Category Archives: Neuroscience

Neuroscience

A Social Affective Neuroscience Model of Risk and Resilience in Adolescent Depression: Preliminary Evidence and Application to Sexual and Gender…

This article was originally published here

Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging. 2020 Aug 8:S2451-9022(20)30211-1. doi: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.07.020. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Depression is a disorder of dysregulated affective and social functioning, with attenuated response to reward, heightened response to threat (perhaps especially social threat), excessive focus on negative aspects of the self, ineffective engagement with other people, and difficulty modulating all of these responses. Known risk factors provide a starting point for a model of developmental pathways to resilience, and we propose that the interplay of social threat experiences and neural social-affective systems is critical to those pathways. We describe a model of risk and resilience, review supporting evidence, and apply the model to sexual and gender minority adolescents, a population with high disparities in depression and unique social risk factors. This approach illustrates the fundamental role of a socially and developmentally informed clinical neuroscience model for understanding a population disproportionately affected by risk factors and psychopathology outcomes. We consider it a public health imperative to apply conceptual models to high-need populations to elucidate targets for effective interventions to promote healthy development and enhance resilience.

PMID:33097468 | DOI:10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.07.020

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A Social Affective Neuroscience Model of Risk and Resilience in Adolescent Depression: Preliminary Evidence and Application to Sexual and Gender...

Neuroscience

Rodent fathers suggest dopamine is key to an neuroscience of parenting – Massive Science

Dieting is notoriously difficult. Thanks in part to evolution, we love foods that are high in calories. Not only that, but once we have experienced the kind of high-calorie foods that surround us in the modern world, more nutritionally-balanced foods become much less attractive. But why?

To understand how the brain makes dieting so difficult, and high-calorie foods so tempting, the authors of a recent study turned to mice, where they could record and manipulate the activity of specific neurons involved in energy balance and reward. They asked how exposing mice to high-calorie foods affected their consumption of, and neural responses to, regular foods.

When researchers gave the mice access to both high-fat (HFD) and standard (SD) diets, mice completely stopped eating the SD almost immediately, and preferred the HFD. They then removed the HFD, and saw that mice still ate very little SD, and so lost substantial weight. This devaluation of regular food was so strong that even fasting mice presented with an SD ate very little they would only eat a lot if the HFD was available. Just experiencing the HFD for 24 hours was enough time to make the SD less tasty.

Suzanne Beaky

To see how HFD exposure affects the brains response to food, the scientists recorded the activity of AgRP neurons, a population of neurons that is active during hunger and controls energy balance, and midbrain dopamine neurons, which release dopamine as a signal of reward. Exposure to the HFD greatly reduced the response of both groups of neurons to the SD: afterward, these neurons would only respond strongly to the HFD. Regular food became less rewarding, and less satiating, than high-calorie food.

Under normal conditions, AgRP neurons would only respond to food when a mouse is hungry. But after HFD withdrawal (mimicking dieting), the AgRP neurons became so sensitive to HFD that they would respond even if the mouse was not hungry. This could explain why when we diet, high-calorie foods are so hard to resist these foods become rewarding even when we arent hungry.

This study suggests that exposure to a HFD alters the brains response to food so that only high-calorie foods are rewarding and satiating, while more nutritionally-balanced foods become less valuable. And, abstaining from high-fat foods might just make our brains' hunger centers responsive to these foods even when were not hungry, making it difficult to resist the urge to binge. Research on the circuits that regulate food intake will potentially lead to therapies that allow us to manipulate these biological urges and control the obesity epidemic.

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Rodent fathers suggest dopamine is key to an neuroscience of parenting - Massive Science

Neuroscience

The neuroscience of Navratri – The New Indian Express

When Rishi Markandeya sat up in the valleys of Yamunotri composing the Puranas named after him, little did he realise that his epic representation of Chandi or Ma Durga would thousands of years later become one of the best handbooks for rewiring our brains and boosting positive psychology. You could say he was one of Indias first and greatest neuroscientist-psychologists.

In the Devi Mahatmya or Chandi Path, derived from chapters 81-93 in the Markandeya Purana, the scientist-sage describes an epic battle over nine nights when the supreme mother Adi Shakti or Parvati has to descend to the mortal dimension as Chandi or Durga to vanquish nine Asuric or dark demonic forces that hold humanity back from harmony and dharma.

In each stage of the epic battle, she takes on an aspect of the Universal Mother and becomes Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi, and Maha Saraswati in turn, all to vanquish the Asuras and bring light back to humanity. And finally, after nine nights of intense battle, she returns victorious to the cosmic sea from where she came, waiting for darkness to befall humanity again.

Seen purely as a psychological narrative, the Chandi Path is an inner battle we all face every day in trying to live a spiritual, dharmic, and righteous life where Ma Durga comes once a year to cleanse and liberate us from the nine Asuric aspects of the Maha Maya or great illusion of life and our egos.

If we go deeper and look at the esoteric and neuroscientific significance behind this story, we realise that what he was describing is the difficulty we all face when trying to meditate or pray or live a good life. The state of divine nothingness of Turiya, the fourth state of consciousness, or Samadhi, requires us to be free of our egos and distractions.

