News

Friday, October 20, 2017
New finding about cell-death process may lead to more effective treatment after traumatic brain injury

The study, reported in Cell, points to the potential for targeting the ferroptotic pathway with drugs, to halt continuing cell death after a traumatic brain injury.   Learn More

Friday, October 13, 2017
Brain Day 2017 to feature basic research on Alzheimer's, brain-computer interfaces and more

Brain Day offers Pitt's 150 neuroscientists a chance to meet with advocates, donors and colleagues in other departments.  The event kicks off at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, 26, at the University Club. Learn More

Thursday, October 12, 2017
Science 2017 features VR art installation featuring brain images

Alan Watson, PhD, worked with virtual reality company SyGlass to combine thousands of confocal microscope images into three dimensions.  The technology may have applications for treating glaucoma. Learn More

Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Stem-cell therapy improves outcome for children with Krabbe disease

Hematopoietic-stem cell transplantation in an infant's first seven weeks extended survival and reduced muscle weakness and cognitive deficits in children who were followed for up to 15 years.   Learn More

Monday, October 9, 2017
Pittwire: BRAIN Initiative grant helps psychologists figure out how people learn math

The team, led by Melissa Libertus, PhD, uses behavioral assessments and functional magnetic resonance imaging to determine how key neural connections are made, and how they change over time.     Learn More

Wednesday, October 4, 2017
NBC News: Scientists foresee fixes for retinal blindness

Researchers at Pitt are trying to grow a functioning optic nerve and are part of a consortium with Harvard and University of California-San Diego that aims to transplant a human eye. Learn More

Friday, September 29, 2017
Q&A: Jamie Hanson on how poverty affects a child's brain and imagination

A British blogger seeks out the Brain Institute recruit to ask about how growing up poor can result in deficits in attention and working memory, as well as a measurably smaller hippocampus.  Learn More

Friday, September 29, 2017
Alzheimer Disease Research Center calls for proposals for seed grants

Deadline to apply for an ADRC grant is Friday, Oct. 6. Grants of up to $25K are intended to fund innovative preliminary studies relevant to Alzheimer's disease. Learn More

Thursday, September 28, 2017
Popular Science asks Kontos: "Should I be worried about how many concussions I've had?"

Time between injuries matters more than the absolute number, says Anthony Kontos, PhD, Research Director at the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, and rest isn't always best. Learn More

Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Trib-Review: $2.6M study aims to to cut racial disparity in dementia research

African Americans have twice the risk of developing Alzheimer's, yet current drugs have been tested almost solely on Caucasians, says Jennifer Lingler, PhD. Learn More

Monday, September 25, 2017
Early odor exposure enhances smell-cell response

An eNeuro study by MD-PhD candidate Annie Liu and neurobiologist Nathan Urban, PhD, shows how early experience shapes the brain’s processing of the sense of smell. Learn More

Friday, September 22, 2017
Parents, be wary: Children are watching alcohol ads on YouTube

Brian Primack, MD, PhD, suggests that even kids with curbs on their TV-watching have access to alcohol ads.  That's because viewers upload the most entertaining ads to the internet.  Learn More

Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Pittwire: Going global with research aimed at restoring vision

Pitt and three French research institutions collaborate on basic research, novel therapies and clinical trials, including high-resolution imaging to help correct aberrations in the retina. Learn More

Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Trib-Review: NIH's Toren Finkel takes over as Aging Institute director

Finkel advocates support for scientific discovery that can help lengthen the time people live without diseases such as Alzheimer's. Learn More

Monday, September 18, 2017
Fun run to support ALS research scheduled for Oct. 1

The Donut Dash fundraiser calls for scarfing down doughnuts in the middle of a race around Oakland. The event fulfills a pledge by a CMU frat to raise $500K for the LiveLikeLou Center. Learn More

Friday, September 15, 2017
National Geographic: Scientists invent a robotic arm that can feel

Nathan Copeland, who is paralyzed and operates a robotic arm with his mind, says he feels warmth and tingling sensations in the robot fingers, which makes him “happy, relieved, and hopeful.” Learn More

Thursday, August 31, 2017
WTAE: Early-onset Parkinson's patient seeks to boost PIND's efforts at cure

Seth Logan, 47, is launching a fundraising effort for the Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Learn More

Friday, August 25, 2017
PittMed: A glimpse into Pitt's brain bank

Thanks to support from the Hillman Foundation, neuropathologist Julia Kofler, MD, has been able to grant families' requests that she study the brains of their loved ones after death. Learn More

Friday, August 25, 2017
PittMed: Think happy thoughts in a scanner to train your amygdala

In a neurofeedback study, Kymberly Young, PhD, showed that subjects could use positive memories to lift their depression. Learn More

Thursday, August 24, 2017
Submit your abstract to present a poster at BRAIN DAY 2017

Deadline is Friday, Sept. 8, for easy, on-line submission of abstracts for Pitt's third annual Brain Day, to be held on Oct. 26.   Learn More

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