Category: Science and Technology
National Academy elects neuroscientist Turrigiano April 30, 2013Gina Turrigiano, a professor of biology whose pioneering research studies how neurons and circuits change during learning and development, was elected Tuesday to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the nation’s most prestigious scientific society.
Brandeis-Israel research collaborations announcedApril 29, 2013Five faculty projects have won funding for the second year of the Bronfman Brandeis-Israel Research Collaboration, which was set up to encourage projects of scholarly merit between Brandeis faculty and faculty at Israeli universities.
Professors discuss import of Dead Sea ScrollsApril 25, 2013Professor of Biblical Studies Marc Brettler told the audience in Rapaporte Treasure Hall that the scrolls are 'missing links' that have opened the way to learning about the Second Temple and early Christian periods. Others spoke of the importance of scientific techniques for studying antiquity.
Birren, Marder comment on neuroplasticity discoveryApril 25, 2013In the current issue of the journal, Science, Susan J. Birren, Professor of Biology and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Eve Marder, Victor and Gwendolyn Beinfield Professor of Neuroscience and head of the Division of Sciences, co-author an invited commentary on a discovery suggesting that changes in the mixture of neurotransmitters released by neurons (nerve cells) can induce changes in behaviors.
- Dead Sea Scrolls come alive at Brandeis April 23April 18, 2013
Students and other members of the Brandeis community are invited to sample food from the era and learn about the scrolls, their political and social context and the science of artifacts from the ancient world. 5 p.m. Tuesday in Rapaporte Treasure Hall.
Gabbay Award goes to optogenetics researchersApril 18, 2013Three scientists will be honored for their contributions to the discovery and applications of optogenetics, a technology that allows scientists to control the brain’s activity by genetically engineering neurons to fire in response to light.
Paul Anastas, father of green chemistry, says world on an unsustainable courseApril 10, 2013
Marder '69 joins Obama neuroscience 'brain trust'April 5, 2013When President Obama unveiled his $100 million brain research initiative April 2, Brandeis neuroscientist Eve Marder was in the East Room audience as one of 14 all-star scientists charged with defining the project and its goals.
- Rohleder receives early career award from American Psychosomatic SocietyApril 5, 2013
- Dinosaur Annex concert unites music and scienceApril 4, 2013
Back to the future for a distinguished scientistMarch 29, 2013An emeritus professor of biology, David DeRosier has been working as a postdoctoral fellow in neuroscientist Gina Turrigiano’s lab. This job bookends DeRosier’s first postdoc in the famous Cambridge, England, lab where many fundamental biological discoveries were made.
- Frustration sparks invention to keep wipers from freezing to windshieldMarch 28, 2013
- Christine Thomas to receive Strage AwardMarch 28, 2013
The award lecture and ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, in Gerstenzang 123 on the Brandeis campus. Thomas’ lecture is entitled '21st Century Alchemy: Design of bimetallic systems to access novel synthetic transformations.'
David Waltz mentees create memorial fellowshipMarch 20, 2013Xiru Zhang, Jordan Pollack and others who were nurtured, inspired and befriended by the late computer science professor honor him on the anniversary of his passing with creation of a fellowship to broaden the participation of women and minorities in the field of artificial intelligence.
UCLA’s Gordon Fain wins Pepose Award from BrandeisMarch 11, 2013
Brandeis scientists support new peer-edited journalFeb. 20, 2013Getting published in research journals can be a long, arduous process, one for which scientists have felt that they had no alternative — until now. eLife, which recently launched online, is a joint initiative of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Max Planck Society and the Welcome Trust. It is the first 'open access' journal that engages editors who are working scientists with the research scientists throughout the entire editorial process.
Honoring trio of high-achieving alumniFeb. 19, 2013Brandeis President Fred Lawrence will present the Alumni Achievement Award to University of Chicago President Robert Zimmer ’68, renowned music manager and record producer Jon Landau ’68 and pioneering mathematics professor Bonnie Berger ’83 at a ceremony on June 8 during reunion weekend.
Undergrad’s research image makes cover of journal Feb. 7, 2013Valerie Marchenko ’13 is pretty happy to have the image she created of quasar 3C345 chosen for the cover of this month’s Astronomical Journal. Her proficiency in Astronomical Image Processing System software enables her to take data from 27 antennas in New Mexico, which are separated over a 25-mile diameter, to work like one single 25-mile diameter telescope.