This state is called activating the Default Mode Network (DMN) in neuroscience. Recent studies of deep meditators have shown that those who can activate this area, in particular affecting areas of the brain like the Anterior Cingulate and the Caudate Nucleus, the horn-shaped part of the brain that surrounds the pineal gland, and let us go deep into a no-thought, no-mind state that seems to rise above our normal states of consciousness beyond space, time, ego and attachments. In that state we experience divine bliss and harmony with everything.

Now, what gets in the way is a great battle that occurs internally along our spinal cord between the Parasympathetic Nervous System, which controls our feelings and emotions, and the Sympathetic Nervous System or the flight-fight network that harks back to our animal or reptilian origins.

Think Devas and Devis versus Asuras here. If these two can be brought into harmony then something magical happens as the full brain begins to function perfectly well and the DMN is activated and the whole system becomes balanced by the Central Nervous System within the spinal cord.

For those of you in the know, I am describing the Neuroscience of Kundalini Shakti and our Chakra system. We then are balanced again and become light as feathers. No chattering brain, no reptilian cravings, and no ego to hold us back.

In the great battle of Navratri, Maha Maya as Maha Kali first destroys the Asuras Madhu or honey and Kartavya, the housefly that sticks to everything. Both represent our Tamasic nature in the sexual organs, stomach, liver, kidneys, and adrenal glands, all the stuff that controls the 4 F's - Fear, Food, Flight and the unspoken F-Word.

Then Chandi as Maha Lakshmi destroys the shape-shifting Mahishasura who represents the vanity and power of the Rajasic nature in us. We want to control everything and we think we are in charge. Here the heart, stomach, and lungs dominate, and all the glands that release the feel-good hormones - dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin - are released when this comes under our control. Maha Lakshmi brings bliss and harmony.

And then finally Ma Durga destroys the final six Asuras, which represent our over-analytical mind. First, she destroys Chanda and Munda - the chattering neocortex and the aimless organs that feed chemicals and information into it. Then she destroys Raktabija, the endless cycle of addiction and stupidity that keeps us making the same mistakes over and over again.

And then as Maha Saraswati, she destroys Dhumralochana, the Asura of foggy unclear thinking. And then as Ma Durga, she destroys Sumbha and Nisumbha, the final barrier of I and Mine; the last obstacle in your ego attachment - the "Me" and "My" identity, which relates to the prefrontal cortex.

Once all the Asuras are destroyed, we sing Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu! I praise Devi, the destroyer of all my dark egos. Now I am free! And then if we are lucky through deep meditation, singing, chanting, drumming, dancing, selfless giving, sharing, and loving we enter the DMN or the Turiya state, and we find clarity, bliss, harmony, and peace. The great battle is won. The Mother returns to thebase of your spine until she is needed again.

The nine nights of Navratri are the beginning of a great psychological and neuroscientific adventure into healing yourself of the mental blocks that cloak your life as ego attachments in the illusory Maha Maya that brings out Karma or the fruits of ignorant action. It is a wonderful path to becoming Karma-free and to dissolve into the non-dual DMN of the Universes infinite stillness, love, and bliss.

Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu!

(The writer is a globalconsciousness teacher, National Film Award-winning documentary filmmaker, TED speaker, digital media producer)

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The neuroscience of Navratri - The New Indian Express

Neuroscience

COVID-19: BYU professor expresses her big concern of pandemic isolation – Deseret News

PROVO Heres some irony for you: The stress caused by isolating from the coronavirus increases your chances of catching the coronavirus.

Going outside can make you sick, then. But so can not going outside.

The issue behind this paradox is loneliness, a pandemic in its own right that is being more fully exposed and increased by the pandemic.

A number of studies conducted over the past several months suggest that there has been a 20% to 30% rise in loneliness due to COVID-19-mandated social distancing.

Although Julianne Holt-Lunstad would prefer calling it physical distancing instead.

We want to be physically distant but stay socially connected, she says.

Holt-Lunstad is an expert in the field of loneliness. She is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University, where her research over the past decade has, among other things, helped quantify the significant damage loneliness can have on our physical health and, in turn, our lifespan.

The statistics say that a person who is chronically lonely has a 26% greater risk of dying. Thats roughly the same mortality forecast for someone who is clinically obese, drinks alcohol to excess, or smokes 15 cigarettes a day.

And loneliness isnt an isolated problem. Further studies show that an estimated third of U.S. adults age 45 and older report feeling lonely, while the percentage for younger social media-obsessed Americans may be even worse. (In one survey, 70% of young adults reported sometimes or always feeling alone.)

Professor Holt-Lunstad just finished participating in a virtual action forum with her colleagues at the Coalition to End Social Isolation and Loneliness, a national organization whose mission is spelled out in its title. She is the chairwoman of the groups Scientific Advisory Council and moderated a panel discussion at the event.

We talked about what we can do as individuals, as a community, as a larger society, that might have an impact on this critical issue, particularly at this important time, she says.

