News

LiveB1G: Infectious Disease Forecasting

As part of its LiveB1G series, the Big Ten Network has featured Penn State professor Steven Schiff, who leads an interdisciplinary team that applies weather forecast modeling to forecast infection risk in infants, providing the opportunity to diagnose diseases in children that cannot be diagnosed with existing technology.

Respiration key to increase oxygen in the brain

Contrary to accepted knowledge, blood can bring more oxygen to mice brains when they exercise because the increased respiration packs more oxygen into the hemoglobin, according to an international team of researchers who believe that this holds true for all mammals.

College students may get health benefits from less than one extra hour of sleep

College life can be rigorous and exhausting, but new research suggests that just one extra hour of sleep a night is not only possible, but can also have significant health benefits for college students.

Patrick Drew named associate director of Penn State’s Neuroscience Institute

Drew succeeds David Vandenbergh in an important role promoting Neuroscience research and education at University Park.

Sleep deprivation may lead to slower metabolism, weight gain

Restricting sleep for just several days alters how we metabolize fats and changes how satisfied we are by a meal, according to new research conducted at Penn State and published in the Journal of Lipid Research.

Gene therapy helps functional recovery after stroke

A new gene therapy turns glial cells—abundant support cells in the brain—into neurons, repairing damage that results from stroke and significantly improving motor function in mice.

NSF grant to fund research on brain activity and scientific creative thinking

Roger Beaty, assistant professor of psychology and director of the Cognitive Neuroscience of Creativity Lab in the Penn State Department of Psychology, has received a $1.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) along with co-investigators from two other institutions to collaborate on a project aimed at understanding and measuring creativity in the context of science.

Forecasting infectious diseases: Improved prediction could transform treatment

By applying the same predictive strategies used in weather forecasting, Penn State’s Steven Schiff is changing the way we approach treatment of infectious diseases worldwide.

Sense of smell, pollution and neurological disease connection explored

A consensus is building that air pollution can cause neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, but how fine, sooty particles cause problems in the brain is still an unanswered question. Now a team of Penn State researchers, using mice, have found a possible way, but more research is still needed.

Milk: Best drink to reduce burn from chili peppers

People who order their Buffalo wings especially spicy and sometimes find them to be too "hot," should choose milk to reduce the burn, according to Penn State researchers, who also suggest it does not matter if it is whole or skim.