News | The Huck Institutes (en-US)

New research finds sex-specific regions of the brain can relieve the detrimental effects of chronic stress in male and female mice. Left: Schematic showing a cortical microcircuit with three types of interneurons expressing somatostatin (SST), parvalbumin (PV) or vasointestinal peptide (VIP) and their distinct patterns of innervation of glutamatergic output neurons (PNs), with thin lines representing axons that send chemical signals and the thicker lines of PNs representing dendrites that receive information. There is selective innervation of the distal ends of PN dendrites by axons of SST neurons. Right: Increased activity of SST neurons by genetically induced disinhibition, on top right, or by chemogenetic activation of SST neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex, on bottom right, leads to stress resilience and facilitates the reversal of the detrimental behavioral effects of stress exposure in male but not female mice. Credit: Bernhard Lüscher / Penn State. Creative Commons

Dec 16, 2024

Brain regions that relieve effects of chronic stress in mice differ based on sex

In two new studies, researchers made mice resilient to stress by activating neurons in different brain regions and found that the changes involved are highly sex-specific

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Dec 16, 2024

Two Huck graduate students receive American Heart Association fellowships

Two Huck graduate students awarded individual 2-year American Heart Association fellowships.

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A team led by Penn State researchers used principles of pulse monitoring in traditional Chinese medicine to design a pressure-sensing platform to identify the optimal pulse signal, which they combined with a machine learning model to also predict blood pressure. Credit: Provided by Huanyu "Larry" Cheng. All Rights Reserved.

Dec 13, 2024

Old wisdom meets new tech: Traditional Chinese medicine inspires pulse sensors

A team led by Penn State researchers used principles of pulse monitoring in traditional Chinese medicine to design a pressure-sensing platform to identify the optimal pulse signal, which they combined with a machine learning model to also predict blood pressure.

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Dec 11, 2024

Center for Socially Responsible AI awards seed funding to seven diverse projects

The Penn State Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence (CSRAI) has announced the results of its most recent seed-funding competition.

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The genomes of Kirtland’s warblers show extensive signs of inbreeding, according to a new study, which could guide continuing conservation efforts for the once-endangered songbird. Credit: Nathan Cooper. All Rights Reserved.

Dec 11, 2024

Once-endangered Kirtland’s warblers show extensive signs of inbreeding in genome

The genome of a once-endangered songbird shows extensive signs of inbreeding, according to a new study by Penn State researchers.

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The nine-acre Sustainability Experience Center lies on the edge of Penn State’s University Park campus and provides a living laboratory for students, faculty and the community to research and learn about sustainability. The site is home to the campus Community Garden and five ongoing research and outreach projects hosted by various departments and colleges at the University. Credit: Penn State Sustainability. All Rights Reserved.

Dec 10, 2024

Penn State ranks second in the US in 2025 QS sustainability rankings

University ranks No. 1 in the Big Ten, rises to No. 19 internationally in ranking’s third year.

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Credit: Kuzmik_A/Getty Images. All Rights Reserved.

Dec 10, 2024

WHO recommends universal introduction for rubella vaccination

Global policy change, influenced in part by research led by Penn State scientists, removes barriers for countries that have yet to introduce rubella vaccination.

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Through studies on rats, a team of researchers at Penn State has pinpointed the exact moment of loss of consciousness due to anesthesia, mapping what happens in different brain regions during that moment. Credit: Provided by Nanyin Zhang . All Rights Reserved.

Dec 10, 2024

Brain mechanisms underpinning loss of consciousness identified

Rapid activity in three brain regions appears to trigger loss of consciousness, researchers at Penn State find.

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The awards ceremony was held Nov. 19 to celebrate a year of outstanding success and accomplishments in research. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Dec 10, 2024

College of Ag Sciences celebrates faculty, staff achievements in research

Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences celebrated another year of outstanding success and accomplishments in research during the 2024 Research Awards Ceremony, held Nov. 19 at the Hintz Family Alumni Center on the University Park campus.

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Dec 10, 2024

Relieving chronic stress in the brains of male and female mice

In two new studies, researchers made mice resilient to stress by activating neurons in different brain regions and show that the brain regions and gene expression changes involved are highly sex-specific.

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