Its not difficult to make the case that the need to stay connected has never been greater, or more complicated, that it is now that were being told to stay apart.

If youre feeling alone in 2020, youre not alone.

Our bodies and our brain expect the proximity of others, says Holt-Lunstad. When we dont have that proximity, when we feel like we have to face everything on our own, it makes it all so much harder.

The professor cites a really interesting study that had participants rate the steepness of a hill they climbed while wearing a heavy backpack. What the researchers found was that not only did participants rate the hill steeper than it really was when they hiked it alone, but when they were in the presence of others they rated it as less steep.

Neuroscience evidence suggests that loneliness is a biological cue much like hunger and thirst. But in the current atmosphere where its seen as unpleasant to seek social connection, its as if were all incredibly thirsty but were being told the waters not safe to drink.

That dilemma, she says, spells out her biggest concern: How do we stay connected while at a distance?

On one hand, she worries that people will use my research as an excuse to disregard many of the safety precautions that have been recommended.

On the other hand, I worry that we will isolate even more.

The challenge is: how do we not put ourselves in a situation where we are trading one risk for another? How can we meet both goals?

She does see a possible silver lining among all these questions.

My hope is that what we are going through will help people recognize just how important our relationships are, not only for our emotional well-being but for our physical well-being, she says. The pandemic has given everyone a small glimpse into what its like for a small percentage of the population that was already chronically isolated, that was already homebound. Hopefully we can not only gain greater empathy, but recognize the urgency for solutions.

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COVID-19: BYU professor expresses her big concern of pandemic isolation - Deseret News

Neuroscience

How to stay socially connected as lockdown returns – according to science – The Conversation UK

After a fairly relaxed summer, more and more places are bringing back tighter restrictions in response to rising COVID-19 cases, with some even returning to full or near-full lockdowns.

We all know that social distancing makes sense: the fewer people we meet (and the further away from them we stay), the less likely we are to get ill or to spread the virus. But sticking to social distancing is hard. And the longer we do it, the harder it seems to get.

Recent findings from social neuroscience may offer some insights on how we can nonetheless stay socially connected. Hopefully, this will help us cope better if only just a little.

Being socially connected to others makes us feel safe and cared for, and this feeling affects our body and brain. We worry less about potential dangers and feel less stressed, sleep better, have lower heart rate and blood pressure, our baseline energy requirement is lower, and our immune system works more efficiently. We are also less prone to depression.

This is because when calculating the available cognitive and bodily resources, our brain naturally takes our nearest social surroundings the people we interact with into account. It treats social and metabolic resources almost interchangeably. If we can count on other people to support us in times of need, our own resources can either be preserved or dedicated to other issues, as if they were literally increased.

Recent social neuroscience findings suggest that these beneficial effects have a lot to do with becoming synchronised with others, by paying attention to or thinking about the same thing at the same time and to have the ability to react to one another instantly.

We usually do this through physical touch, eye contact, talking to each other, sharing our emotions, and following each others behaviour such as bodily gestures. We call this bio-behavioural synchrony.

There is growing evidence that being in synchrony with others increases cooperation, social connection and positive thoughts about others, and also lifts our spirits. It can also ease our pain, reduce stress and boost our resilience our ability to stay positive and healthy despite facing adversity.

This means we should embrace virtual interaction for our work meetings, quick chats and socially distanced workouts, quizzes or movie nights. It wont be the same as before, but we can still get some of this feeling of synchrony with others that is so important for us.

Whats more, recent insights reveal that virtual interactions can stimulate comparable bodily and brain responses to those from real-world interactions. For example, making eye contact with someone over a video call has similar effects, physiologically and psychologically, as a real interaction involving eye contact.

There is also evidence that brain areas related to social reward and mind-reading show stronger activation during a live online social interaction than when watching the same interaction content as a recorded video. Hearing a loved ones voice may even be enough to decrease the stress hormone cortisol and increase the social bonding hormone oxytocin - but you dont get this reaction from just reading a text from the same person.

Other research even shows that imagining a loved ones presence (with the help of a photo) when anticipating or feeling pain significantly decreases brain activity related to pain, as well as your subjective experience of it very much as if the loved one was with you holding your hand.

Social connection is a strongly subjective, inner experience. We can have a thousand friends but still feel lonely. It is not physical, objective social isolation that makes our body and mind ill, but our perceived social isolation or loneliness.

One way to maintain or even create a stronger sense of social connection from within is to be kind and compassionate towards and help others. There is ample evidence that by acting prosocially in this way, we become happier and healthier by ourselves.

This is because generating a compassionate attitude from within is associated with activation of positive emotion- and reward-related brain regions and hormonal pathways. We can even put ourselves in this state by being on our own and simply wishing others well and good health through meditation. In this sense, we can literally help ourselves by helping others.

We also shouldnt be afraid of reaching out to others, to follow our natural tendency to let others know that we are not fine and need support. Almost always, somebody will respond, because we are not only made to shout out if we need help (using our innate attachment system), but we are also made for helping others if they need it (using our innate caregiving system.

