Neuroscience

PhD Student/Technician, Studying the Role of Neuroimmunity in Traumatic Brain injury job with UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI | 231796 – Times Higher Education…

The Biology of Neuro-Immune interaction, HiLIFE-Neuroscience center at University of Helsinki, has an immediate opening for one PhD student/Technician position studying the role of neuroimmunity in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). This is an Academy of Finland, Research Council for Health, funded project.

We are a young, enthusiastic group (P.I. Francesco No, PhD, Academy of Finland fellow), seeking for excellence in neuroscience research. For group details, please see https://www.helsinki.fi/en/hilife-neuroscience-center/research/research-...

We are seeking an outstanding, highly motivated individual to join our team to conduct research activities in the field of neuroimmunity, using well-established and innovative techniques, such as flow cytometry and scRNAseq.

The successful candidate has previous research experience in flow cytometry and cell sorting, and knowledge of molecular techniques, including cloning, bulk RNA sequencing, and Western Blot. Previous experience in conducting/analyzing scRNAseq experiments will be regarded as a merit. The candidate will be expected to carry out experiments analyzing phenotype and transcriptome of T lymphocytes extracted from mouse tissues. The ideal candidate will also have research experience in confocal microscopy. The candidate is expected to be self-driven, to have strong work-capacity and enthusiasm for science, and to have good communication skills. The successful candidate will be involved in master students supervision, scientific reporting, and in further collaborations (national and international).

To be appointed as an early stage researcher, the candidate should be qualified to pursue postgraduate studies: i.e., s/he is required to have completed a suitable higher university degree or an equivalent education abroad, which would qualify the person for similar academic studies. The position of PhD Student imply that the Candidate successfully enrolls to one of the Doctoral Programmes at University of Helsinki.

The official language of the laboratory is English. A fluent English language proficiency is required.

The position is filled for a fixed term of one year, starting on 1.12.2020/as soon as possible or as agreed. The salary of the position is determined in accordance with the salary system of Finnish universities. Trial period of 6 months will be applied.

For further information on the position, please contact: Academy Fellow Francesco No, francesco.noe@helsinki.fi

Application should contain the following appendices:

The application needs to be submitted no later than 30.11.2020 (by 24.00 hours Finnish time).

Please submit your application via the University of Helsinki Recruitment System by clicking the Apply for the position button below. Internal applicants (i.e. current employees of the University of Helsinki) should submit their applications through the SAP HR portal. If you need support with the recruitment system, please contact recruitment@helsinki.fi.

The University of Helsinki is an equal opportunity employer. International applicants are encouraged.

HiLIFE -Neuroscience Center

The Neuroscience Center is an international research unit within Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE) of the University of Helsinki, a leading Nordic university with a strong commitment to life science research. The research focus of NC is on translational brain plasticity. We carry out research relevant for the human brain both in health and disease, and during development and aging, by applying versatile approaches and modern technology platforms. NC aims at making fundamental discoveries about brain functions and especially translate research findings into improvements in the treatment, prevention and diagnosis of psychiatric and neurological disorders. The research in NC spans across several scales from stem cell research and molecular neuroscience to systems and cognitive neuroscience in both animal and human models. The research groups of NC conduct research in neuroscience at the highest international level and actively apply the results for the benefit of the society. NC collaborates actively with other units of HiLIFE and faculties of the University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Central Hospital, and Neurocenter Finland.

Helsinki Institute of Life Science

Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE) is a new institute established in 2017 that supports high quality life science research across the University campuses and faculties. HiLIFE builds on existing strengths and new recruits and partnerships to create an attractive international environment for researchers to solve grand challenges in health, food, and environment. HiLIFE coordinates research infrastructures in life sciences and provides research-based interdisciplinary training.

University of Helsinki

The University of Helsinki (UH), founded in 1640, is a vibrant scientific community of 40,000 students and researchers. It is one of the leading multidisciplinary research universities and ranks among the top 100 international universities in the world. It is currently investing heavily in life sciences research. UH offers comprehensive services to its employees, including occupational health care and health insurance, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development.

Due date

30.11.2020 23:59 EET

See the rest here:
PhD Student/Technician, Studying the Role of Neuroimmunity in Traumatic Brain injury job with UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI | 231796 - Times Higher Education...

Neuroscience

RNI researchers to study the impact of excessive speeds on the human brain, body – News-Medical.Net

Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc.Oct 30 2020

Before the first Virgin Hyperloop ride takes off, the brains behind pioneering neuroscience research at West Virginia University will help ensure the health and well-being of its passengers and operators.

After all, they'll be traveling in pods through a vacuum tube - at speeds breaking 600 mph.

It sounds like science fiction. But it will be a reality grounded in science, as engineers develop and tweak the mover system that will disrupt modern transportation as we know it.

Tried-and-tested science won't end there. Virgin Hyperloop plans to collaborate with the barrier-breaking Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute at WVU to study how traveling at excessive speeds may impact the brain and body.

The RNI, led by Dr. Ali Rezai, has heralded numerous breakthroughs in recent years, ranging from first-of-its-kind procedures treating Alzheimer's disease patients with focused ultrasound and those recovering from substance abuse through deep brain stimulation to predicting viral infections symptoms such as those associated with COVID-19 three days in advance through the use of wearable technology, a mobile app and artificial intelligence.

RNI researchers have already established the framework and tools that Virgin Hyperloop can apply at its certification center, which will span nearly 800 acres in Tucker and Grant counties.

Construction of the Hyperloop Certification Center will begin in 2021 with a planned Welcome Center, Certification Track and Operations Center, Pod Final Assembly Facility, Production Development Test Center and Operations, Maintenance and Safety Training Center.

