Physiology

Around the House: In praise of more human-friendly lighting – Ottawa Citizen

Each Shaws sink bears the name of the artisan who poured, shaped, and glazed it. Supplied

If you were to shrink human evolution into 24 hours, artificial light would have existed for a mere seven seconds. Having been around for such a relatively short time, its had an out-sized effect on the way people work, play, and sleep.

British neuroscientist Dr. Karen Dawe concedes that while there have been enormous benefits from artificial light, it can be hard on humans, whose behavior has been directed for millennia by the rising and setting of the sun.

Daylight changes in colour and intensity throughout the day, says Dawe, who after 17 years as a neuroscientist at Bristol University joined the lighting team at technology juggernaut Dyson in 2017. With most domestic lighting you flick a switch and it comes on at its brightness and colour temperature and it stays like that until you switch it off. Thats completely at odds with what our visual system has adapted to.

Parabola faucets in matte black make a boldly minimalist statement.Supplied

The Dyson gig, which combines research with home product development, is a good fit for Dawe, who has long been fascinated by how lifestyle and the environment affect physiology.Her brief now includes developing lighting that improves quality of life.

It starts with an understanding of the crucial role light plays in human experience, says Dawe. We care now about our air quality, where our water comes from and whats in it. But as primarily visual creatures, we consume light massively. To date, we have not really paid attention to the quality of light and what its doing to us. But the Circadian rhythms you see in everything algae, bacteria, funguses are fundamental drivers of our existence

The material Victoria + Albert freestanding tubs are made with has high insulation properties, so water stays warmer longer.Supplied

Dawes contribution to more human-friendly light came as part of a team that created Dysons Lightcycle Morph, the second iteration of a light fixture that tracks natural daylight, intelligently transforms it for the users task, age, mood, and local daylight, and continually adjusts colour temperature and brightness.

How does it do that? The short answer is that by using data from over a million atmospheric measurements of light conditions in the earths atmosphere at different times of day, a 32-bit microcontroller continually interprets and communicates data to a very sensitive optical driver.

There are pre-set study, relax, precision, boost, wake-up, and sleep modes, and users can assign up to 20 custom settings. Recognizing, for example, that a 65-year-old needs up to four times more light than a 20-year-old, the light also corrects brightness based on the age entered into the app. Its also designed to reduce the flicker that can cause eye strain and fatigue. Dimming and colour temp can be controlled manually, and the unit has a USB-C charger for phones and tablets.

The fixture uses three warm and three cool LEDs. To solve the overheating often associated with them, a heat-pipe technology that draws heat away from LEDs using a bead of water was devised. According to Dyson, that means light quality will last unchanged last 60 years.

Theres space in the Canadian market for a strong luxury brand, says Sarah Nyugen.Supplied

The optical head rotates 360 degrees, so light can be bounced off walls, floors and ceilings, or above a favourite piece of art.

A colour-warming orange filter can reduce colour temperature low enough to simulate the glow of candlelight. Thats exactly what is most sympathetic to your body clock at night a warmer, dimmer light, says Dawe.

The Lightcycle Morph is available at Dyson Demo stores in Toronto and Vancouver and on DysonCanada.ca. Desk lights start at $850. Black/Black and White/Silver finish combinations are available.

Dawe believes thoughtfully-designed lighting can not only improve visual health, but enhance physical and mental well-being. When I was studying biology, you learned about each system separately, she says. More recently, people realize that the human body doesnt actually respect those divisions that these systems all interact, all the time.

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Around the House: In praise of more human-friendly lighting - Ottawa Citizen

Physiology

Keep the immune system strong and healthy – Royal Gazette

Published Mar 18, 2020 at 8:24 am(Updated Mar 18, 2020 at 8:27 am)

Keep your immune system strong: a Us Transportation Security Administration agent hands a passport back to a traveler as she screens travelers, at a checkpoint inside an airline terminal at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York on March 14, 2020. The coronavirus pandemic thats caused many Americans to avoid airports has others booking spur-of-the moment trips at dirt-cheap ticket prices (Photograph by Kathy Willens/AP)

Dear Sir,

It is certain that the potential killer strain of the coronavirus is global, which means that our island should take this threat seriously.

While emphasis has been placed on practising good hygiene principles, keeping the immune system strong and healthy is equally important.

What is the immune system? According to the anatomy and physiology for health professionals, the immune system is a series of cells, chemicals and barriers that protect the body from invasion by pathogens such as bacteria and viruses.

