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This Week: Interview W/Nicola Allen PhD., Stabilizing The Brain, Space Alerts, Artemis, Bouba Kiki, Birder Brains, Drunken Apes, and Much More Science!
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The Interview!
We’re starting the show off with an interview tonight.
Our guest, Dr. Nicola Allen, is a neuroscientist & professor in the Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory at the Salk Institute. She investigates how the brain normally forms and functions, and how it goes awry in diseases, like autism and Alzheimer’s disease, by asking how non-neuronal cells in the brain regulate neuronal function. Dr. Allen and her colleagues recently published a study in Nature establishing the stabilizing role of one cell type, called astrocytes, in the adult brain. And she is here tonight to talk with us about her work and its implications.
Allen studies how astrocytes regulate the formation, function and stability of neuronal connections called synapses. Astrocytes closely interact with neurons and synapses via thousands of fine processes, putting them in a position to regulate these connections. Synapses are essential points of information transfer within neuronal circuits and change throughout life. In the young brain trillions of synapses form, in the adult brain synapses are stabilized, and in the aging brain synapses become less functional and are eliminated. Further, in most neurological disorders, no matter the stage of life, synaptic dysfunction is a key component. This includes autism during youth, schizophrenia in adulthood and Alzheimer’s disease in aging. Allen is investigating if life stage-specific properties of synapses are being regulated by the astrocytes the neurons interact with, to identify new therapeutic targets for repairing synapses in the disorders where they are dysfunctional.
This is a brainy and fascinating interview you’ll want to listen to again and again!
Quick Science News!
First Alerts For Space
How will near-real time information of changes in space impact astronomy?
Artemis Rollback
It’s back to the hangar for Artemis II for repairs. No launch should be expected until after March.
Bouba Kiki Effect
Is it really universal?
Birder Brains
How does birding change your brain?
Drunken Apes
Yes, chimpanzees consume alcohol.
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Take a blast into the past…
What were we discussing at this time last year? This time last year We discussed The Stellarator!, Animal Emotions AI, Islet Surgery, Stressed Monkeys, Animal Awareness, Oxygen Pill, More Memory, Melatonin, And Much More Science!
This week 10 years ago TWIS we discussed Rapidly Rising Waters, Cutting Out HIV, Probiotics For Cancer, Mama’s Little Helper, Fear for Forests, Dodo Brains, Climate For Change, Tracking Sleep Genes, Spider Webs!, And Much More!
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