That's where the tinkering until perfection takes place - before the system goes prime time. The plan is for Hyperloop to connect cities such as Pittsburgh and Chicago in 41 minutes, or New York City to Washington, D.C. in just 30 minutes.

Imagine zooming along at those 600 mph speeds in a tube with no windows. Or, better yet, operating the system itself.

These are super-high fast trains. Fundamentally, the RNI can collaborate with Virgin Hyperloop with a focus on safety, functionality and performance, for example, the neuroscience of workload, stress, cognitive ability and all other functions that can be quantified and measured, with respect to system users like passengers and operators."

Dr Ali Rezai, Executive Chair, Vice President, Neuroscience and Associate Dean of RNI, West Virginia University

"Human functions may be impacted by high speed and the perception of knowing how fast you are moving. Without windows and a frame of reference, a person's balance, sensor, motor and other nervous systems function may be impacted as well. We'll be looking at all of these factors in an integrated framework that measures physiological function and performance of the team and system operators and the passenger."

When the NBA restarted its 2019-20 season at Walt Disney World Resort over the summer, players had the option to wear a wedding band-like smart ring that could detect early COVID-19 symptoms.

Months earlier, at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the RNI teamed up with the ring maker, Oura Health, to develop a digital health platform to predict viral illness symptoms such as with COVID-19.

More than 600 healthcare professionals and first responders participated in the first phase of the RNI study. The rings worked.

They monitored physiological data including temperature, breathing and heart patterns, and when coupled with the RNI mobile app and its Digital Health platform, effectively predicted viral illness symptoms such as those associated with coronavirus for up to three days before appearing, with over 80 percent accuracy.

The RNI has all kinds of wearable gadgets, from wristwatches to even clothing, that constantly monitor a person's vitals and collect health data.

By applying artificial intelligence and machine-learning to the data collected, the RNI team has predicted health outcomes and behaviors, such as cravings of patients recovering from substance abuse. In fact, before the COVID-19 pandemic, a large chunk of wearable technologies deployed by the RNI were geared toward patients overcoming opioid addiction and chronic pain.

Now the RNI may help to test these smart technologies for the Virgin Hyperloop project.

"We are going to use wearable technologies to quantify the physiology of humans," Rezai said. "From eye trackers to body sensors to electrocardiograms and electroencephalograms, we can measure, quantify and make sense of what's happening to the human body at 600 mph."

"We will apply technologies that we have validated as state-of-the-art to measure physiological, cognitive, social, subjective and performance indicators," said Dr. Scott Galster, director of applied research at RNI.

Galster came to WVU in 2017 to head up human performance research at RNI after an extensive background with the Air Force Research Laboratory and working with NCAA and professional sports teams. He is the mind behind the muscle.

At the RNI, he and his team have continued work with military personnel and athletes, including WVU sports teams, to study fatigue, resilience and recovery.

Similarly, Virgin Hyperloop operators are like athletes and soldiers. They'll have a specific quest and must train to be fit, mentally and physically, to achieve that target.

"We want to optimize operator performance by creating competency-based training systems, applying our knowledge of interactions with complex automated systems examining factors such as decision-making, mental models and trust," Galster said.

RNI will also apply neuroergonomics - the study of the human brain in relation to behavioral performance in natural environments and settings - and cognitive engineering in the design and flow for the control center, Galster continued.

"We have, either internally or through our existing collaborator network, the ability to offer assistance in all aspects of the operational space for this exciting project," he said.

Galster, too, emphasized that Virgin Hyperloop will provide two unique experiences - one for the passenger and one for the operator.

For passengers, the RNI can examine and offer recommendations on the point-to-point experience that Virgin Hyperloop will offer, he said.

Examples include digital infrastructures to help from purchasing to arriving at your destination, environmental factors such as vibration, lighting, ergonomics, motion sickness, and the use of advanced recovery modalities during ride times.

The ultimate goal, Galster said, is to "make the entire system operate safely and securely with maximum efficiency and enjoyment now and in the future."

"The ecosystem we've established at West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute is already impacting individuals across different walks of life in improving not only their health and wellness, but job performance, recovery and readiness," Rezai said.

"At the Hyperloop Certification Center, we will be providing a scientific leadership role and guidance in characterizing and optimizing human safety and function related to this innovative hyperloop technology."

Read more here:
RNI researchers to study the impact of excessive speeds on the human brain, body - News-Medical.Net

Neuroscience

Just too cute, season two – University of California

By J.D. Warren, UC RiversideThursday, October 29, 2020

With the second season of the hit Disney+ program The Mandalorian set to premier on Friday, October 30, the question of why Baby Yoda's fans want to squeeze him to the point of smothering him can be addressed at last.

Katherine Stavropoulos, a UC Riverside professor and expert on cute aggression, is a leader on research behind peoples' response to the Baby Yoda character. Cute aggression is the urge to squeeze, pinch, smother, or bite very cute things, including puppies, human babies, and Baby Yodas. Stavropoulos has used neuroscience to explore how this unique care-taking response is triggered, and how the aggression aspect is mediated by the brain.

Basically, Baby Yoda has all the features that we consider prototypically cute huge eyes, small nose, big head, Stavropoulos said. We are evolutionarily programmed to find things like Baby Yoda cute and to feel strong feelings towards them.

In a 2018 study, Stavropoulos used her backgrounds in neuroscience and clinical psychology to explore the neural component of cute aggression, a phenomenon first identified in a 2015 Yale University study. She found both the brain's reward and emotion systems were engaged by cute babies and animals. She also found that how cute something is and how much aggression one experiences can be tied to how overwhelmed that person is feeling.

