$47 million grant to explore how a healthy lifestyle changes the aging brain
According to the Alzheimer’s Association 2019 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, an estimated 5.8 million Americans of all ages are living with Alzheimer’s dementia, and Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S. Barring the development of medical breakthroughs, the number may nearly triple to 13.8 million by 2050. Previous results suggest that lifestyle changes […]
Scientists map our underappreciated ‘little brain’
Scientists at UC Berkeley and Western University in Canada have used brain imaging to map the cerebellum, a formerly underappreciated neural region that contains the vast majority of the brain’s neurons, hence its Latin moniker “little brain.” The results of their study appear this month in the Nature Neuroscience journal. The map can be viewed at this link.
Disrupted sleep in one’s 50s, 60s raises risk of Alzheimer’s disease
People who report a declining quality of sleep as they age from their 50s to their 60s have more protein tangles in their brain, putting them at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life, according to a new study by psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley.
Teaching science and the science of teaching: PhD Program alum Robin Ball
Robin Ball, who was in the first class of PhD Program students, is a lecturer at Berkeley and facilitates a program to help faculty improve their teaching.
Do Brain Waves During Sleep Reflect Aβ and Tau Pathologies?
Could gauging Aβ and tau accumulation in healthy older adults be as simple as measuring their brain activity during sleep? Researchers led by Matthew Walker, University of California, Berkeley, think it might. In the June 17 Journal of Neuroscience, they describe distinct EEG patterns that associate with each of these pathologies. Less slow-wave activity during […]
Bats’ brains sync when they socialize
The phrase “we’re on the same wavelength” may be more than just a friendly saying: A new study by University of California, Berkeley, researchers shows that bats’ brain activity is literally in sync when bats engage in social behaviors like grooming, fighting or sniffing each other. “Whenever the bats were socially interacting, you could see […]
Adesnik and Brohawn named 2019 Rose Hills Innovators
Congratulations to MCB Associate Professor Hillel Adesnik, and MCB Assistant Professors Gloria Brar and Stephen Brohawn on being named 2019 Rose Hills Innovators! The program, launched in 2014 and established with generous support from The Rose Hills Foundation, supports distinguished early-career faculty in the STEM fields. The program focuses efforts on strengthening the endeavors of UC Berkeley researchers by providing seed support […]
How information is like snacks, money, and drugs—to your brain
Can’t stop checking your phone, even when you’re not expecting any important messages? Blame your brain. A new study by researchers at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business has found that information acts on the brain’s dopamine-producing reward system in the same way as money or food. “To the brain, information is its own reward, […]
Our Postdoc Job Market seminar series featured in editorial
Obtaining a position as an independent investigator is a daunting prospect, and often requires skill sets that are not emphasized during graduate or postdoctoral training. Here, we present insight from a seminar series designed to guide young researchers looking to “make the jump”, covering the fundamental steps of the job search (preparation of an application […]