News

Neuroscience student wins National Research Service Award fellowship

Chad Brunswick, a Ph.D candidate in the Huck Institutes’ intercollege graduate degree program in Neuroscience, has been awarded a prestigious National Research Service Award (NRSA) from the National Institute on Aging, one of the constituent institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Uncharted territory: A Q&A with Nanyin Zhang on mapping brain activity

To understand how different regions of the brain work together, researchers use a method called resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI). The method measures brain activity by observing changes in blood flow to different parts of the brain; however, rsfMRI does not explain how these blood flow changes to different brain regions relate to what is happening with the brain’s neurons — cells that send and receive messages in the form of electronic signals.

Huck researchers reflect on the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

This month, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three scientists credited with historic breakthroughs surrounding proteins and their structures. Three Huck researchers working on similar challenges chime in with their thoughts.

Penn State’s Neurosciences Biorepository expands access to University Park

The Neuroscience Biorepository, a collection of specimens and data housed at the Penn State College of Medicine, will be expanding its availability to researchers at University Park.

Reuben Kraft, professor of mechanical engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, is using computational tools — such as mouthguard sensors — to model and predict injury in the human brain. Here, a 3D visualization shows deformation in the brain caused by physical impact during a game of football.  Credit: Kraft Lab. All Rights Reserved.

Research team aims to better understand traumatic brain injuries

Penn State researchers are using computational methods and tools — such as custom mouthguard sensors — to model and predict injury in the human brain.

People who experience depression and concussions simultaneously have significantly worse symptoms for both conditions and disruptions to brain connectivity, according to a new study by kinesiology researchers at Penn State. Credit: Getty Images – FGTrade. All Rights Reserved.

Co-occurrence of depression and concussions amplify symptoms of both conditions

A new study led by researchers in the Penn State Department of Kinesiology demonstrated that the co-occurrence of depression and concussion was associated with significantly worse symptoms for both conditions.

Brianna Hnath, left, is doctoral candidate in biomedical engineering at Penn State and co-author of the study. Credit: Courtesy of the Dokholyan lab / Penn State. Creative Commons

Toxic protein may contribute to ALS development

New study elucidates the physiological processes that may contribute to ALS development and identifies a potential therapeutic target

Laura Cabrera, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics, will develop a patient-centered decision aid to help patients, caregivers and providers make decisions about neurotechnology treatments. Credit: Kate Myers/Penn State. All Rights Reserved.

Q&A: Ethical decision-making around neurotechnology treatments

Laura Cabrera, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics, has received a four-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to research and develop a patient-centered decision aid to help guide patients, providers, and caregivers navigating their options.

New CMIND director named

Janine Kwapis, the Paul Berg Early Career Professor in the Biological Sciences at Penn State, has been appointed director of the University's Center for Molecular Investigation of Neurological Disorders (CMIND), an interdisciplinary research unit within the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences

Less sleep and later bedtime in childhood linked to future substance use

A good night’s sleep is essential for children’s health and development, but childhood sleep patterns may also be linked to future substance use. A new study led by a team of Penn State researchers found that adolescents were more likely to have consumed alcohol or tried marijuana by age 15 if they went to bed later and slept fewer hours during childhood and adolescence.