Neuroscience

Can the new Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics unlock the science of beauty?

Anjan Chatterjee of the Perelman School of Medicine was profiled for his work founding Penn’s Center for Neuroaesthetics, which aims to “understand the neural systems that underlie aesthetic experiences and choices,” exploring beauty, art, design, and architecture.

toddler asleep in bed with stuffed bunny toy

The gene that governs the need for slumber when sick

A study of fruit flies reveals a direct link between illness and the need for more sleep.

Do stimulants really make the brain work better?

The Perelman School of Medicine’s Seth Gillihan wrote about the effects of stimulants on the brain, citing Martha Farah of the School of Arts and Sciences. “They don't make you smarter but they certainly can make you better able to deploy whatever smarts you have to do cognitive work,” said Farah.

Researchers call for oversight of burgeoning brain stimulation market

In a recent issue of the journal Science, Anna Wexler of the Perelman School of Medicine called for more oversight of brain stimulation devices and apps, which claim to improve cognitive performance. “We just don’t know what the long-term effects of brain stimulation are,” said Wexler.

What makes addiction a disease?

Charles O’Brien and Daniel Langleben of the Perelman School of Medicine discussed the brain’s reward system and its relationship to addiction.

Are bigger brains smarter? Barely, says study led by Penn scholar

A new study co-led by the Wharton School’s Gideon Nave and the School of Arts and Sciences’ Joseph Kable found that brain size has a slight, but ultimately insignificant, correlation to intelligence.

line drawing of two heads and lightbulbs implying intelligence

Bigger brains are smarter, but not by much

Using a large dataset and controlling for a variety of factors, including sex, age, height, socioeconomic status, and genetic ancestry, Gideon Nave of the Wharton School and Philipp Koellinger of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam found that people with larger brains rated higher on measures of intelligence, but only accounts for two percent of the variation in smarts.

Can germs cause Alzheimer’s disease?

John Trojanowski of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the role that amyloid and tau may play in the development of Alzheimer’s disease and possible treatments. “What we need is combination therapy,” he said.

How to connect with your teen during the college application process

Frances Jensen of the Perelman School of Medicine made several recommendations for parents supporting teenage college applicants. Due to their still-developing prefrontal cortexes, teens may need extra help breaking down important decisions and developing timelines for the application process.

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