For people who tend to experience the feeling of not being able to take how cute something is,cute aggression happens. Our study seems to underscore that cute aggression is the brain's way of bringing us back downby mediating our feelings of being overwhelmed, Stavropoulos said. It's a sort of evolutionary process, designed for example to help a mother stop being overwhelmed by her baby's cuteness so she's not incapacitated, and can take care of the baby.

Here is a link to a story about Stavropoulos' research. To reach Stavropoulos, email her atkatherine.stavropoulos@ucr.edu.

Excerpt from:
Just too cute, season two - University of California

Neuroscience

Neuroscience The frog sees better when fleeing than when mating The animal’s vision depends on what vision is needed at any given time – Pledge Times

The ability of frogs to distinguish colors in the dark clearly surpassed even the fairly good vision of man.

Frog distinguishes colors better when fleeing than when mating, and the mouse perceives dim lights better at night than during the day. Thus, the sensitivity of vision depends on the behavioral task, according to a recent study by the University of Helsinki and Aalto University. dissertation research.

Petri Ala-Laurilan and Kristian Donnerin a research group led by led to find out what things limit the sensitivity of vision in low light and how close to the absolute limits set by physics visual performance can get.

Neuroscientist at the University of Helsinki Sanna Koskela says that vision is limited in low light, especially by two factors.

Light is divided into individual particles, or photons, and the stars in the night sky, for example, become only a few photons for the light-sensing cells of the eye. Light is quantized, that is, sometimes a flash of light becomes three photons and sometimes six. Such random variation sets the first physical limit on vision.

According to Koskela, however, this limit is almost impossible to achieve, as biological noise brings an additional challenge to night vision. It inevitably arises in all mechanisms of the nervous system, as there is some random variation associated with each molecule and biological process.

In studies it turned out that the vision of experimental frogs and mice in the dark reached surprisingly close to the absolute limits set by physics.

For example, the ability of frogs to distinguish colors in the dark clearly exceeded the quite good performance of the human visual sense under the right conditions.

However, performance depends on the context and the behavioral task, ie whether there has been an evolutionary need to push biological performance to the extremes, says Koskela.

The first study tested the color vision of frogs in near pitch black.

The frogs were selected as experimental animals because, unlike other vertebrates, they have two types of rod light sensory cells for night vision. At least two types of photosensitive cells are required for color vision, corresponding to different wavelengths of light, i.e. colors.

Color vision was tested in three different behavioral tasks: predation, pair selection, and escape. In the predation task, the frogs had to choose between two objects of different colors in the dimming lighting, and if chosen correctly, they were rewarded with a worm.

In the escape mission, the frog was enclosed in a light-tight container from which they tried to escape by jumping towards a light source on the roof. In previous experiments, it had been found that frogs prefer to jump towards the blue light because they interpret it as the sky.

The researchers compared the frogs jumps between two different colored light sources and found that in the escape mission, their night vision reached close to the extremes set by physics. This did not happen in other positions.

A frog in the rainforest of Borneo.Picture: SCUBAZOO / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Similar observation was also made in mice. In the experiment, the mouse was swam into a pitch-dark labyrinth with dim light at the labyrinth exit. Mice were taught that light directed out of the maze, and slowly the light was dimmed. The experiment was repeated both night and day.

The researchers found a difference in behavior: mice found light better at night than during the day. The difference between the times of day was as much as tenfold.

To the researchers surprise, the difference was not explained by changes in the photosensitivity of the mices eyes but by the animals behavioral strategy. In nocturnal experiments, mice seek light more efficiently by turning more. The mice also observed the light source for a longer time before deciding where to go swimming in the maze.

When mice that participated in the night experiment did the same experiment during the day, they took advantage of this better strategy and cleared the maze more efficiently than mice that had not performed the experiment at night.

Never before have animal behavioral strategies been analyzed with such precision.

Koskelan according to one of the key challenges in neuroscience is to understand how neural calculations of neural networks determine animal behavior.

It is often almost impossible to study this, as there are billions of neural networks and calculations relevant to each behavioral state. It is therefore difficult to find out which neural networks are active at any given time and are responsible for a particular behavioral task.

For example, the retinal neural network makes an enormous number of calculations of light distribution to provide an idea of colors, shapes, and movements before this information is sent along the optic nerve to the brain.

Twilight vision simplifies these problems, because in pitch black, neural calculations mainly answer the simple question of whether you saw or did not see, says Koskela.

In the future, he would like to find out more about what causes different behavioral strategies in the brain according to task and time of day.

My own hypothesis is that these are areas of the brain that affect alertness and decision-making.

.

Follow this link:
Neuroscience The frog sees better when fleeing than when mating The animal's vision depends on what vision is needed at any given time - Pledge Times

Neuroscience

What The Brain Inherits – Science Friday

Bianca Jones Marlin (left) and one of her research assistants (right) at Columbia University. Credit: Science Friday

This article by Claudia Lpez Lloredawas originally published onMassive Science.The story is a part ofBreakthrough, a short film anthology from Science Friday and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) that follows women working at the forefront of their fields. Learn more and watch the films onBreakthroughFilms.org.

The brain contains hundreds of chemicals that control everything from our mood to how we move. One of these, the love hormone oxytocin, captured Bianca Jones Marlin, a neuroscientist seeking to merge her love for understanding behavior with social justice. Jones Marlin talked to Massive Science about what she loves about oxytocin, the process of opening her lab (coming in 2021 to Columbia University), and why science needs her.