How can we keep the immune system strong and healthy? Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and whole grains.

Exercise regularly, get enough sleep, practise good hygiene, take vitamins, especially Vitamin C and, of course, drink an adequate amount of water daily.

What groups are most susceptible to the coronavirus? Persons with respiratory disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis, asthma, persons with sickle-cell anaemia and other blood disorders.

Also included, persons with diabetes, liver or kidney disorders or patients on dialysis and cancer patients.

People whose immune systems are already compromised by illness are at a higher risk. So, while practising good hygiene, let us try and keep the immune system strong.

CYNTHIA DeSILVA

Pembroke

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Keep the immune system strong and healthy - Royal Gazette

Physiology

Social recession: how isolation can affect physical and mental health – The Guardian

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, millions of people in the US are coming to terms with being increasingly cut off from society.

Beyond the inconvenience of working from home, or not being able to go to bars, restaurants or cinemas, however, experts have found that social isolation can have a profound effect on peoples physical, as well as mental health.

Long-term, isolation even increases the risk of premature death. Its being called a social recession to match any economic downturn also caused by the growing pandemic and it can have profound physical and psychological effects.

People who are more socially connected show less inflammation, conversely people who are more isolated and lonely show increased chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation has been implicated in a variety of chronic diseases, said Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University.

We also have evidence that this is linked to cardiovascular function like blood pressure, heart rate, circulating stress hormones. Its been linked to even cellular ageing.

Bars and restaurants have been ordered closed in at least 11 states, including California, Illinois and New York, while more than 30 states have closed down schools. On Monday people in six counties in northern California were ordered to stay at home, one of the strictest measures yet in the US. France had imposed a lockdown which only allows people to make trips to supermarkets, pharmacies and their workplaces should working from home not be an option, while Germany has closed places of worship, playgrounds and non-essential shops.

As countries across the globe hunker down, Holt-Lunstads research presents a stark look at what social isolation over a period of years can do to the body. She examined data from across the globe to study the effects of people being socially isolated or lonely, or living alone.

Loneliness increases earlier death by 26%, social isolation by 29% and living alone by 32%

Each of these significantly predict risk for premature death, Holt-Lunstad said.

Loneliness increases earlier death by 26%, social isolation by 29% and living alone by 32%.

Holt-Lunstad didnt find that one cause of death was more prevalent than another. The risk of every cause of death including heart disease, cancer, stroke, renal failure increased from isolation.

A period of a few weeks in isolation should not lead to the inflammation and risk of cardiovascular trouble that Holt-Lunstad described. People could still see an impact on their health, however.

We do have evidence that these [periods of shorter isolation] can have immediate and short-term kinds of effects on our physiology. But, for instance, if your blood pressure is elevated acutely, thats going to have a different kind of an effect than if your blood pressures elevated chronically, Holt-Lunstad said.

For those with underlying pre-existing conditions, those acute elevations might precipitate some sort of acute event. But for most of the rest of us, who may not have some kind of underlying condition, we hope that this would just be acute and wouldnt have these long-term effects.

One of the reasons people can suffer in social isolation is because personal relationships can help us cope with stress, Holt-Linstad said.

For instance: the ongoing uncertainty of whats going on right now in the world, your bodys response to that may differ. Depending on the extent to which you feel like you have the resources you need to cope with that. And that in large part may be dependent on whether or not you feel like you have others in your life you can rely on. That youve got someone who has your back or you can count on, or you can get through it together.

Dhruv Khullar, a physician and researcher at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, said short periods of isolation can cause increase anxiety or depression within days.

We have evolved to be social creatures. For all the history of humanity, people have been in family structures, people have been in groups, were evolved to kind of crave and rely on that interaction with other human beings, Khullar said.

So when we dont have that its a huge void in the way that we go about being human. This is something that has been kind of hard-wired into who we are as beings.

Khullar, who stressed the crackdown on social gatherings was necessary, said people do at least have a wealth of options to stay connected. Texting, video calling or even the phone could potentially help avert the sense of isolation or loneliness, Khullar said.

Tech isnt a perfect substitute. Physical contact, being face to face with people, theres all sorts of subtle social cues that we pick up on that we rely on, that are ingrained in us over generations and millennia, he said.

