News

Thursday, December 31, 2015
Benefactor and construction company founder Joseph Massaro has died

Visitation will be Sunday, Jan. 3, with funeral on Monday for the charitable entrepreneur, in whose name his wife has supported Alzheimer's research at Pitt.   Learn More

Tuesday, December 22, 2015
NPR: Colleen McClung talks about the aging brain's "timekeeper"

A second set of genes for circadian rhythm appears to kick in like a backup clock, when the main one runs down. This finding could lead to better treatment of certain late-life diseases. Learn More

Monday, December 21, 2015
PNAS study: Normal aging causes genetic changes in prefrontal cortex linked to sleep cycles, cognition

Examination of thousands of genes from nearly 150 human brains shows the circadian rhythm of gene activity changes with aging, says Colleen McClung, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry. Learn More

Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Pitt leaders and scientists to preview "Concussion" on South Side Dec. 15

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Dr.Bennet Omalu and Giannina Scott, a  producer of the feature film “Concussion,” are working with Pitt neuroscientists to "supercharge" research about brain trauma. Learn More

Monday, December 7, 2015
Brain Institute offers pilot program funding for Parkinson's research

Deadline for Pitt faculty to submit letters of intent for a NeuroDiscovery grant related to Parkinson's disease is Jan. 11. Learn More

Friday, December 4, 2015
WTAE-TV: "Concussion" book and movie prompt foundation to link with Brain Institute

"The book, the GQ article and the movie have helped crystallize people's attention ... in a really profound way," says Brain Institute Deputy Director Nathan Urban. Learn More

Wednesday, December 2, 2015
PITTMED: One man's journey with ALS, charted in photos

A look back at Neil Alexander's years as ALS activist and philanthropist, through the lens of Pittsburgh photographer Duane Rieder. Learn More

Wednesday, December 2, 2015
THE ATLANTIC: The Pitt scientists who changed the course of concussion research

Read excerpts of Concussion, the new book by Jeanne Marie Laskas that chronicles studies of degenerated brains in former NFL players, including Mike Webster of the Steelers. Learn More

Sunday, November 29, 2015
Pitt scientists featured in book and Ridley Scott movie on concussion in NFL

Penguin Random House has timed the book Concussion to be on store shelves during the weeks before the Christmas Day release of the Ridley Scott movie of the same name. Learn More

Wednesday, November 25, 2015
PittMED: Streaming video from mouse brain helps Ahmari study OCD

New technology in the form of a mini-microscope lets Susanne Ahmari, MD, PhD, watch hundreds of neurons in real time, to examine a model of obsessive compulsive disorder. Learn More

Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Pitt neuroscientist heads NIH study on biomarkers that link Down syndrome with Alzheimer's

Ben Handen, Ph.D., will lead a multi-center study to track Alzheimer's-related changes in the brains of  adults with Down syndrome. Learn More

Thursday, November 12, 2015
Pitt bioengineers get $4.7M from NIH to advance brain implant technology

In  two studies, scientists will use two-photon, live-animal imaging to examine the cellular response around electrode implant sites and will focus on damage to the brain caused by implanted probes. Learn More

Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Novel engineering may let paraplegics walk using exoskeletons

Mechanical engineers at Pitt aim to harness patients' own muscle power with electrical stimulation, and combine that technique with an exoskeleton to allow the paralyzed to walk on their own. Learn More

Saturday, November 7, 2015
NIDA director lauds large-scale smoking study by Pitt scientsts

A 10-center study led by Pitt psychologist Eric C. Donny shows that cutting nicotine levels leads to major health benefits for smokers, says Nora Volkow, head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Learn More

Tuesday, October 27, 2015
NPR interview: Pitt sociologist Margee Kerr talks about fear (and Halloween)

NPR features the author of Scream: Chilling Adventures in the Science of Fear (Public Affairs; $26.99). Learn More

Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Trib Review: Pitt psych team to track 550 kids as they grow up

Researchers plan to use brain imaging, as well as psychological and behavioral tools, to measure brain structure and function in 9- and 10-year-olds. The study will continue for 10 years. Learn More

Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Aging institute head Chip Reynolds receives Grand Champion award from UPMC Senior Services

Charles F. Reynolds III, M.D., has been honored for his research, leadership and advocacy, particularly in the area of geriatric psychiatry. Learn More

Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Fierce scientific race to create "natural" BCI is subject of new book

Author Malcolm Gay features a Pitt neuroscientist and a patient-volunteer in his new book on the scientific competition to enable brain-controlled movement in the paralyzed. Learn More

Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Psychiatry faculty garner multiple national awards and honors

Young investigators and senior scientists in Pitt's psychiatry department have been awarded an array of scholarly honors, research grants and recognition for highly influential papers. Learn More

Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Pitt study could lead to mine-sweeping robots that detect odors

Hear neurobiologist Nathan Urban and mathematician Bard Ermentrout discuss their $6.4 million NSF grant to uncover the mysteries of scent localization, on 90.5 WESA. Learn More

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