Rosbash, Hall and Young receive Wiley PrizeJan. 31, 2013Discovery of the molecular mechanisms governing circadian rhythms have landed Michael Rosbash, Jeffrey Hall and Michael Young this year's Wiley Prize. Their research could lead to the development of drugs to treat sleep disorders, physical and mental illness, and even jet lag.
MS program helps people understand genetic factsJan. 27, 2013Who is at risk of developing life-altering diseases, and how can they process the results if the future looks threatening? Genetic counselors analyze inheritance patterns and risk for recurrence, discuss options, and provide counseling to families.
- Associate Professor Tun on cognitive deficits, hearing lossJan. 23, 2013
- Professor Art Wingfield on hearing loss and dementiaJan. 21, 2013
The pilot and autopilot within our mind-brain connectionJan. 10, 2013Have you ever driven to work so deep in thought that you arrive safely yet can’t recall the drive itself, but can recall planning your day? Professor John Lisman explores conscious and unconscious systems, habit and non-habit systems in the mind-brain connection, which allow us the ability to multitask. This research, Lisman says, will lead to a better understanding of what we are as human beings.
- New courses: Memory, music and digital humanitiesJan. 10, 2013
Memory Architecture, African American Military History and Introduction to Digital Humanities are among the 57 new courses being offered at Brandeis this spring. Professors Talinn Grigor, Chad Williams and John Unsworth offered some thoughts on their upcoming classes.
X-ray-emitting jet is discovered in distant quasarJan. 2, 2013The discovery of a new X-ray-emitting jet is the result of a collaboration that includes Teddy Cheung Ph.D. ’04, Professor of Astrophysics John Wardle, Doug Gobeille Ph.D. ’10 and four other scientists. The jet is produced by a supermassive black hole at the center of a quasar known as GB 1428+4217, located 12.4 billion light years from Earth.
- Impact of caring for adult child with disability studiedDec. 14, 2012
Caring for an adult child with developmental disabilities or mental illness increased the chances that an aging parent would develop disabilities of their own, according to findings of a new study led by Dr. Subharati Ghosh, a post-doctoral research fellow at the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy in the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Her study was recently published in the journal Psychiatric Services.
Susan Lovett explores wreckage, repair of cellsDec. 5, 2012Can DNA cells which have mutated be repaired? Susan T. Lovett has successfully investigated mechanisms by which changes come about and how cells have mechanisms to prevent them. For her contributions to understanding mechanisms of DNA repair, Lovett was recently elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
- New programs available for Justice Brandeis SemesterDec. 4, 2012
- Topical pain relief using d-amino acid hydrogelsNov. 28, 2012
- Energy Saving IdeaLAB offers tips for science buildingsNov. 27, 2012
- Tim Sanchez Ph.D. '12 receives honors for thesis workNov. 6, 2012
Brandeis scientists feted at Gairdner ceremoniesOct. 26, 2012Professor of Neuroscience Michael Rosbash and Professor Emeritus of Biology Jeffrey C. Hall were honored last night at a festive awards ceremony in Toronto celebrating their receipt of the prestigious Canada Gairdner Award, that nation’s foremost international scientific honor.
Bite Sci-zed video channel makes alum a YouTube starOct. 26, 2012Khan Academy and YouTube teamed up in September to select 10 engaging video-creators who could be leaders in the next generation of online educators. One of those on the roster is Alex Dainis '11, creator of the Bite Sci-zed YouTube channel.
BPA investigators win Gabbay Award Oct. 22, 2012The potential dangers of bisphenol A, the estrogen-mimicking chemical that is frequently used in producing such items as plastic bottles and aluminum can linings, are still emerging. This year's award goes to three scientists who are identifying the cellular effects of BPA in plastics.
Epstein named state academy of sciences fellow Oct. 17, 2012Each year the Massachusetts Academy of Science honors distinguished individuals through its Fellowship and Honorary Life Member awards. Recipients are recognized for extraordinary scientific accomplishments and service to the science community and the public.