But I do think you can get part of the way there by engaging with others digitally. I think the richer the format, probably the better so a phone call is better than a text, a video conference is probably better than a phone call.

Older people, who are more at risk of Covid-19, may be less technologically savvy, and may have fewer connections to begin with. They might not be able to video conference or even send a text message. Khullar said it was important to reassure them that help is at hand.

Lets look out for the people that are most vulnerable, Khullar said.

Make sure that youre reaching out to them to make sure that theyre doing OK, that they understand that there are people still looking out for them that theyre bonded with, that theyre connected with.

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Social recession: how isolation can affect physical and mental health - The Guardian

Physiology

Enlivex Announces Positive Final Safety and Efficacy Data From Clinical Trial of Off-The-Shelf Allocetra in Patients with Severe Sepsis -…

Final Analysis Comparing 10 AllocetraTM-Treated Patients with 37 Matched Controls Showed Significant Positive Responses in State of Organ Failure, ICU Hospitalization and Mortality in a Highly Fragile and Extremely Difficult to Treat Population with Severe Sepsis

Nes Ziona, Israel, March 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Enlivex Therapeutics Ltd. (Nasdaq: ENLV), a clinical-stage immunotherapy company, today announced positive final safety and efficacy data from the Companys completed Phase Ib clinical trial in patients with severe sepsis. The final analysis compared the clinical data of 10 patients admitted to the intensive care unit with sepsis who were administered off-the-shelf AllocetraTM (Allocetra-OTS) upon their admission, with 37 patients who were matched controls (matched by age, gender, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, and infection source) who received only the standard of care treatment at the same hospital during 2014-2019 but did not receive Allocetra-OTS. The clinical trial was conducted at Hadassah Medical Center, which is one of the largest and most prestigious hospitals in Israel (Haddasah).

The primary aim of the clinical trial was to determine the safety profile and tolerability of . In addition, effects on, mortality, organ dysfunction and number of hospitalization days in general and in the intensive care unit (ICU) were measured.

MortalityThe Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHEII) score of the Allocetra OTS-treated group was 12.3, and the corresponding probability of mortality of at least one patient in that group was predicted at 85% based on the hospitals ICU staffs clinical assessment of each patients overall condition at admission. However, none (0%) of the Allocetra-OTS-treated patients died during the 28-day study period, as compared to 27% 28-day mortality in the matched controls group.

Sepsis & Organ FailureEach of the 10 Allocetra-OTS-treated patients had between 2 to 5 dysfunctional organ systems upon admission to the ICU. All (100%) of the Allocetra-OTS-treated patients had rapid and complete recovery from their septic conditions and of any organ dysfunction that was present upon admission to the ICU. Despite the similarity of organ-failure state (SOFA) at entry between the Allocetra-OTS-treated patients and the matched controls group (average of 3.4 versus 3.47), not a single patient treated with Allocetra-OTS had any increase in organ-failure state post administration of Allocetra-OTS, while the majority of the patients in the matched controls group had an increase in organ-failure state. The average worsening in organ-failure state of patients in the matched controls group was approximately 100% compared with their ICU hospitalization state vs zero (0%) percent worsening in organ-failure state of Allocetra-OTS-treated patients post administration of Allocetra-OTS (p< <0.0001).

Duration of ICU HospitalizationThe ICU length-of-stay for all Allocetra-OTS-treated patients was significantly shorter than those patients who received only the standard of care, with an average of 4 days compared to 11.11 in the matched controls group, a 64% reduction (p<0.0001). The slowest ICU discharge of a patient treated with Allocetra-OTS was after 8 days, while approximately 50% of the matched controls group were still at the ICU after 28 days.

SafetyAllocetra-OTS was shown to be safe and tolerable, with no serious unexpected severe adverse reactions and no serious adverse events.

Prof. Dror Mevorach, Chief Medical Officer of Enlivex, commented, We were excited to observe such deep and durable responses at a well-tolerated dose in this highly fragile and extremely difficult to treat septic population, and obtaining statistically-significant differences from the matched historical controls group. We believe that Allocetra-OTS is positioned as a potentially clinically viable option for treatment of sepsis, which is a clinical condition that has poor clinical outcomes and no currently effective therapy.

Oren Hershkovitz, CEO of Enlivex, stated, Allocetra-OTS is a significant product candidate for Enlivex, and the robust results of this study are highly encouraging. We are compiling patients cytokine storm data in an effort to analyze the potential of Allocetra-OTS in other clinical indications whose pathophysiology is highly correlated with cytokine storms and exaggerated immune responses.

