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
Why Do People Sleep? Surprisingly, Nobody Knows
By: Jordan Gaines, 2nd year PhD candidate in the Neuroscience Graduate Program Why do people eat? The answer is obvious: to convert food into energy for us to do work. We wouldn't be able to move or think otherwise, and lack of food would eventually starve us to death. Now consider: why do people sleep? According to … Continue reading Why Do People Sleep? Surprisingly, Nobody Knows
DNA and Epigenetics: Understanding the Blueprint of Life
By: Patrick Brown, 2nd year PhD candidate in the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program Due to hit shows like CSI and The Big Bang Theory as well as an increase in news reporting, there is a growing interest in the various fields of biological science. As a scientist, I encourage everyone to learn more about the processes … Continue reading DNA and Epigenetics: Understanding the Blueprint of Life
Getting a Sleep Study: What’s All That Stuff They Put on Me?!
By: Jordan Gaines, 2nd year PhD candidate in the Neuroscience Graduate Program Have you ever had a sleep study done? Perhaps you or a loved one has been referred to a sleep clinic for insomnia, apnea, narcolepsy, or restless legs syndrome. Maybe you’ve participated in a sleep research study—and if you’re in central Pennsylvania, you may even … Continue reading Getting a Sleep Study: What’s All That Stuff They Put on Me?!
Welcome to “Lions Talk Science”!
Welcome, readers! "Lions Talk Science" is a blog written by the graduate students of Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The purpose of this blog is fourfold: To increase public understanding of biomedical research going on at Penn State College of Medicine; To give a glimpse into the day in the life of … Continue reading Welcome to “Lions Talk Science”!
Lions Talk Science 