This conversation has been edited for clarity.

Claudia Lpez Lloreda: As a neuroscientist, a lot of times I find myself asking why I decided to study something as complex as the nervous system and the brain. Why didyoudecide to study the brain?

Bianca Jones Marlin: There are always questions that I find myself asking: Why is this behavioral outcome coming from this individual? Why did this person respond way better than I would have responded? When I think about those questions, while sipping coffee and pondering life, they all go back to decision making in the brain. I am just interested in figuring it out. I get to be the first one to know the answer to that, theres something magical about that. I love studying the complexity of the brain because its interesting and its fun. Whether or not I figure out how the brain works, the brain is still going to work. Also, we can apply [the findings] to pathological situations and to individuals who may not have the same access to things that others have that leads to a more traumatizing life or a less equal life. If I can find out mechanisms and apply those to people in life, then Ive found my mission on Earth.

Related VideoBreakthrough: The Trauma Tracer

I follow you on Twitter and your bio says that you have a Ph.D. in bad parenting. Can you tell us what that means and why its important for us to understand?

Yes, I wish Twitter gave me more space to explain that, hopefully they dont just think Im a bad parent. My Ph.D. work looked at maternal behavior. When a mom mouse hears the sound of a baby crying, whether its hers or another baby crying, shell orient towards the sound and shell pick it up. When a virgin mouse, who has never given birth, hears a sound, she usually will ignore it, or shell cannibalize it. The same sound of a baby crying gives two different behavioral responses. How does the brain change to say, I no longer can eat this annoying sound, I need to take care of it?

I found that oxytocin, the love hormone, changes the way the hearing centers of the brain respond to a baby crying once a mother gives birth because once you give birth, theres a lot of oxytocin release. So, we took a virgin mouse and added oxytocin to the brain. We saw changes in the way the neurons responded, they [the neurons] stopped speaking like bad nanny, where they would fire randomly, but instead they changed it to a mothers signature of neural responses. That was really cool, because the nanny stops cannibalizing and ignoring the pup and started taking care of [it]. We made a virgin into a mom without ever experiencing birth just by adding this love hormone oxytocin.

Would you say that oxytocin is your favorite molecule? What do you like about it?

I dont want to say oxytocin is my favorite because I havent dabbled in all of them. I need to check out noradrenaline and cortisol to see whats going on. But oxytocin is amazing. The cool part is oxytocin is released during these social interactions: eye contact, soft touch, orgasms, breastfeeding. One holding a child or being caressed. Theres something beautiful about that. In that manner, I do think its a pretty cool neuromodulator.

It seems like its become a household name now. Do you have any qualms with how nonscientists talk about it?

Its a mixed response. On one hand, Im happy people are using the word oxytocin. Im really excited that people are engaging in the science. The part that scares me and [the part] that Im so happy that my work is able to inform is that you cant buy oxytocin on Amazon and use it as a drink potion on your date. Thats not the way oxytocin works. We need to understand the mechanisms before we use them as treatment. When we know how oxytocin works in the mammalian brain, then we can start talking about how it can work in society. I want to make sure that its informed engagement and people arent spending money to buy it on Amazon.

Its unfortunate that my work is driven by the evils in society, but this is my way of standing against them.

You just got appointed as an assistant professor, congratulations! Can you tell me a little bit about the process of opening your own lab?

Ill be starting my lab at the Zuckerman Institute in Columbia in the department of psychology and neuroscience. Im in the process of reaching out to figure out what I what, my first graduate student, my first postdocs, all the while engaging in social justice. How will I practice what I preach when it comes to the people I invite into my lab? All the other labs Ive been in the culture has [already] been made. I have the chance to create my own culture in the lab. What is the Marlin lab going to reflect in its scientists and society? These are things Im thinking about all the while ordering gloves and putting plant pots in my office. Its an exciting journey because it only happens once in a PIs life. Im really excited about setting the culture and making sure that it stands for the integrity that I believe it should, and what I want it to reflect with society.

Related VideoBreakthrough: The Slime Minder

Have you encountered discrepancies between what your expectations and what setting up a lab really means?

I was very concerned about no one wanting to join my lab. There are also other insecurities surrounding being a female PI, being a Black PI, insecurities are reinforced by society. After a while, I concluded that this within itself is a litmus test. This is already a filter. If you dont think Im capable of being an amazing mentor and PI because of my blackness, or because of my womanhood, then you dont belong in the lab anyway. Then it reinforces that integrity and mantra that I want my lab to be. Also, Im getting people who are reaching out to me, left and right, who are very interested in being part of the lab. Those two things together really helped ease that anxiety. If you dont think Im capable of being your PI, then you shouldnt be in my lab and I dont have to prove anything in that matter. Because if you have a problem with me being here, you could take it up with Columbia, they hired me.

Are you looking to continue the same research? Or are you looking for new avenues?

There are so many things I want to study. I have a book here [shows purple notebook that says Transgenerational on it]. I have so manyEvernote, my notes on my phoneand every time Im walking around, and I see something cool to study I jot it down. Right now, Im very interested in how stress in the environment affects the brain, the body and the children and the grandchildren of those that went through the stress. And using the senses to look at this. So, smell, taste, hearing, Im using the senses to see how the brain changes and how that can affect subsequent generations. I am still looking at how parents change the lives of their offspring. As long as Im surrounding how I can use science to change society for the better, those will be where my questions will lead. And as I learn more about society, those may change.

Watch a viewing party and conversation with Jones Marlin and Black In Neuro!

