By: Alli Fries, 3rd year PhD candidate in the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program Chances are you have heard it from others and felt it yourself! One might experience that fluttery or squirmy feeling in their stomach in situations that trigger nervousness or fear, such as public speaking or climbing the first hill of an enormous roller coaster. … Continue reading Our Emotional Gut
You Can Get Involved!
Hey, readers! We want to hear from you! In our new segment, "Ask a Scientist," we'd like to answer your burning questions: don't understand a scientific concept? Curious about life as a graduate student in the biomedical sciences? Simply leave a comment on this post, or e-mail your question to lions-talk-science@psu.edu. A graduate student will address … Continue reading You Can Get Involved!
Food for Thought: Obesity as a Disease?
By: Andrew Huhn, 3rd year PhD candidate in the Neuroscience Program It’s no secret that America is getting bigger, and not for the better. The American Heart Association estimates that there are about 157 million overweight or obese adults in the United States. Over the last few decades, eating trends include larger portions and larger … Continue reading Food for Thought: Obesity as a Disease?
The Brain in Your Gut
By: Alli Fries, 3rd year PhD candidate in the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program Generally, when people think about neuroscience, the image that comes to mind is the human brain. The brain—an oblong-shaped bulb with grooves and textures, which is reminiscent of a bowl of spaghetti. More ambitious folks might make it past the brain, moving as … Continue reading The Brain in Your Gut
How Can We Win the War on Cancer?
By: Ross Keller, 2nd year PhD candidate in the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program In 1971, President Richard Nixon signed the National Cancer Act, which later became known as the beginning of the “War on Cancer.” Now, 42 years later, are we any closer to winning the war? To answer this question, we need to explore what … Continue reading How Can We Win the War on Cancer?
Serendipity in Science: Understanding How Accidents Can Lead to Scientific Discoveries
By: Sadie Steffens, 3rd year PhD candidate in the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program When the word "science" comes to mind, I think about carefully planned experiments designed to test a hypothesis. These experiments are expected to produce a certain result to verify a scientific claim—but often, these carefully planned experiments yield unexpected, or even unwanted, results. … Continue reading Serendipity in Science: Understanding How Accidents Can Lead to Scientific Discoveries
Preparing Science Grad Students for a Career Away from the Bench
By: Sara Love, associate director for business development in the Office of Technology Development What happens when you receive the degree you’ve worked so hard to achieve but realize you do not want to spend your career teaching or working in a lab? There are a lot of great career options for individuals with post-graduate … Continue reading Preparing Science Grad Students for a Career Away from the Bench
Donate Your Body, Donate Knowledge
By: Kristy Pugh, 1st year graduate student in the Anatomy Program We sometimes hear people talk about “donating their bodies to science.” But what happens to these bodies, and why would anyone choose to give their body away? This past year, as a first-year graduate student, I had the opportunity to find the answers to these … Continue reading Donate Your Body, Donate Knowledge
DNA and Epigenetics: Understanding the Blueprint of Life (Part 2)
By: Patrick Brown, 2nd year PhD candidate in the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program In Part I of my discussion of DNA and epigenetics, I described how DNA is first converted into mRNA via transcription, then mRNA is translated into protein. Once proteins are made from this genetic code, they can begin doing work in cells. I ended … Continue reading DNA and Epigenetics: Understanding the Blueprint of Life (Part 2)
Shedding Light on Vision
By: Andrew Huhn, 2nd year PhD candidate in the Neuroscience Graduate Program Have you ever had an overly philosophical conversation with a friend where you ask, “Do you think the color blue I see is the same color blue that you see?” There is no right way to answer this—because who knows, right? It’s interesting to think … Continue reading Shedding Light on Vision
Lions Talk Science 