Study designThe aim of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy profile and tolerability of Allocetra-OTS, in subjects admitted to the emergency room with sepsis. Allocetra-OTS (140x106 cells/kg) was administered in either a single dose to 6 patients at day 1 or in two doses to 4 additional patients at days 1 and 3, to patients admitted to the emergency room with sepsis. Patients were followed for 28 days. The study subjects were also compared to historical controls hospitalized in the ICU, matched by age, gender, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, and infection source.

Sepsis is defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated immune response to infection. Sepsis has been identified by the World Health Organization as a global health priority and currently has no FDA-approved pharmacologic treatment. Sepsis is the third leading cause of mortality in the United States after cardiovascular and cancer diseases and affects approximately 1.7 million adults in the United States each year. Various studies have estimated that up to 50% of severe sepsis hospitalizations culminate in death.

AllocetraTMis an experimental therapy being investigated for treatment of patients with organ failure associated with sepsis, a syndrome whose lethal pathophysiology hyper stimulation of the immune response and cytokine storm followed by organ failure that may be similar to that of the coronavirus (COVID-19) associated with the newly recognized virus SARS-CoV-2.

ABOUT ENLIVEXEnlivex is a clinical stage immunotherapy company, developing an allogeneic drug pipeline for immune system rebalancing. Immune system rebalancing is critical for the treatment of life-threatening immune and inflammatory conditions which involve hyper-expression of cytokines (Cytokine Release Syndrome) and for which there are no approved treatments (unmet medical needs), as well as solid tumors immune-checkpoint rebalancing. For more information, visithttp://www.enlivex.com.

Safe Harbor Statement: This press release contains forward-looking statements, which may be identified by words such as expects, plans, projects, will, may, anticipates, believes, should, would, could, intends, estimates, suggests, has the potential to and other words of similar meaning, including statements regarding expected cash balances, market opportunities for the results of current clinical studies and preclinical experiments, the effectiveness of, and market opportunities for, ALLOCETRATMprograms. All such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may affect Enlivexs business and prospects, including the risks that Enlivex may not succeed in generating any revenues or developing any commercial products; that the products in development may fail, may not achieve the expected results or effectiveness and/or may not generate data that would support the approval or marketing of these products for the indications being studied or for other indications; that ongoing studies may not continue to show substantial or any activity; and other risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. The results of clinical trials in humans may produce results that differ significantly from the results of clinical and other trials in animals. The results of early-stage trials may differ significantly from the results of more developed, later-stage trials. The development of any products using the ALLOCETRATMproduct line could also be affected by a number of other factors, including unexpected safety, efficacy or manufacturing issues, additional time requirements for data analyses and decision making, the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation, the impact of competitive products and pricing and the impact of patents and other proprietary rights held by competitors and other third parties. In addition to the risk factors described above, investors should consider the economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors discussed in Enlivexs filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the Companys most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date the statements were made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements, except as required under applicable law.

ENLIVEX CONTACT: Shachar Shlosberger, CFO Enlivex Therapeutics, Ltd. shachar@enlivexpharm.com

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Enlivex Announces Positive Final Safety and Efficacy Data From Clinical Trial of Off-The-Shelf Allocetra in Patients with Severe Sepsis -...

Cell Biology

The American Society for Cell Biology

The 2020 American Society for Cell Biology Regional Meeting, Teaching Tomorrows Scientists, will be held May 30 at Soka University of America in Alisa Viejo, California. This day-long conference for a teaching-intensive audience of life scientists will include plenaries, a poster session, networking lunch, afternoon workshops, and a mixer. Soka, founded in 2001, will use

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The American Society for Cell Biology

Cell Biology

Blocking Sugar Structures on Viruses and Cancer Cells – Technology Networks

During a viral infection, viruses enter the body and multiply in its cells. Viruses often specifically attach themselves to the sugar structures of the host cells, or present characteristic sugar structures on their surface themselves. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a new type of protein reagent for identifying biological sugar structures, which may block the spread of an illness in the body if used for blocking the sugar structures of a cell or a pathogen.