Having participated inBlack in Neuro Week, what does having that community and engaging in diversity, inclusion, and justice initiatives mean to you?

I will start by saying, I am so impressed with Black in Neuro Week. [They] have made moves that universities have spoken about for generations in the span of two weeks. If any of them want to join my lab, they should talk to me. With that being said, I do remember, in 2017 there was a string of Black male killings. It was one of the days that another Black man was murdered, we had lab meeting, and no one mentioned anything. Everyone went about their day; I was so confused. What I realized is that its not [only about] serving on DI [diversity and inclusion] boards, speaking about diversity, teaching people who do not come from diverse backgrounds, [all of which] which I do, its me being present. I think a lot of racism is surrounded by lack of understanding and knowledge of another human being. So, I understand that my presence within itself is a fight for equity and justice, because people get to know me as Bianca. They understand, Oh, she is a mother. Oh man, she likes pizza. Oh my goodness, this is my favorite TV show, too. Were more similar than we are different. And shes actually cool. I do all the other things, but also bringing people to my dinner table is social justice, because they get to see that Im actually a full-on human being.

Our presence as Black women in science is so needed because our unique perspective informs all of society. Thats not to discount anyone elses perspective, but because its unique and underrepresented, its all the more needed.

Beyond the science being interesting and valuable, what else drives you to continue studying this field?

If 2020 did not give me another boost to continue to be a neuroscientist, I dont know what would. People are suffering unnecessarily, based on the cruelty of other people. That moves me to emotion because its unnecessary, but the ramifications of it can actually be permanent. If my job could in any way, shape, or form make that part malleable, make people suffer less, then that brings me joy. Its unfortunate that my work is driven by the evils in society, but this is my way of standing against them. I can do something really cool like take neuroscience and apply it to something I feel so strongly about, which is injustice, inequity, and injustice in education.

Racial injustice and the stress it puts on black and brown people, on people who actually care is so unnecessary. But yet we know it can have ramifications for generations, which is what I study now. If I have the ability to take these evils in society and do a little bit to move in a different direction, then thats what drives me.

Is there anything that you want to say to scientists of color in this moment and specifically, Black women?

Our presence as Black women in science is so needed because our unique perspective informs all of society. Thats not to discount anyone elses perspective, but because its unique and underrepresented, its all the more needed. Our unique perspective informs science for the better, our presence makes better science. I can also speak as a first generation American; our perspective is essential in science because we think of things differently because weve been raised differently. We figure out why there are certain diseases that affect Black American populations more than others and we figure out mechanisms that inform all populations about diseases.

We decide not to fund projects surrounding this, we decide not to publish papers surrounding this, and its unfortunate that racism gets in the way of humanity. Its actually quite ignorant of science to allow racism to get in the way of progress of science. Its greedy, its self-centered. And its not what we as Black people, brown people, underrepresented people, disabled people should have to deal with. Thats my message: that our unique perspective is essential. And when were made to feel like were not essential because of racism. Remember that that perspective does not trump the truth: that in science Im needed. Science needs me.

Watch the brand new season ofBreakthrough, a short film anthology that follows women working at the forefront of their fields.

Invest in quality science journalism by making a donation to Science Friday.

Donate

Claudia Lpez Lloreda

Claudia Lpez Lloreda is a neuroscience Ph.D. student at the University of Pennsylvania interested in understanding why and how neurodegeneration occurs. Through her work, she aims to understand how HIV infection can activate processes that injure the brain and the central nervous system and how we can stop them.

See the original post here:
What The Brain Inherits - Science Friday

Neuroscience

QurAlis Announces Appointment of New Chief Medical Officer and Formation of Clinical Advisory Board – BioSpace

Oct. 29, 2020 12:00 UTC

Rare disease and neurology expert Dr. Angela Genge to lead QurAlis clinical R&D for ALS and FTD

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- QurAlis Corporation, a biotech company focused on developing precision medicines for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurologic diseases, today announced the appointment of Angela Genge, MD, FRCP(C), eMBA to the position of Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Dr. Genge is the Executive Director of the Montreal Neurological Institutes Clinical Research Unit and the Director of Montreal Neurological Hospitals ALS Global Center of Excellence.

The company also announced the formation of its Clinical Advisory Board, which will work closely with Dr. Genge on QurAlis clinical research and development programs in ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) as the company prepares to move its pipeline to the clinical stage.

As QurAlis grows and advances quickly toward the clinic, we are proud to welcome to the team Dr. Genge, a world-renowned expert in ALS clinical drug development, and announce the highly esteemed group of ALS experts who will be forming our Clinical Advisory Board, said Kasper Roet, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of QurAlis. Dr. Genge has been treating patients and studying and developing therapeutics and clinical trials for ALS and other rare neurologic diseases for more than 25 years, diligently serving these vulnerable patient populations. Along with our newly formed Clinical Advisory Board, having a CMO with this extensive expertise, understanding and experience is invaluable to our success. Dr. Genge and our Board members are tremendous assets for our team who will undoubtedly help us advance on the best path toward the clinic, and we look forward to working with them to conquer ALS.

Previously, Dr. Genge directed other clinics at the Montreal Neurological Hospital including the Neuromuscular Disease Clinic and the Neuropathic Pain Clinic. In 2014, she was a Distinguished Clinical Investigator in Novartis Global Neuroscience Clinical Development Unit, and she has served as an independent consultant for dozens of companies developing and launching neurological therapeutics. Dr. Genge has served in professorial positions at McGill University since 1994.