Although the virtual space can be hostile sometimes, it has recently shown to also be full of compassion and social warmth. And the same appears to hold true when reaching out in a more old-fashioned, analogue way.

The field of positive psychology says that we have a unique ability to learn optimism in the face of adversity, and that we should build upon our propensity for getting through periods of trauma with a developed sense of personal growth and an increased inner-strength. Social neuroscience has shown us that we can do it best if we do it together.

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How to stay socially connected as lockdown returns - according to science - The Conversation UK

Neuroscience

A Virtual Twist on Tradition: Founders Day Will Feature Visual Contests, Messages – University of Texas at Dallas

From left: Cecil Green, Erik Jonsson and Eugene McDermott displayed the dedication plaque for the Founders Building. On Oct. 29, 1964, the Founders Building, the first permanent structure at The University of Texas at Dallas, was dedicated.

UT Dallas campuswide celebration of Founders Day will look a little different this year. The day that honors the Universitys three founders will be delivered in a virtual format and will include online contests and giveaways.

The University community is invited to participate in a photo mosaic in place of the traditional group photo. The first 600 people who send photo submissions will receive this years commemorative Founders Day T-shirt. All photo submissions will be entered into a drawing for a limited edition Temoc statue as well. Celebrations this year will also include an Instagram Reels challenge.

Capture your best Whoosh video on Instagram Reels for a chance to win a UT Dallas swag bag.

Thursday, Oct. 29, marks the 56th anniversary of the date the Founders Building was dedicated in 1964. It is also the day the University celebrates the vision and legacy of its founders: Eugene McDermott, Erik Jonsson and Cecil Green. The area where UT Dallas first building stands was originally surrounded by acres of cotton fields and undeveloped land, and it served as the central facility of the Graduate Research Center of the Southwest, a private research institution that in 1969 became UT Dallas.

Founders McDermott, Jonsson and Green established the center because they wanted to retain and cultivate the engineering talent at their firm, Texas Instruments Inc. They had witnessed bright young people moving out of the region to pursue advanced education elsewhere and aimed to create an institution that would foster learning, further research and attract the most influential minds of the day.

Founders Day virtual events also will include the story of the founders as told by three students: Yushra Rashid, a neuroscience senior, Green Fellow and student ambassador; Ayala Ben David, a chemistry senior and Green Fellow; and Patrick Nnoromele, neuroscience senior, Eugene McDermott Scholar and student ambassador.

There also will be a message called You Are the Founders Vision from UT Dallas President Richard C. Bensonand University vice presidents and deans. Both videos will be available on the Founders Day website.

We are pleased to present Founders Day as a virtual event this year and again celebrate this important tradition, said Kyle Edgington PhD13, vice president for development and alumni relations. We are excited to honor these founders, who laid the groundwork to create educational opportunities and train more scientists and researchers to serve not only the state, but the country and the world.

The first 600 people who submit photos will be emailed directly about where they can select their shirt size and schedule a pickup time.

The winner of the Instagram Reels challenge will be announced via social media the afternoon of Founders Day and contacted with instructions on collecting the prize. The contests are open to faculty, staff, students and alumni.

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A Virtual Twist on Tradition: Founders Day Will Feature Visual Contests, Messages - University of Texas at Dallas

Neuroscience

Marcus Neuroscience Institute – The Boca Raton Observer

Bringing Innovation And Excellence To The Community

More intricate than the most complex computer, the human brain and nervous system are endless sources of wonder. Every day brings new scientific discoveries, deepening our understanding of how they work and what doctors can do when they dont.

At the forefront of this medical frontier are neurologists Svetlana Faktorovich, M.D.; Sameea Husain Wilson, D.O.; and Pooja S. Patel, M.D. Passionate and dedicated, they are key members of the team at Marcus Neuroscience Institute, which provides comprehensive treatment for conditions affecting the brain, spine and peripheral nervous system.

Whats great is that we all have different subspecialties and we work very closely together, says Dr. Faktorovich, who specializes in neurophysiology. Were constantly consulting with each other on complex cases, which benefits the patients.

Established in 2015, Marcus Neuroscience Institute is an innovative nexus for neurologic and neurosurgical care at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, part of Baptist Health South Florida. Here, experts address conditions from brain tumors to back pain and everything in between. That includes movement disorders, seizures, life-threatening strokes and aneurysms, memory disorders, migraines, spine conditions and diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimers, to name a few.

Dr. Husain Wilson, the Institutes director of movement disorder neurology, has been gratified to see the Institute expand, propelled by community support.

Im very proud that I was the first woman here and that Marcus Neuroscience Institute has succeeded in attracting two other strong, board-certified women as attending neurologists, she says. Women bring a lot to an organization. We can offer a different perspective.

Diversity among doctors is valuable, agrees Dr. Patel, who serves as director of the Institutes epilepsy monitoring unit.

Sometimes patients prefer a female doctor, she explains. They might feel more comfortable talking about the details of their neurological condition or problem.

All three neurologists are highly accomplished in their subspecialties, embracing innovation to best serve their patients.

