We’ve all heard the phrase “sleep is important,” but many of us still don’t get our recommended 7 to 9 hours per night — whether…
The prefrontal cortex: The late bloomer of the brain
The prefrontal cortex, responsible for planning, impulse control, and social behavior, is famously the last part of the brain to fully mature. According to research…
Fun Fact of the Week: The power of stem cell transplants to benefit panda health
Aaliyah Brown | February 12th, 2025 Giant pandas, a symbol of wildlife conservation, encounter various health challenges both in the wild and in captivity. One…
Vanderbilt alumnus John Jumper wins the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for AlphaFold
Tara Chalasani | January 11th, 2025 As artificial intelligence becomes more ingrained in our everyday lives, it is no surprise that it has led to…
Stem Cell Series, Part 3: Therapeutic cloning as an option to save lives
Paige Roberson | December 26th, 2024 Scientists have discovered a way to ethically and consistently clone stem cells, a unique type of cell capable of…
Stem Cell Series, Part 2: Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s role in advancing stem cell transplants
Innovations in stem cell treatments for various diseases have made Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center a leader in the field.
Donut-shaped mitochondria: A sweet sign of trouble for the cell
Patients’ mitochondrial shapes have proven to be an indicator of specific diseases.
Fun Fact of the Week: Optogenetics allows scientists to manipulate specific brain regions
An emerging field called optogenetics holds a promising future for neuroscience.
The birds and the body: Emergence and the gut-brain axis
Jaya Khullar | November 8th, 2024 Imagine an autumn evening in Italy — dusk blends together orange-pink hues from the setting sun which brightens the…
Unearthing our past: The crucial role of genetic anthropology in rewriting history’s narrative
Nancy Deng | October 2nd, 2024 As commercial ancestry tests such as 23andMe gain popularity, there is a growing curiosity about our genes and what…