At this pivotal period in its journey, QurAlis is equipped with a strong, committed leadership team and promising precision medicine preclinical assets, and I look forward to joining the company as CMO, said Dr. Genge. This is an exciting opportunity to further strengthen my work in ALS and other neurological diseases, and I intend to continue innovating and expanding possibilities for the treatment of rare neurological diseases alongside the dedicated QurAlis team.

QurAlis new Clinical Advisory Board Members are:

Dr. Al-Chalabi is a Professor of Neurology and Complex Disease Genetics at the Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Head of the Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, and Director of the Kings Motor Neuron Disease Care and Research Centre. Dr. Al-Chalabi trained in medicine in Leicester and London, and subsequently became a consultant neurologist at Kings College Hospital.

Dr. Andrews is an Associate Professor of Neurology in the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine at Columbia University, and serves as the Universitys Director of Neuromuscular Clinical Trials. She currently oversees neuromuscular clinical trials and cares for patients with neuromuscular disease, primarily with ALS. Dr. Andrews is the elected co-chair of the Northeastern ALS (NEALS) Consortium and is also elected to the National Board of Trustees of the ALS Association.

Dr. Cudkowicz is the Julianne Dorn Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and Chief of Neurology and Director of the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Mass General Hospital. As co-founder and former co-chair of the Northeast ALS Consortium, she accelerated the development of ALS treatments for people with ALS, leading pioneering trials using antisense oligonucleotides, new therapeutic treatments and adaptive trial designs. Through the Healey Center at Mass General, she is leading the first platform trial for people with ALS.

Dr. Shaw serves as Director of the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre Translational Neuroscience for Chronic Neurological Disorders, and the Sheffield Care and Research Centre for Motor Neuron Disorders. She also serves as Consultant Neurologist at the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Since 1991, she has led a major multidisciplinary program of research investigating genetic, molecular and neurochemical factors underlying neurodegenerative disorders of the human motor system.

Dr. Van Damme is a Professor of Neurology and director of the Neuromuscular Reference Center at the University Hospital Leuven in Belgium. He directs a multidisciplinary team for ALS care and clinical research that is actively involved in ALS clinical trials, but is also working on the genetics of ALS, biomarkers of ALS, and disease mechanisms using different disease models, including patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells.

Dr. van den Berg is a professor of neurology who holds a chair in experimental neurology of motor neuron diseases at the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands. He also is director of the centers Laboratory for Neuromuscular Disease, director of the Netherlands ALS Center, chairman of the Neuromuscular Centre the Netherlands, and chairman of the European Network to Cure ALS (ENCALS), a network of the European ALS Centres.

About ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrigs disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease impacting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. ALS breaks down nerve cells, reducing muscle function and causing loss of muscle control. ALS can be traced to mutations in over 25 different genes and is often caused by a combination of multiple sub-forms of the condition. Its average life expectancy is three years, and there is currently no cure for the disease.

About QurAlis Corporation

QurAlis is bringing hope to the ALS community by developing breakthrough precision medicines for this devastating disease. Our stem cell technologies generate proprietary human neuronal models that enable us to more effectively discover and develop innovative therapies for genetically validated targets. We are advancing three antisense and small molecule programs addressing sub-forms of the disease that account for the majority of patients. Together with a world-class network of thought leaders, drug developers and patient advocates, our team is rising to the challenge of conquering ALS. http://www.quralis.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201029005203/en/

Original post:
QurAlis Announces Appointment of New Chief Medical Officer and Formation of Clinical Advisory Board - BioSpace

Human Behavior

What is the Socioemotional Selectivity Theory? – Science Times

In 2016, Professor Laura Carstensen from Stanford developed the socioemotional selectivity theory(SST) about human behavior. Goals influence our social preferences, she wrote in her study, while directing cognitive processes.

The SST also states that the perception of time influences people's memory, attention, emotional experiences, and decisions. In general, the social-psychological theory is about perceived time and life goals.

The theory also relates to people who face endings. For example, younger people who experience near-death experiences such as a terminal illness or war and endings such as moving to a new place may have changes in their motivation.

In general, people have two sets of goals that influence human behavior. The first set of goals includes gaining knowledge and the second set is focused on regulating emotions. Both goals are also influenced by the perception of time.

Those who perceive the future tend to invest in emotionally taxing activities that provide new learning or open opportunities. When the perception of time is limited, people spend more energy on emotional experiences that make them feel good and have more immediate payoffs.

In a recent study, a team from the Kibale Chimpanzee Projectshare their observations of the local Kanyawara chimpanzee community in Uganda's Kibale National Park. For several decades, chimpanzee behavior was observed to test the SST.

According to the theory, social behavior changes during early adulthood when it comes to choosing friends. At this age, chimps maintained a smaller social network which they kept until they grew old.

Alexandra Rosati from the University of Michigan said, "the proposal is that this shift happens because of our human ability to monitor our own personal time horizons-how much time we have left in our life"- influencing us to prioritize specific relationships with the mindset that we're running out of time.

Read Also: 3 Lessons We Can Learn From Dolphins

Older male chimpanzees were observed to have close relationships that were mutually equitable. Younger adult chimps had the opposite, with relationships that did not reciprocate the same benefits.

Older chimps were also alone most times and interacted with important relationships within the group. As they grew older, male chimps shifted from clashing behaviors to more positive interactions with other males.

The chimpanzees were observed to "share these special social aging patterns with humans, even though they do not have the same rich future time perspective and knowledge of their own mortality that we have," said Professor Zarin Machanda from Tufts University. The same behavior in human relationships reflects how older adults adapt and focus on relationships that are mutually beneficial while avoiding negative relationships.