Dr. Patel, for instance, has been involved in multiple epilepsy research projects and clinical trials for anti-seizure medications. Dr. Husain Wilson, an authority on Parkinsons Disease, treats a wide range of movement disorders and collaborates with the Institutes functional neurosurgeons to provide deep brain stimulation as a treatment option. Dr. Faktorovich, who specializes in neuromuscular medicine, is an expert at diagnosing and treating complex disorders affecting the peripheral nervous system. Her expertise includes electromyography/nerve conduction testing, skin biopsy for the diagnosis of small fiber neuropathy and the use of botulinum toxin for the treatment of various neurological ailments.

Research is important to all of us, says Dr. Husain Wilson, who has participated in more than 50 clinical trials.

Even as it embodies a warm, community feel, the Institute maintains the cutting edge of an academic research and training facility, especially since its home to the neurological residency program of Florida Atlantic Universitys Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine.

The residents keep us on our toes, and thats something were grateful for, Dr. Faktorovich says. In order to teach, we have to keep up-to-date on all the latest research and guidelines.

The Institute was established with a lead gift of $25 million from the Marcus Foundation, initiated by Billi and Bernie Marcus, the founder and former CEO of The Home Depot.

The Marcus Foundation has committed an additional $15 million to expand the facility, with the first phase slated for completion in mid-2021.

Beyond a stunning facility and sophisticated technology, the Institute is highly regarded because of its exceptional standard of care.

In addition to this impressive new center, the doctors here are given latitude to address the needs of their patients, Dr. Faktorovich says. Im not rushed to see a certain number of patients each day. I have the time to get to know my patients, both medically and as people.

Dr. Patel is excited about the future of the Institute.

What really attracted me here was the environment the people work very well together. We share ideas, with the common goal of providing patients the best possible care, Dr. Patel says. Our plan is to keep building a wider range of subspecialties so that we can help more people.

Marcus Neuroscience Institute is located at 800Meadows Road, Boca Raton. For more information,call 561-955-4600 or visit brrh.com/mni.

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Marcus Neuroscience Institute - The Boca Raton Observer

Neuroscience

Fondazione Prada Kicks Off Three-Year Project on Neuroscience – WWD

PRADA-BRAINIACS: It eventually happened: As teased by Miuccia Prada ahead of her fall 2020 fashion show in February, Fondazione Prada is mounting a three-year program of exhibitions, conferences, talks and editorial activities dedicated to neuroscience.

Called Human Brains, the multidisciplinary project kicking off next month is centered on the so-called brain studies that are part of neuroscience research.

In the 25 years of activity of Fondazione Prada Ive always wanted to work on matters that are relevant for contemporary culture, said Prada. This project on neuroscience is probably the most important so far. For an institution like Fondazione Prada, which was born out of an interest for the visual arts, tackling science is a challenge, as it will have to give voice and shape to the researchers ideas, she added.

The dialogue shaping up with Human Brains underlines the importance of collaboration in giving value and spreading disciplines and researches that are fundamental for the present times, Prada noted.

Fondazione Prada said throughout history, science and culture have been in a constant dialogue with each other. To this end, the project will explore the human brains structural, functional and biochemical articulations flanked by research on social and human studies. The subject will be analyzed through different lenses including neurobiology, philosophy, psychology, as well as linguistics, robotics and artificial intelligence.

A scientific committee spearheaded by Giancarlo Comi, director of the Experimental Neurology Institute at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, and including researchers, physicians, psychologists, linguists and curators is coordinating the activities. Fondazione Prada described the project as open in that it promotes the dialogue among members of different disciplines.

Marking the debut of the project, which runs through November 2022, a digital conference called Culture and Consciousness will be held virtually Nov. 9 to 13 comprising five daily panel discussions flanked by digital content, including video interviews and podcasts.

In 2021, the Fondazione Prada complex in Milan will host the second chapter of the project, an international conference accompanied by an on-site exhibition that will delve into the research about the regular and pathologic aging of the human brain to highlight the progress made by global studies.

In 2022, to coincide with the Art Biennale in Venice, Italy, the Fondazione Pradas Ca Corner della Regina palazzo will house an exhibit curated by Udo Kittelmann that is meant to translate the findings of the previous two chapters into a IRL showcase.

The most important brainiacs in the world said they will attend, Prada said back in February. To be sure, the list of involved personalities spans across multiple disciplines and includes neuroscientist Mavi Sanchez-Vives; neurobiologist Jean-Pierre Changeux; neurolinguistics expert Andrea Moro, and cognitive psychologist Stanislas Dehaene, among others.

Although the Fondazione Prada is a separate entity from the fashion group, the project sits on the same wavelength of the Prada Groups most recent strengthened commitment to scientific research and its involvement in exploring the role of science in contemporary society.

As reported, last April the company revealed it was financially supporting the Proteggimi [protect me] project of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, which investigates the disparity in the impact of COVID-19 on men and women, researching why it predominantly affects men and the role played by male sex hormones in this imbalance.

