Why Graduate Students Should Meditate

By: Caitlin Millett, 3rd year PhD candidate in the Neuroscience Graduate Program “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” ― Aristotle Meditation is an ancient practice dating back at least three millennia. It’s a fundamental component of many Eastern religious traditions and belief systems including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Daoism, to name just a … Continue reading Why Graduate Students Should Meditate

NFL Players Sue over Painkillers—Because They’re Addicted

By: Andrew Huhn, 4th year PhD candidate in the Neuroscience Graduate Program America loves football. Brutal, high-flying, smash-mouth football. The players seem like gladiators from another era. Chiseled out of stone, they feel no pain as they run, jump, and catch with a grace that appears super-human. The reality is, however, that they do feel pain—and often … Continue reading NFL Players Sue over Painkillers—Because They’re Addicted

A Prosthesis to Fix Broken Memories

By: Daniel Hass, 2nd year PhD candidate in the Neuroscience Graduate Program The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has been a major funding source for the development of unique and innovative technologies under its motto of “driving technological surprise.”  Some of DARPA’s current projects include designing bullets that can adjust their course in-flight, novel techniques to … Continue reading A Prosthesis to Fix Broken Memories

Did Harry Potter Have Psychosocial Short Stature?

By: Jordan Gaines Lewis, 4th year PhD candidate in the Neuroscience Graduate Program “Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age…[he] had a thin face, knobbly knees…and wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the … Continue reading Did Harry Potter Have Psychosocial Short Stature?

Congratulations to Winners of the 1st Annual Lions Talk Science Blog Award!

The judges' scores have been tabulated, and we're thrilled to announce the winners of our inaugural blog award! 1st Place: Caitlin Millett (The Danger of "I'm SO OCD!") 2nd Place: Lina Jamis (Exploring the Gene Myth) 3rd Place: Sang-Min Lee (Phospholipase C Activation Might Not Be Dopamine D1 Receptor Signaling) Thanks to everyone for participating. … Continue reading Congratulations to Winners of the 1st Annual Lions Talk Science Blog Award!

Phospholipase C Activation May not be Dopamine D1 Receptor Signaling

The following post is the third in our series of entries submitted for the 1st Annual Lions Talk Science Blog Award. This piece is by Sang-Min Lee, a 5th year PhD candidate in Pharmacology. The concept of receptor-drug interaction has been the main mechanism for how drugs develop their clinical benefits. Drugs generally have target molecules and … Continue reading Phospholipase C Activation May not be Dopamine D1 Receptor Signaling

1st Annual Lions Talk Science Blog Award: Accepting Submissions NOW!

Since launching last May, Lions Talk Science has published over 30 blog posts written and edited by a bevy of talented, diverse graduate students at Penn State College of Medicine. The blog has been featured in a publication by the Association of American Medical Colleges, received thousands of page views, and has been widely shared … Continue reading 1st Annual Lions Talk Science Blog Award: Accepting Submissions NOW!

Why Do We Need Fats, Carbohydrates, and Proteins in our Diet?

By: Patrick Brown, 3rd year PhD candidate in the Biomedical Sciences Program There are an endless number of diet plans available today that purport to be the answer to all of our weight loss needs. Most of them are based on calorie restriction or minimizing intake of one of the major macromolecules found in food – fats, … Continue reading Why Do We Need Fats, Carbohydrates, and Proteins in our Diet?