Articles tagged with: brown university
Mutant prions help cells foil harmful protein misfolding Misfolded proteins are implicated in many incurable neurological diseases. A new and improved understanding of how naturally occurring variants keep proteins from bunching up and spreading provides more options for developing a treatment than scientists had realized. Mutant prions help cells The red color of the the […]
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Could mutant flies give epilepsy sufferers greater peace of mind? A new NIH grant will allow biologist Robert Reenan the opportunity to study the genetics of epilepsy using an unusual method. His goal is to discover mutations that suppress seizures. People typically regard these as the same thing, but biology Professor Robert Reenan needed an […]
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Kennedy named visiting fellow at Brown Institute for Brain Science Former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy has accepted a two-year appointment as a visiting fellow at the Brown Institute for Brain Science, through the 2012-13 academic year. Kennedy will deliver two lectures each year and will continue his longtime advocacy for neurological research, wider access to […]
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Nursing home boom in China has little government involvement A new study of the growth and operation of nursing homes in Chinese cities finds that the industry, while still small, is surging to meet the country’s overwhelming shift toward an older population. The almost entirely private-sector growth has far outpaced government oversight. A rapidly growing […]
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Brown biologist Casey Dunn wins NSF’s Waterman Award Biologist Casey Dunn, creator of the “Creaturecast” website, is this year’s winner of the National Science Foundation’s Alan T. Waterman Award. Dunn’s work on animal evolution and the origins of biological complexity, particularly with deep-sea creatures called siphonophores, holds clues for how complex multicellular organisms, including humans, […]
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Weak supporting evidence can undermine belief in an outcome New research shows that people who receive weak but supportive evidence about a proposition are less optimistic about the outcome than people who receive no evidence at all. The “weak evidence effect” could be a useful tool in communications, from marketing to political discourse. PROVIDENCE, R.I. […]
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New role for an old molecule: protecting the brain from epileptic seizures The aftermath of an epileptic seizure has some mysterious characters, including the molecule putrescine. In new research on tadpoles, which share similar brain chemistry with humans, putrescine emerges as a calming influence that conveys resistance to subsequent seizures. In the long run, the […]
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University Professor Gordon Wood has been awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama Gordon Wood has been awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama. The medal was presented by the president during a White House ceremony Wednesday, March 2, 2011. PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Renowned author and historian Gordon Wood, […]
Scientists show how men amp up their X-chromosome Vive le difference? Not at the level of DNA. Men must increase gene expression on their lone X-chromosome to match the two X’s possessed by women. A new study explains just how men manage to do that. … PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — What makes a man? […]
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Intervention helps women manage weight during and after pregnancy A simple behavioral intervention that provided pregnant women with advice and feedback about weight control helped normal-weight women control their weight gain during pregnancy, according to the newly published “Fit for Delivery” study. It also helped normal-weight and obese and overweight women return to pre-pregnancy weight […]
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