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Fondazione Prada Kicks Off Three-Year Project on Neuroscience - WWD

Neuroscience

Virginia Tech doctoral candidate wins NIH award to fuse immunology and neuroscience research – News-Medical.Net

Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc.Oct 22 2020

Gabriela Carrillo didn't always aspire to be a neuroscientist. It wasn't until she was providing in-home behavioral analysis therapy for children with autism that she was drawn to the lab.

"Science gave the families I worked with a lot of hope," said Carrillo, a graduate student in Virginia Tech's translational biology, medicine, and health (TBMH) program. "Parents appreciated the therapy and saw progress, but they were also encouraged by the idea that one day, in our lifetime, a scientific breakthrough in our understanding of autism might help their child."

Now, just six years after her academic switch from studying architecture and psychology to pursuing a career in neuroscience, Carrillo earned a competitive six-year $445,000 National Institutes of Health grant that will fund her remaining doctoral and postdoctoral training.

Gabriela is a talented and passionate scientist whose creativity and tenacity have laid the foundation for her success at achieving this recognition. As a TBMH graduate student, she explored several sub-disciplines of biomedical science and identified the increasingly important nexus of neuroscience, immunology, and infectious disease to develop her dissertation research project. With an increasing appreciation of the susceptibility of the nervous system to infectious agents and organisms, it is imperative that a new generation of neuroscientists are equally facile with understanding the biology of infectious agents and the immune system's response to those infections. Gabby is perfectly positioned to become a leader in this important area."

Michael Friedlander, executive director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and vice president for health sciences and technology at Virginia Tech

Carrillo studies the molecules that brain cells use to shape connections and share chemical signals through synapses and how brain circuits are altered by infection. In particular, she examines how Toxoplasma gondii - a common parasite that is estimated to infect roughly one in eight Americans - changes brain cell behavior, gene expression, and circuit function, which may lead to intense seizure disorders and psychiatric disease for some patients.

Carrillo met her mentor, Michael Fox, six years ago. Fox, a professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, mentored Carrillo when she was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Scieneering Fellow at Virginia Tech and encouraged her to pursue a career in science. After she completed her bachelor's degree in psychology at Virginia Tech, Fox hired Carrillo as a research associate in his lab, where she studied developmental neurobiology for three years before starting graduate school.

"I am incredibly proud of the hard work, commitment, and productivity that have led Gabby to receive this career-defining award," said Fox, who is also director of the School of Neuroscience in Virginia Tech's College of Science. "Gabby has demonstrated over and over that she has the intelligence, drive, and skills to excel in an independent academic career in biomedical science - this award just reinforces this fact and shows I am not the only one who feels this way. It is one of the many reasons that I am fully committed to her scientific development. Moreover, I know whatever effort and time I commit to her, she will commit an equal amount of time to others, who need the same encouragement and mentorship that she received early in her own academic career. It's one of Gabby's greatest character traits."

Carrillo recently first-authored a study published in GLIA that described how the parasite impacts brain cell function. The study, led by Fox, showed that when the parasite invades neurons, a type of immune cell in the brain, called microglia, do something peculiar: they wrap around neurons, impeding their ability to receive inhibitory signals. Building on that discovery, Carrillo is examining the role of immune molecules during infection. The researchers want to know if these molecules play a role in signaling microglia, spurring the immune cells to remove inhibitory synapses or influence synaptic loss.

"Microglia normally help keep the brain tidy - they eat up pathogens, debris, and dying cells. During development they also eat up extra synapses to help refine and appropriately strengthen certain parts of brain circuits. Yet in certain cases of neurodegenerative disease, we see this same process have pathological consequences, where microglia attack otherwise stable and healthy synaptic connections, altering circuits and leading to adverse symptoms," Carrillo said. "In the case of disease caused by infectious agents, such as Toxoplasma gondii, we don't yet know if this action is protective or pathological. Our hope is that studying these neural-immune interactions through the disease progression will reveal these roles and set the groundwork for future therapeutic development."

Carrillo's doctoral research fuses together neurobiology and immunology, but her long-term goal is to study how infections alter brain circuits in babies. Perinatal infections from viruses, bacteria, and parasites, occurring just before or after birth, can hinder a child's development and have long-term neurological and/or neuropsychiatric consequences.

"When I think about the impact that my research could one day have on children and their families - that's what really motivates me," Carrillo said.

This isn't Carrillo's first significant academic achievement. Earlier this year she was selected to join the Society for Neuroscience's competitive Neuroscience Scholars Program. She was also named a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention James A. Ferguson Emerging Infectious Disease RISE Fellow last year, and earned a competitive Howard Hughes Medical Institute Scieneer Research Fellowship while completing her bachelor's degree.

Carrillo is committed to growing the presence of underrepresented minorities in academia and science. She is a graduate student councilor through the regional Society for Neuroscience chapter, volunteers with Skype a Scientist, and also provides mentorship to underrepresented minorities and women through Virginia Western Community College's Women in STEM Program, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Virginia. She serves on the Commission on Graduate and Professional Studies and Policies at Virginia Tech, and also helped establish The Big Event in Roanoke - a day of community-based volunteer service.