Stephen J. Elledge wins 42nd Rosenstiel AwardOct. 17, 2012The 42nd Rosenstiel Award For Distinguished Work in Basic Medical Science has been awarded to Steven J. Elledge of Harvard Medical School and Howard Hughes Medical Institute. His research has identified key DNA damage response genes both in yeast and mammalian cells and made key contributions to defining key events that control DNA repair.
Justice Brandeis Semester intense and rewardingOct. 3, 2012Through the Justice Brandeis Semester, students explore a thematic topic through a combination of classroom and hands-on work. Students not only learn by doing, they also make lasting connections in their chosen field. Three years out, the program is flourishing, and new offerings are expected for the spring and summer of 2013.
- Provost Steve Goldstein on medical and scientific researchOct. 2, 2012
Rosbash receives new Gruber neuroscience chairSept. 28, 2012Faculty, staff, students and friends gathered to celebrate Brandeis Professor Michael Rosbash becoming the inaugural Peter Gruber Endowed Chair in Neuroscience. Patricia Gruber spoke of the Foundation's hope to reward and encourage individuals in fields that hold great promise.
Neurobiologist Rodal wins New Innovator awardSept. 13, 2012For people suffering with debilitating diseases such ALS or Alzheimer’s, simple tasks can be a struggle. Avital Rodal, assistant professor of biology, hopes to help with a grant that has just been funded by the National Institutes of Health. Rodal studies how neuronal firing affects transport of materials within neurons.
- Mathematics Department awarded GAANN grantSept. 7, 2012
- Hunt for the Higgs BosonSept. 7, 2012
- Rejected drug may help treat Alzheimer's, Parkinson's diseasesAug. 22, 2012
Rosbash awarded Massry for circadian rhythms work Aug. 14, 2012This is the fourth major award for the neuroscientist and his collaborators stemming from their groundbreaking research into circadian rhythms using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster.
App creators focus on cycling, gaming, serviceAug. 13, 2012Now in its third year, the 10-week Justice Brandeis Semester (JBS) Web Applications and Social Networks program delves into the technical aspects of how to create a mobile phone app and a database-backed website ready to handle hundreds of millions of records.
A summer exploring genes, sugar addiction and moreAug. 7, 2012Exploring topics such as how gene regulation works and whether sucrose can be as addictive as cocaine, 55 students chose to spend their summer with test tubes and microscopes, with research funding secured from a wide variety of sources.
Students present air quality findings at conferenceJuly 26, 2012Students who discovered hazards to employees of nail salons were invited to present their research to the Academy of Sciences International Conference on Environmental Science in Houston last month. Meda Kisivuli '12, Liza Ansher '13 and Vivian Zeng '14 say the experience helped confirm their career choices.
Six recent alumni receive Fulbright grantsJuly 24, 2012Six recent alumni – Jesse Appel '12, Daniel Servando Chavez '10, Skye Fishbein '12, Olivia Edelman '12, Rachel Klein '12 and Kelsey Grab '12 – will all pursue their passions abroad with Fulbright grants for the 2012 to 2013 academic year.
- Bensinger on Brandeis and the Higgs bosonJuly 6, 2012
With news about a possible discovery of the Higgs boson, BrandeisNOW sat down with James Bensinger, a member of the Brandeis High Energy Physics Group to learn more. He has been commuting to the CERN research center in Switzerland for the last 18 years.
Scientists find mechanism for cellular remodelingJuly 5, 2012Actin filaments are one of the primary elements responsible for organizing cell architecture and helping them to move from one place to the next. Understanding a central question in cell biology, how a cell is built, will enable scientists to reconfigure them for various biomedical applications.
- Cafe Science features Jim HaberJune 1, 2012
- Wolman '10 named HHMI Medical Research FellowMay 29, 2012
Spurred by 9/11, Willrich explored individual and collective rightsMay 11, 2012As with many Americans, the balance between individual and collective rights occupied Michael Willrich’s mind in the aftermath of Sept. 11 and the subsequent fears of bio-terrorism. His concerns led to an award-winning book, "Pox: An American History."
Neurobiologist becomes advisor to Hillary ClintonMay 8, 2012Frances Colón ’04, who studied developmental neurobiology in the Birren Lab, was recently named deputy science and technology advisor to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Her primary role is promotion of science, technology and innovation dialogues.
- Visit Story Archive »
