high blood sugar during pregnancy that can lead to health problems for both mothers and babies. In a recent study led by Penn State researchers, scientists examined records from thousands of births and found that failing the glucose challenge test was associated with babies with higher birth weights — a risk factor for future obesity and diabetes — even when women passed their second glucose test.

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Apr 29, 2026

Q&A: What should women do to keep their bones healthy?

One in 10 Americans experience osteoporosis, which significantly weakens bones and makes them more prone to fracture. Women comprise 80% of people with osteoporosis, and women approaching or in menopause are at the highest risk, according to Mary Jane De Souza, distinguished professor of kinesiology and physiology. De Souza explained that May serves as both Osteoporosis Awareness Month and Women’s Health Month, making it the ideal time for both women and men to learn how to maintain healthy bones for as long as possible.

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Apr 27, 2026

Hydraulic brain: Body motion linked to fluid movement in the brain

The brain is more mechanically connected to the body than previously appreciated, scientists reported in Nature Neuroscience. Through a study using mice and simulations, the team found a potential biological mechanism underlying why exercise is thought to benefit brain health: abdominal contractions compress blood vessels connected to the spinal cord and the brain, enabling the organ to gently move within the skull. This swaying facilitates the surrounding cerebrospinal fluid to flow over the brain, potentially washing away neural waste that could cause problems for brain function.

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Apr 20, 2026

Penn State faculty member named American Physiological Society president-elect

Penn State Department of Kinesiology faculty member Lacy Alexander, professor of kinesiology and research professor in charge, has been named the 2025-26 president-elect of the American Physiological Society.

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Apr 17, 2026

Penn State biochemist Melanie McReynolds awarded Hypothesis Fund seed grant

Melanie McReynolds, Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Chair in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has been selected to receive a seed grant from the Hypothesis Fund. The Hypothesis Fund aims to advance scientific knowledge by supporting early stage, innovative research — led by scientists at broad swath of universities — that increases adaptability against systemic risks to the health of people and the planet.

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