Rosati said that the study gives insight into promoting healthy again among people by focusing on the right relationships. Social selectivity emerges during the "absence of complexfuture-oriented cognition, and they provide an evolutionary context for patterns of social aging in humans," concluded the authors.

Read Also: Risky Animal Behavior Influenced and Triggered by Hunger

Check out more news and information on Behavioron Science Times.

Read more:
What is the Socioemotional Selectivity Theory? - Science Times

Human Behavior

Insurance Office of America Partners with Gallaher Edge to Transform Company Culture Through the Science of Human Behavior – GlobeNewswire

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gallaher Edge, a management consulting firm creating transformational change in businesses through meaningful and impactful human experiences, today announces its work with Insurance Office of America (IOA), a full service, independent insurance agency, to help the organization improve overall company culture and promote diversity and inclusion.

For many business leaders, the challenges of 2020 have created a catalyst for change when it comes to company culture, said Dr. Laura Gallaher, CEO and founder of Gallaher Edge. At Gallaher Edge, we know creating an environment of true inclusion is paramount for an effective company culture. Its not enough for business leaders to simply talk about company culture; they need to foster an environment of psychological safety, where people feel genuinely included and respected regardless of their job role or any demographic variables. Organizations like IOA are setting a great example by taking an introspective look at their culture to enhance inclusion among employees.

Gallaher Edge developed a customized program assessing IOAs current company culture and is working with leaders to create transformational change through its Growing Leaders from the Inside Out (GLIO) program. This program consists of highly experiential, customized workshops that focus on maturity, self-awareness, self-acceptance and self-accountability. Leaders will examine how their behavior impacts others, what drives them to behave the way they do, and how they can build their capacity to act more effectively.

The program positions IOA leaders to be more confident in taking their team and their organization to the next level. It allows everyone to examine their own shortcomings when creating an inclusive environment, which funnels a new culture of inclusion and self-awareness down to the rest of their team. Ultimately, this type of program results in broader perspectives, more innovation and better decision-making.

We know that culture runs deeper than perks. Its about actively creating an environment of inclusion, openness and wellbeing for all employees, said Heath Ritenour, chairman and CEO of IOA. Through this program, we are hearing from employees firsthand how they perceive our culture, so we know where to focus our goals and efforts. Using this feedback, IOAs leaders will work with Gallaher Edge to fundamentally analyze and adapt our behavior, beliefs and identity to have the greatest long-term impact on our individuals, teams and the company as a whole.

To learn more about the custom culture programs offered by Gallaher Edge, visit gallaheredge.com.

About Insurance Office of AmericaInsurance Office of America (IOA) is a full-service insurance agency founded in 1988 by John Ritenour and Valli Ritenour. Today, IOA is led by Chairman and CEO Heath Ritenour, and it is one of the fastest-growing independent agencies in the United States. IOA is ranked 13th on Insurance Journals 2020 Top 100 Independent Property/Casualty Agencies report and 25th on Business Insurances 2020 100 Largest Brokers of U.S. Business list. IOA was named a National Underwriter Agency of the Year in 2018. Headquartered in Longwood, Florida, part of the greater Orlando community, IOA has more than 1,200 associates located in over 60 offices in the U.S., Ireland, and London. For more information, visit ioausa.com.

About Gallaher EdgeGallaher Edge is a management consulting firm that creates transformational change in businesses through meaningful and impactful human experiences. The team applies the science of human behavior to an organization to create highly effective cultures. Gallaher Edge helps C-suite teams successfully take their company to the next level and does so through personalized experiences to evolve teams from the inside out, growing their capacity to lead and succeed.

Media ContactLisa RienhardtUproar PR for Gallaher Edgelrienhardt@uproarpr.com321.236.0102 x233

View post:
Insurance Office of America Partners with Gallaher Edge to Transform Company Culture Through the Science of Human Behavior - GlobeNewswire

Human Behavior

People Do People Things: The Future of Security is Human – Express Computer

(By Dr. Margaret Cunningham)

As 2020 comes to an end, the importance of understanding the relationship between humans and technology is at an all-time high. Widespread shifts in the fabric of our society, prompted by the ongoing pandemic, exposed weaknesses in security tools and protocols for remote workers, highlighted issues of network reliability and accessibility, and demanded that humans find innovative ways to keep organizations running. While the fallout from the pandemic is unignorable, the ability for people to respond to seemingly endless challenges has been nothing short of remarkable.

The year 2021 will continue to reflect human resilience and ingenuity. It will be the year of workarounds and self-serving insider threats, where people find ways to accomplish their goals despite dealing with personal and professional adversity. Workarounds, shortcuts, and creative work strategies are simultaneously a celebration of human creativity and a risk for organizations who are desperately trying to maintain visibility of their assets. Ultimately, people sharing data and accessing corporate networks in new and potentially unsanctioned ways carries quite a bit of risk especially for organizations that are new to managing remote workers.

The result of thesechangesis that successful cybersecurity strategies will stop trying to use technology as a unilateral force to control human behavior. Rather, organizations will come to terms with the reality that adding more and more technology or security does not lead to behavioral conformity, especially not conformity that aligns with security principles and adequate cyber hygiene. In fact, additional layers of security may push more people outside of the guiderails due to increasingly aggravating security friction that blocks them from completing tasks or easily accessing critical organizational assets.