The laboratory directed by Arne Skerra, Professor of Biological Chemistry, has its focus on designing artificial binding proteins for therapeutic applications. The laboratorys current research findings are paving the way for the development of new types of binding proteins for biological sugar structures, which play a significant role in cancer as well as infectious diseases.Recognizing biological sugar structuresThe recognition of specific sugar molecules, or so-called carbohydrates, is of vital importance in many biological processes, Prof. Skerra explains. Most cells carry a marker consisting of sugar chains which are attached to the outside of the cell membrane or to the membrane proteins, thus enabling the body to identify where these cells belong or whether certain cells are alien. Pathogens also have sugar structures of their own, or they can bind to these.

Proteins, which perform a wide range of functions within cells, generally have only low affinity to sugars. Thus, their molecular recognition poses a challenge. The reason: water molecules look similar to the sugar molecules, meaning that they are basically hidden in the aqueous environment of the cells. Prof. Skerras research group therefore set out to design an artificial binding protein with a peculiar chemical composition which makes it easier to bind to biological sugar structures.A boric acid group implemented into a protein as amino acidAmino acids are the building blocks of proteins. As a rule, nature only uses 20 amino acids in all living organisms. Using the possibilities opened up by synthetic biology, we have employed an additional artificial amino acid, reports researcher Carina A. Sommer.

We have succeeded in incorporating a boric acid group, which exerts intrinsic affinity to sugar molecules, into the amino acid chain of a protein. In doing this, we have created an entirely new class of binding protein for sugar molecules, Sommer explains. This artificial sugar-binding function is superior to natural binding proteins (so-called lectins) both in strength and with regard to possible sugar specificities.

The sugar-binding activity of boric acid and its derivatives has been known for nearly a century, says Prof. Skerra. The chemical element boron is common on earth and has low toxicity, but so far has largely remained unexplored by organisms.

By using X-ray crystallography, we have succeeded in unraveling the crystal structure of a model complex of this artificial protein, which allowed us to validate our biomolecular concept, explains scientist Dr. Andreas Eichinger.The next step: towards medical applicationFollowing approximately five years of fundamental scientific research, the findings from Prof. Skerras laboratory can now be applied to practical medical needs. Prof. Skerra points out: Our results should not only be used to support the future development of new carbohydrate ligands in biological chemistry, but should also pave the way for creating high-affinity agents for controlling or blocking medically-relevant sugar structures on cell surfaces.

Such a blocking agent could be used for conditions in which strong cell growth is evident or when pathogens are attaching themselves to cells, for example in oncology and virology. If we are successful in blocking the sugar-binding function and in slowing down the progress of a disease, this would give the patients immune system sufficient time to mobilize the body's natural defense.

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

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Blocking Sugar Structures on Viruses and Cancer Cells - Technology Networks

Cell Biology

Hebrew University to Collaborate with Cytovia Therapeutics – GlobeNewswire

NEW YORK and JERUSALEM, March 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yissum, the technology transfer company of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Cytovia Therapeutics, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of immunotherapies targeting Natural Killer (NK) cells, announced today a strategic collaboration in the development of precision medicines for both blood cancers and solid tumors. Under the collaboration, Cytovia will sponsor a research program for the development of multi-specific antibodies targeting both NK cells and the tumor antigen. The research will be led by Prof. Ofer Mandelboim from the Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research at the Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University.

Most current cancer immunotherapies target T-Cells, an extremely effective but sometimes toxic solution to the patient. Prof. Ofer Mandelboims research focuses on natural killer (NK) cells, an important part of the bodys immuno-surveillance system, with an ability to recognize and kill cancerous cells and viruses. Unlike T-cells, NK treatments offer the potential for an effective yet safer treatment option. Through his research, Prof. Mandelboims team has recently demonstrated that the NK activating receptor, NKp46, influences the FN1 expression by tumors, ultimately affecting its metastatic ability (Glasner et al. Immunity 2018).

Dr. Daniel Teper, Chairman and CEO of Cytovia said, We are delighted to collaborate with Professor Mandelboim, one of the foremost experts on natural killer (NK) cells, a first line of defense against cancer and viral infections. The NKp46 antibodies developed at the Hebrew University will be incorporated in our NK engager platform supporting the development of multiple novel therapeutic candidates for both hematological and solid tumors. This partnership positions Cytovia as an innovation leader in the rapidly growing field of NK engagers. We believe the potential for effective treatment is great.

Prof. Mandelboim commented: NKp46 is a major engager of NK cells including infiltrating cells in solid tumors. Pre-clinical studies have demonstrated that these multifunctional engagers have the potential for better tumor control without hurting the healthy cells. For patients and doctors alike, this precision medicine could become the optimal way to treat cancer.