"I was raised in a Hispanic community with very little scientific exposure that lacked research dialogue between scientists and the community, and I don't often see people who come from my background working in the professional roles I aspire to hold," Carrillo said. "It's important for me to help trainees from diverse backgrounds achieve their academic goals and pursue research careers so that we can have a wider range of perspectives influencing our research questions to also benefit historically underserved communities."

After completing her doctoral studies - a milestone she anticipates to pass in 2022 - Carrillo aspires to join a world-leading neuroimmunology lab for postdoctoral training, paving the way to one day lead her own research lab focusing on perinatal neuroimmunology.

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Virginia Tech doctoral candidate wins NIH award to fuse immunology and neuroscience research - News-Medical.Net

Neuroscience

Analyzing Impacts Of COVID-19 On Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Market Effects, Aftermath And Forecast To 2026 – PRnews Leader

Overview for Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Market Helps in providing scope and definitions, Key Findings, Growth Drivers, and Various Dynamics.

Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Market Data and Acquisition Research Study with Trends and Opportunities 2019-2024The study of Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents market is a compilation of the market of Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents broken down into its entirety on the basis of types, application, trends and opportunities, mergers and acquisitions, drivers and restraints, and a global outreach. The detailed study also offers a board interpretation of the Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents industry from a variety of data points that are collected through reputable and verified sources. Furthermore, the study sheds a lights on a market interpretations on a global scale which is further distributed through distribution channels, generated incomes sources and a marginalized market space where most trade occurs.

Along with a generalized market study, the report also consists of the risks that are often neglected when it comes to the Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents industry in a comprehensive manner. The study is also divided in an analytical space where the forecast is predicted through a primary and secondary research methodologies along with an in-house model.

Download PDF Sample of Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Market report @ https://hongchunresearch.com/request-a-sample/91582

Key players in the global Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents market covered in Chapter 4:NEOBIOSCIENCEGenscriptThermo Fisher ScientificWuhan Fine Biotech Co., Ltd.

In Chapter 11 and 13.3, on the basis of types, the Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents market from 2015 to 2026 is primarily split into:AntibodyResearch Reagents

In Chapter 12 and 13.4, on the basis of applications, the Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents market from 2015 to 2026 covers:Anti-ParkinsonAlzheimerPsychoticEpilepticOthers

Geographically, the detailed analysis of consumption, revenue, market share and growth rate, historic and forecast (2015-2026) of the following regions are covered in Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13:North America (Covered in Chapter 6 and 13)United StatesCanadaMexicoEurope (Covered in Chapter 7 and 13)GermanyUKFranceItalySpainRussiaOthersAsia-Pacific (Covered in Chapter 8 and 13)ChinaJapanSouth KoreaAustraliaIndiaSoutheast AsiaOthersMiddle East and Africa (Covered in Chapter 9 and 13)Saudi ArabiaUAEEgyptNigeriaSouth AfricaOthersSouth America (Covered in Chapter 10 and 13)BrazilArgentinaColumbiaChileOthers

For a global outreach, the Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents study also classifies the market into a global distribution where key market demographics are established based on the majority of the market share. The following markets that are often considered for establishing a global outreach are North America, Europe, Asia, and the Rest of the World. Depending on the study, the following markets are often interchanged, added, or excluded as certain markets only adhere to certain products and needs.

Here is a short glance at what the study actually encompasses:Study includes strategic developments, latest product launches, regional growth markers and mergers & acquisitionsRevenue, cost price, capacity & utilizations, import/export rates and market shareForecast predictions are generated from analytical data sources and calculated through a series of in-house processes.

However, based on requirements, this report could be customized for specific regions and countries.

Brief about Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Market Report with [emailprotected]https://hongchunresearch.com/report/neuroscience-antibody-or-research-reagents-market-size-2020-91582

Some Point of Table of Content:

Chapter One: Report Overview

Chapter Two: Global Market Growth Trends

Chapter Three: Value Chain of Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Market

Chapter Four: Players Profiles

Chapter Five: Global Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Market Analysis by Regions

Chapter Six: North America Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Market Analysis by Countries

Chapter Seven: Europe Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Market Analysis by Countries

Chapter Eight: Asia-Pacific Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Market Analysis by Countries

Chapter Nine: Middle East and Africa Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Market Analysis by Countries

Chapter Ten: South America Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Market Analysis by Countries

Chapter Eleven: Global Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Market Segment by Types

Chapter Twelve: Global Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Market Segment by Applications12.1 Global Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales, Revenue and Market Share by Applications (2015-2020)12.1.1 Global Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Market Share by Applications (2015-2020)12.1.2 Global Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue and Market Share by Applications (2015-2020)12.2 Anti-Parkinson Sales, Revenue and Growth Rate (2015-2020)12.3 Alzheimer Sales, Revenue and Growth Rate (2015-2020)12.4 Psychotic Sales, Revenue and Growth Rate (2015-2020)12.5 Epileptic Sales, Revenue and Growth Rate (2015-2020)12.6 Others Sales, Revenue and Growth Rate (2015-2020)