Understanding Precedes Predicting

In light of this, understanding how people adapt to, respond to, and inform their environments is critical for organizations heading into the new year. For far too long, the tech world has created products with the assumption that people will use them in an expected or uniform way, or that people would conform to the rules and constraints laid out by well-meaning engineering teams. If weve learned anything from 2020, it is that people are not always predictable, and making assumptions about human behavior is a dangerous game to play. Whats surfaced is that expectations, guidelines, best practices, and even commands will yield every type of behavioral response from rigid compliance to retaliatory noncompliance.

What can we do? We can learn more about what motivates behavior, and how people ultimately choose to behave. We can also commit to designing and implementing security practices and tools that work with humans instead of against them. To do this, however, we have to focus on measuring and understanding behavior instead of focusing exclusively on detecting compromises and vulnerabilities.

For instance, we know that peoples immediate needs often outweigh potential negative consequences especially when the consequences do not have a direct, individual, and immediate impact. This means that when we need to accomplish our goals we often take the easiest route. Unfortunately, the easiest route is often riskier than the ideal route. When faced with frustrating, security-heavy file and data sharing tools, we may turn to sharing via personal cloud applications. Making rules to stop people from engaging in this type of behavior is not working so rather, we have to better understand these behaviors to find ways to mitigate their risk to organizations and organizational assets.

Building Behavioral Understanding Into Systems

Within the cybersecurity industry, observing and understanding behaviors must come with context. What may appear at first glance like an obviously malicious act likely to lead to data loss for example an engineer requesting access to multiple sensitive data repositories over the course of two days could simply be a person getting their job done. Our engineer may be doing this because shes been added to several new projects and needs to be able to collaborate with her new team.

We want people to be able to do their jobs within the constraints of our corporate network and policies, so blocking them would only encourage the human tendency to find an easier (and less secure!) route for getting their jobs done. With an interdisciplinary research team, pulling experts from security, counter-intelligence, IT, and behavioral sciences together, behavioral understanding can be built into cybersecurity systems. And this is the first important step for finally starting to move cybersecurity left of breach designing security for the human element.

(The author is the Principal Research Scientist at Forcepoint)

If you have an interesting article / experience / case study to share, please get in touch with us at [emailprotected]

Originally posted here:
People Do People Things: The Future of Security is Human - Express Computer

Human Behavior

MasterClass Announces Class on the Power of Persuasion – PRNewswire

"Daniel has an incredible knack for taking complex concepts and making them practical and engaging," said David Rogier, founder and CEO of MasterClass. "In his MasterClass, he uses years of scientific study and research to change the way we think about sales and persuasion and teach members how these skills can be used to achieve better outcomes in any situation."

Pink is the author of four New York Times bestsellers including Drive, When, A Whole New Mind and To Sell Is Human. His provocative books share wisdom on human behavior, business and creativity and have sold more than 3 million copies worldwide. In addition to his successful career as an author, Pink was host and co-executive producer of the National Geographic TV series Crowd Control, which used behavioral science principles and design to explore and explain human nature. Prior to starting his solo career, Pink held multiple positions in politics, including serving as the chief speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore.

"We're all in the business of selling and persuading, and you want to learn how to do it well," Pink said. "In my MasterClass, I will show you how to communicate effectively and cultivate a meaningful connection because when it's done right, successful selling and persuasion makes the other person's life better and makes the world better."

In his MasterClass, Pink will reframe how members think about sales and persuasion, showing the applicability of these essential skills in everyday life, from persuading your child to influencing a group of people. His belief is that the world has changed dramatically in recent years, but our understanding of sales and persuasion has not changed with it. Using tactics grounded in years of research and scientific study, Pink will teach members a human approach to sales, showing the importance of operating with morality and authentic connection to achieve better outcomes. Demonstrating his techniques for the first time ever, he will show members how to persuade by finding common ground and using cognitive biases to their advantage. Building off that foundation, he will outline new sales skills such as attuning yourself to others to create a connection, framing your message to get people to act and becoming self-motivated. Members will also learn a variety of ways to pitch ideas, products and themselves and bounce back from rejection. Members will leave the class inspired not only to use these techniques in their professional lives, but to see the power of these tactics in their everyday personal interactions.

Embed & view the trailer here:https://youtu.be/My7hjBp4wH0

Download stills here:https://brandfolder.com/s/99bvwtgzmkhrv3jvxqhwkxjtCredit: Courtesy of MasterClass

ABOUT MASTERCLASS:Launched in 2015, MasterClass is the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world's best. With an annual membership, subscribers get unlimited access to 90+ instructors and classes across a wide range of subjects, including Arts & Entertainment, Business, Design & Style, Sports & Gaming, Writing and more. Step into Anna Wintour's office, Ron Finley's garden and Neil Gaiman's writing retreat. Get inspired by RuPaul, perfect your pitch with Shonda Rhimes and discover your inner negotiator with Chris Voss. Each class features about 20 video lessons, at an average of 10 minutes per lesson. You can learn on your own termsin bite-size pieces or in a single binge. Cinematic visuals and close-up, hands-on demonstrations make you feel like you're one-on-one with the instructors, while the downloadable workbooks help reinforce your learning. Stream thousands of lessons anywhere, anytime, on mobile, tablet, desktop, Apple TV, AndroidTV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku players and devices.

Follow MasterClass:Twitter@masterclassInstagram@masterclassFacebook@masterclassofficial

Follow Daniel Pink:Twitter@danielpinkFacebook@danielhpinkLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielpink/

Media Contacts:Alyssa Bergerson, MasterClass[emailprotected]

Emily Maroon, R&C/PMK[emailprotected]

Daniel Coffey, R&C/PMK[emailprotected]

SOURCE MasterClass

Originally posted here:
MasterClass Announces Class on the Power of Persuasion - PRNewswire