About CYTOVIACytovia is dedicated to the development of transformational cancer immunotherapies, addressing several of the most challenging unmet medical needs including the prevention of cancer relapse and metastasis. Cytovia focuses on Natural Killer (NK) cell biology and applies precision medicine tools to develop the right therapy for the right patient at the right stage of the disease. Cytovia has secured access to multiple advanced technologies, including allogeneic cell therapy, multispecific antibodies, and cytokines. Cytovia establishes development partnerships to accelerate time-to-market and commercialization alliances in order to optimize rapid adoption of its novel immunotherapies. Learn more at http://www.cytoviatx.com

About Yissum Yissum is the technology transfer company of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Founded in 1964, it serves as a bridge between cutting-edge academic research and a global community of entrepreneurs, investors, and industry. Yissums mission is to benefit society by converting extraordinary innovations and transformational technologies into commercial solutions that address our most urgent global challenges. Yissum has registered over 10,750+ patents globally; licensed over 1050+ technologies and has spun out more than 170 companies. Yissums business partners span the globe and include companies such as Boston Scientific, Google, ICL, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Microsoft, Novartis and many more. For further information please visit http://www.yissum.co.il

Media Contact: Estee Yaari, Media Relations, Yissum, Email: estee@yissum.co.il, Phone: +972 50 2007072

Contact information: CYTOVIA Therapeutics: Anna Baran-Djokovic VP, Corporate Affairs anna@cytoviatx.com Phone: +44 (0)7521083006 http://www.cytoviatx.com

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Hebrew University to Collaborate with Cytovia Therapeutics - GlobeNewswire

Anatomy

Anatomy Trains – Dynamic Education for Body-Minded …

Anatomy Trains E-Magazine: Issue 9 How We Move

February 12, 2020 by Anatomy Trains

Were so excited to share Issue 9 of the Anatomy Trains e-magazine, put together by the brilliant Julie Hammond, director of Anatomy Trains Australia & New Zealand, and her fabulous team! This ninth edition, How We Move, is all about human movement. The issue includes: An article by Tom Myers, Toward a Unified Theory of Read more

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Anatomy Trains - Dynamic Education for Body-Minded ...

Neuroscience

Dr. Lisbeth Nielsen to lead NIA’s Division of Behavioral and Social Research – National Institute on Aging

On March 1, 2020, NIA appointed Lisbeth Nielsen, Ph.D., as its new Division of Behavioral and Social Research (BSR) director. Nielsen has a long history of leadership in the behavioral and social sciences at NIH: She served for 15 years as a program director and branch chief of the NIA BSR Individual Behavioral Processes Branch. She also held leadership roles in the NIH Science of Behavior Change Common Fund program and the trans-NIH Basic Behavioral and Social Sciences Opportunity Network. Prior to joining NIH, Nielsen conducted research in the affective and decision science of aging at Stanford University.

Throughout her research career, Nielsen has built bridges linking psychological and behavioral science to economics, genetics, neuroscience, biology, epidemiology, social science, and biomedicine, at all levels from basic to translational research. She was instrumental in launching new areas of research in subjective well-being and the social, affective, and economic neurosciences of aging.

Nielsen helped initiate several innovative research networks linking behavioral and population scientists to tackle questions related to the influences of stress on physical health and on the potential for midlife reversibility of health risks associated with early life adversity. She is an advocate for the study of aging processes across the full life course, including research on early life influences on later life outcomes and on processes in midlife that play a causal role in shaping trajectories of aging.

Dr. Nielsens efforts have enhanced the impact of aging-related research and created meaningful opportunities for behavioral and social scientists to participate in high-level and significant NIH scientific initiatives, said NIA Director Richard J. Hodes, M.D. Her impressive and accomplished background and experiences make her exceptionally qualified to lead this important division at a time of great scientific opportunity.

NIAs Division of Behavioral and Social Research is among the most influential and exciting behavioral and social science funding organizations in the U.S., and I look forward to leading our talented and creative staff, Nielsen said. Our work will continue to evolve to encompass a wide range of behavioral and social science approaches to understanding Alzheimers disease and related dementias, embracing life course research on the developmental origins of aging processes, extending our focus on midlife prevention of the chronic diseases of aging, and promoting a range of rigorous mechanistic approaches to understanding and advancing behavior change at the individual and organizational levels.