Chapter Thirteen: Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Market Forecast by Regions (2020-2026) continued

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List of tablesList of Tables and FiguresTable Global Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Market Size Growth Rate by Type (2020-2026)Figure Global Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Market Share by Type in 2019 & 2026Figure Antibody FeaturesFigure Research Reagents FeaturesTable Global Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Market Size Growth by Application (2020-2026)Figure Global Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Market Share by Application in 2019 & 2026Figure Anti-Parkinson DescriptionFigure Alzheimer DescriptionFigure Psychotic DescriptionFigure Epileptic DescriptionFigure Others DescriptionFigure Global COVID-19 Status OverviewTable Influence of COVID-19 Outbreak on Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Industry DevelopmentTable SWOT AnalysisFigure Porters Five Forces AnalysisFigure Global Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Market Size and Growth Rate 2015-2026Table Industry NewsTable Industry PoliciesFigure Value Chain Status of Neuroscience Antibody or Research ReagentsFigure Production Process of Neuroscience Antibody or Research ReagentsFigure Manufacturing Cost Structure of Neuroscience Antibody or Research ReagentsFigure Major Company Analysis (by Business Distribution Base, by Product Type)Table Downstream Major Customer Analysis (by Region)Table NEOBIOSCIENCE ProfileTable NEOBIOSCIENCE Production, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2015-2020Table Genscript ProfileTable Genscript Production, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2015-2020Table Thermo Fisher Scientific ProfileTable Thermo Fisher Scientific Production, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2015-2020Table Wuhan Fine Biotech Co., Ltd. ProfileTable Wuhan Fine Biotech Co., Ltd. Production, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2015-2020Figure Global Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020)Figure Global Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue ($) and Growth (2015-2020)Table Global Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales by Regions (2015-2020)Table Global Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales Market Share by Regions (2015-2020)Table Global Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue ($) by Regions (2015-2020)Table Global Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue Market Share by Regions (2015-2020)Table Global Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue Market Share by Regions in 2015Table Global Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue Market Share by Regions in 2019Figure North America Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020)Figure Europe Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020)Figure Asia-Pacific Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020)Figure Middle East and Africa Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020)Figure South America Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020)Figure North America Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue ($) and Growth (2015-2020)Table North America Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales by Countries (2015-2020)Table North America Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales Market Share by Countries (2015-2020)Figure North America Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales Market Share by Countries in 2015Figure North America Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales Market Share by Countries in 2019Table North America Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue ($) by Countries (2015-2020)Table North America Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue Market Share by Countries (2015-2020)Figure North America Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue Market Share by Countries in 2015Figure North America Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue Market Share by Countries in 2019Figure United States Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020)Figure Canada Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020)Figure Mexico Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Growth (2015-2020)Figure Europe Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue ($) Growth (2015-2020)Table Europe Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales by Countries (2015-2020)Table Europe Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales Market Share by Countries (2015-2020)Figure Europe Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales Market Share by Countries in 2015Figure Europe Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales Market Share by Countries in 2019Table Europe Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue ($) by Countries (2015-2020)Table Europe Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue Market Share by Countries (2015-2020)Figure Europe Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue Market Share by Countries in 2015Figure Europe Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue Market Share by Countries in 2019Figure Germany Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020)Figure UK Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020)Figure France Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020)Figure Italy Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020)Figure Spain Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020)Figure Russia Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020)Figure Asia-Pacific Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue ($) and Growth (2015-2020)Table Asia-Pacific Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales by Countries (2015-2020)Table Asia-Pacific Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales Market Share by Countries (2015-2020)Figure Asia-Pacific Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales Market Share by Countries in 2015Figure Asia-Pacific Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales Market Share by Countries in 2019Table Asia-Pacific Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue ($) by Countries (2015-2020)Table Asia-Pacific Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue Market Share by Countries (2015-2020)Figure Asia-Pacific Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue Market Share by Countries in 2015Figure Asia-Pacific Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue Market Share by Countries in 2019Figure China Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020)Figure Japan Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020)Figure South Korea Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020)Figure Australia Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020)Figure India Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020)Figure Southeast Asia Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Sales and Growth Rate (2015-2020)Figure Middle East and Africa Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Revenue ($) and Growth (2015-2020) continued

About HongChun Research:HongChun Research main aim is to assist our clients in order to give a detailed perspective on the current market trends and build long-lasting connections with our clientele. Our studies are designed to provide solid quantitative facts combined with strategic industrial insights that are acquired from proprietary sources and an in-house model.

Contact Details:Jennifer GrayManager Global Sales+ 852 8170 0792[emailprotected]

NOTE: Our report does take into account the impact of coronavirus pandemic and dedicates qualitative as well as quantitative sections of information within the report that emphasizes the impact of COVID-19.

As this pandemic is ongoing and leading to dynamic shifts in stocks and businesses worldwide, we take into account the current condition and forecast the market data taking into consideration the micro and macroeconomic factors that will be affected by the pandemic.

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Analyzing Impacts Of COVID-19 On Neuroscience Antibody or Research Reagents Market Effects, Aftermath And Forecast To 2026 - PRnews Leader