Biomed News

Memory gets jolt in brain research

Katherine A. Duggan — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:25:09 +0000

An electrical brain-stimulation technique used to treat Parkinson’s disease and chronic pain appears to enhance human memory as well. Professor of Neurology Dr. Stephen Salloway, who was not invovled in the study, told the Wall Street Journal that the findings “open new doors to exploratory treatments for Alzheimer’s.”

‘Explorers’ use uncertainty and specific area of brain

Katherine A. Duggan — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:24:14 +0000

As they try to find the best reward among options, some people explore based on how uncertain they are about the outcome of the options. Those who employ that thought process, unlike people who use other strategies, uniquely harness the computational power of the rostrolateral prefrontal cortex, a new study by two professors affiliated with the Brown Institute for Brain Science finds.

Fighting a ‘tired’ appearance

Katherine A. Duggan — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:20:17 +0000

Dr. Pat Sullivan, associate professor of surgery and division chief of Cosmetic Surgery at Rhode Island Hospital, joined The Rhode Show to talk about how he can help people to look their best.

Studying hard to make a difference

Katherine A. Duggan — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:53:43 +0000

Angel Byrd, an MD/PhD student at Alpert Medical School, was featured as a success story of the United Negro College Fund on their annual fundraising telethon. Byrd came to Brown through the Brown University – Tougaloo College Partnership in 2004 and has been here studying ever since, with the ultimate goal of becoming a pediatric endocrinologist.

For immigrants, holding onto language is important

Katherine A. Duggan — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:53:17 +0000

In the 1990s, programs began to develop to aid immigrant children in not just the learning of English, but also addressing some of the social and cultural adjustments that these children face. Dr. Cynthia Garcia Coll, professor of pediatrics, discusses how maintaining the first language while learning English is equally important to child development.

New test can ID pregnancy defects

Katherine A. Duggan — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:45:57 +0000

A new DNA prenatal blood test can now identify if a pregnancy has any of three chromosome abnormalities, including Down syndrome, according to a study lead by Dr. Jacob Canick, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, and Dr. Glenn Palomaki, associate professor of pathology.

Asbestos study flawed

Katherine A. Duggan — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:45:33 +0000

A major 40-year study on asbestos safety completed by a group of scientists at McGill University is flawed, lacks transparency and contains manipulated data says Dr. David Egilman, clinical associate professor of family medicine.

Former congressman co-teaches public health seminar

Katherine A. Duggan — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:18:50 +0000

Former R.I. congressman Patrick Kennedy will be co-teaching a class this semester entitled PHP1680J: “The Race To Inner Space: Conflating Science, Politics and Economics To Promote Brain Health.” Dr. Judy Bentkover, adjunct professor of health services, policy and practice, and Dr. Robert John Davenport, associate director of the Brown Institute for Brain Science, will also teach parts of the section, contributing their expertise from different fields.

When patients waver on meds

Katherine A. Duggan — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:18:44 +0000

According to a new analysis of hundreds of recorded office visits lead by Assistant Professor of Health Services Policy and Practice Dr. M. Barton Laws, doctors and nurse practitioners typically issued orders and asked closed or leading questions when talking to their HIV-positive patients about adherence to antiretroviral therapy. Attempts at problem-solving with patients who had lapsed occurred in less than a quarter of visits.

Measuring mammalian growth

Katherine A. Duggan — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:36:09 +0000

In an article on the website of the journal Nature, Dr. Christine Janis, professor of biology, says that while size increases require the accumulation of skeletal traits to support a massive frame, shrinking mammals bypassed these evolutionary obstacles because the body plan of a large mammal still functions at smaller sizes.