Neuroscience | Penn Today

Microwave weapons are prime suspect in ills of U.S. Embassy workers

Douglas Smith of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the initial disbelief surrounding allegations that U.S. diplomats in Havana were injured by microwave strikes. “Everybody was relatively skeptical at first,” said Smith, “and everyone now agrees there’s something there.”

People who don’t read the news foresee which articles will go viral

In an upcoming article in the journal Cerebral Cortex, researchers tracked activity in the brain's prefrontal cortex, and found that avid readers of the news had little change in brain activity from story to story, making them less accurate predictors of viral content.

Why progressives should embrace the genetics of education

The Law School’s Dorothy Roberts argued that research on the genetics of education “cannot possibly be socially neutral — and in fact will intensify social inequities.”

Roy Hamilton of Penn Medicine was part of a research team that looked at whether a minimally invasive brain stimulation can reduce someone's intent to commit a violent crime.

Brain stimulation decreases intent to commit assault

Research from Penn Medicine and the Criminology department shows that using minimally invasive electrical currents on the prefrontal cortex can reduce the desire to carry out such violence and increase the perception that it’s morally wrong.

Uncovering the biological basis of aesthetics

The new Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, led by Anjan Chatterjee, will investigate the neural activity that dictates aesthetic experiences and choices

Sharing space to support ‘better science’

Across disciplines, Penn researchers in the Computational Neuroscience Initiative put their heads together to better understand the brain.

Why Do Only Some People Get Blackout Drunk?

Reagan Wetherill of the Perelman School of Medicine discussed “inherent brain vulnerabilities, and genetic vulnerabilities,” that put adolescents at risk of future alcohol abuse.

Napping Can Help Tired Teens’ Performance in School

The School of Nursing’s Jianghong Liu helped study the impact of sleep timing, duration, and quality on neurocognitive functioning in students. The findings suggest a relationship between regular midday napping and neurocognitive function, especially in China, where afternoon rest is more of a cultural norm than in the U.S.

Penn Integrates Knowledge professor Michael Platt

Hormones flatten social hierarchy and synchronize behaviors

Findings from a study of male rhesus macaques from PIK professor Michael Platt and postdoc Yaoguang Jiang could lead to treatment options for social impairments in disorders like autism and schizophrenia.

A radical, innovative approach by a bioengineer takes a big step forward

Bioengineer takes big step forward in radical approach to treating neurodegeneration

Research by D. Kacy Cullen, an associate professor of neurosurgery in the Perelman School of Medicine, could aid patients with neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s disease.

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