Category: Biology
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Gary Small, UCLA – Teens and Screens
Smart phones are everywhere these days. It seems anywhere you turn, you’ll find someone with their head metaphorically buried in their mobile device. They may be checking their social media profiles, googling something or even looking up directions – but one thing is for sure: they’re not interacting with the people surrounding them. Gary Small,…
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Alfred Crosby, UMass Amherst – New Adhesive Technology
The animal kingdom is a frequent inspiration for engineers. Dr. Alfred Crosby, a professor of polymer science at The University of Massachusetts Amherst, has helped to create a super-sticky adhesive modeled after the feet of a gecko. Dr. Alfred Crosby is a materials scientist and engineer interested in the mechanics of soft materials and biological…
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Bruce Logan, Penn State – Spit Power
Chemists at Penn State University and Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University have discovered that small medical testers—things like glucose and ovulation sensors—could soon be powered by your own saliva. – Vocativ.com (4.22.2014) This sounds like science fiction, but Bruce Logan, a biomedical engineer at PSU, is unlocking the power held in saliva. Dr. Bruce Logan is…
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Jack Ridge, Tufts University – Geologic Time
The Earth is a few billion years old and a lot has transpired during that time. Dr. Jack Ridge, professor and chair of the Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences at Tufts University, is working to more precisely understand geologic time in order to create an accurate record of the planet’s climate. Dr. Jack Ridge‘s…
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Kenneth Hugdahl, University of Bergen – Auditory Hallucinations
There are quite a few films that utilize auditory hallucinations as a indicator of a character’s mental illness. Colloquially known as “hearing voices,” this is a very real problem for some people. In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Kenneth Hugdahl, a professor of biological psychology at Norway’s University of Bergen, discusses this intriguing and misunderstood affliction.…
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Shikha Sharma, West Virginia University – Isotopic Fingerprints
A clean source of energy might just save the world. Dr. Shikha Sharma, assistant professor of geology and the director of the WVU Stable Isotope Laboratory, is working toward that goal. Dr. Shikha Sharma earned her PhD. from the Center of Advanced Studies in Geology in India and then took German Academic Exchange Postdoctoral Fellowship…
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Jin Montclare, NYU – Gene Therapy
Top scientists are working to keep us healthy on a molecular level! Dr. Jin Montclare, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, is fabricating microfibers from proteins. Dr. Jin Kim Montclare received her undergraduate BS degree in Chemistry and Philosophy from Fordham University, Bronx NY. She then went to Yale University, New Haven, CT as…
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Cristina Cox Fernandes, UMass Amherst – Electric Fish
The discovery of a new species is always exciting! Dr. Cristina Cox Fernandes, an lecturer at UMass Amherst, chronicles the discovery of a new species of fish and the importance of continuing search, find and document new species. Cristina Cox Fernandes is an ecologist and ichthyologist with more than 25 years of experience in the…
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Joseph Rubin, University of Saskatchewan – Micro-Pathogens
Microscopic pathogens are all around us, working to make us sick. Dr. Joseph Rubin, a microbiologist at The University of Saskatchewan, is studying these bacterial superbugs and working to prevent a potentially deadly epidemic. Dr. Joseph Rubin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Veterinary Microbiology at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada.…
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Mohamad Z. Koubeissi, George Washington University – Explaining Consciousness
We’re still in the infancy of neuroscience. But, Dr. Mohamad Koubeissi, a George Washington University neurologist, is helping to unravel the mystery of the human brain and it’s incredible abilities. Dr. Mohamad Koubeissi is the Director of the Epilepsy Center at George Washington University in Washington, DC. Dr. Koubeissi earned his Bachelor’s Degree with honors…