Nielsen also highlighted the divisions role in integrating life-span developmental and social science approaches into the broader geroscience agenda, to understand how behavior and the social environment impact the life span, health span, and the development of age-related diseases, including Alzheimers disease.

Multiple approaches from molecular to social are needed to understand individual and group differences in the pace of aging, and to tackle the growing and disturbingly large health disparities in the United States, a topic that has always been at the forefront of BSR efforts, said Nielsen.

Nielsen earned her Ph.D. in cognitive psychology and cognitive science from the University of Arizona, a masters degree in psychology from Copenhagen University, and a B.A. in philosophy from Rhodes College. She is a fellow of the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research, the Association for Psychological Science, and the Mind and Life Institute.

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Dr. Lisbeth Nielsen to lead NIA's Division of Behavioral and Social Research - National Institute on Aging

Neuroscience

Cross (the) country: Sophomore will go the distance for cancer patients – Binghamton University

By Jennifer Micale

March 17, 2020

You cant outrun cancer, as Annalise Jarski well knows.

She never met her grandfather, who died of lung cancer shortly after her birth. Still, he remained a presence, the center of a yearly family ceremony at the beachside rock where his ashes were strewn.

Through the years, the disease touched the sophomore integrative neuroscience major in other ways. Her family adopted a neighbors cat, after the woman succumbed to the illness. A family friend and an aunt passed away, and her grandmother also faced a diagnosis.

Thats why Jarski is lacing up her sneakers this summer and running across North America as part of 4K for Cancer.

A lot of people I know have been diagnosed with cancer, so its good to be doing something that has a larger impact, she said.

A program of the Ulman Foundation, which benefits young people with the disease, the run is far longer than the 5K races that Jarski competed in as part of her high school cross-country team in Westwood, N.J. The 2,800-mile trek is completed relay-style by three teams of 18- to 25-year-olds; two other teams bike the route. Each participant has to raise $4,500 to participate or $1 per kilometer, Jarski explained.

The run lasts from June 21 through August 8, and spans the distance between Baltimore and San Francisco. Participants go from town to town, with each runner completing anywhere from 6 to 16 miles a day and resting in the accompanying van in between.

Jarski is also a leg leader, responsible for arranging accommodations at host sites such as churches or community centers. There are other stops, too, including hospitals to award scholarships to cancer patients.

While she will share the burden with fellow runners, she acknowledges the journey will be a hard slog at times.

I know there will be days when Im going to want to stop. So Im going to think about the people who cant do what Im doing right now.

Binghamton University sophomore Annalise Jarski stands on the campus track. Image Credit: Jonathan Cohen.

Campus connections

A member of both the running and triathlon clubs on campus, Annalise discovered 4K for Cancer while researching trail runs near home. At first, the distance seemed insurmountable, but she was lured by the challenge.

They gave me a training plan and Im following it loosely. Im also doing cross-training to get stronger and prevent injuries, she said. Ive been trying to step up my mileage. I signed up for a half-marathon in April at home; Im trying to do something every day.

She contacted friends and family for her fundraising efforts, and also held a sneaker drive in her hometown. Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger also donated to the cause. Community members who would like to contribute can visit her online fundraising site.

I think its going to be one of those things you only do once, she said of her epic run. Everyone has been so supportive.

When it came time to choose a college path, she initially thought small-scale, drawing on her experiences at a small high school. A cousin who attends Binghamton University recommended its top-notch science programs, and Jarski found a larger university to be the right choice, both academically and personally.

I really love the outdoors and the Nature Preserve was a selling point, she said. I looked at smaller schools, but this seemed large and homey. I know I could have a lot of experiences I could partake in.

So far on her educational journey, she has found inspiration in David Werners drugs and behavior class, which led to her current major, and environmental studies adjunct faculty member and advisor Susan Ryan, who helped cultivate her interest in that field.

Jarskis interests span both neuroscience and environmental science, and shes currently considering a double-major. At Binghamton, she has enjoyed classes in both subjects, and is weighing potential career paths as a physicians assistant, perhaps, or as an environmental epidemiologist.

Environmental preservation and the conservation of resources are really important to me. Im looking for a way to combine the two, she explained. Im looking into the healthcare field and seeing how it relates to the environment.

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Cross (the) country: Sophomore will go the distance for cancer patients - Binghamton University