By Makenzie Nolt While watching the news or reading about current events, you may have heard of Mad Cow or Chronic Wasting Disease in deer. Although these are two different conditions, they both result from misfolded proteins called prions1. Prion diseases are not exclusive to livestock; humans can also be affected by prion diseases such … Continue reading Misfolded proteins love company: the prion-like nature of neurodegenerative disease
dementia
Using Fruit Flies to Fight Frontal-Temporal Dementia
By Julia Simpson Dr. Daniela Zarnescu, the Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Training here at Penn State College of Medicine, has artistic renderings of fruit flies pinned to a corkboard in her office, and a stuffed neuron – small, fuzzy, and blue – on her desk. Dr. Zarnescu finds herself pulled in a … Continue reading Using Fruit Flies to Fight Frontal-Temporal Dementia
C, D, E, F, G, A, Brain: Music as Therapy
By: Cecilia Bove, 1st year student in the Neuroscience Graduate Program You may recall from my “Meet a Scientist” interview that I grew up in a music-rich home. I like to say that I can fluently speak Italian, English and Music – because it is, in all respects, a language. Music can make us feel without saying … Continue reading C, D, E, F, G, A, Brain: Music as Therapy
From Sacks to Suicidality: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and the NFL
By: Jordan Gaines Lewis, 3rd year PhD candidate in the Neuroscience Graduate Program Ah, football. The great American pastime. The fresh cut grass and crisply-painted yard lines. The sound of helmets clashing in an epic stack of large men vying for a single ball. Stands packed high with thousands upon thousands of crazed, prideful, body-painted … Continue reading From Sacks to Suicidality: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and the NFL
Lions Talk Science 