Research

Brain Talk - The Science of Memory 10/25/12

The Brain Science Institute

Experts in modern medicine are constantly looking for ways to improve the human condition, frequently turning to genetic medicine for answers to some of the body’s most troublesome problems. Nathaniel Comfort, associate professor at Johns Hopkins' Department of the History of Medicine, takes us through the promises of medical genetics, the medical dimension of eugenics and the moral risks of seeking human perfection. He is the author of “The Science of Human Perfection: How Genes Became the Heart of American Medicine.”  

About one in four children in America is from an immigrant family – at least one parent is an immigrant. 

We live in an information age. Massive amounts of data are produced each day and stored in vast databases. In recent years, a movement has sprung up to put that data to good use. This weekend, a group of hackers and non-hackers alike will convene to figure out ways to use this data to solve problems in Baltimore. The conference is called "Groundwork".

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have identified 26 different species of gut bacteria that may be linked to obesity and diabetes.  Nathan Sterner talks with Dr. Claire Fraser, who led the study.

Marc Agronin, M.D., geriatric psychiatrist in Florida and author of "How We Age: A Doctor's Journey Into the Heart of Growing Old," on how our bodies and brains age, and the way we understand aging.

Mucus serves as a barrier against bacteria--and it does a good job. To some degree, too good of a job. Because while it’s keeping the bad stuff out, it also keeps good stuff out, like drugs that can cure or prevent the diseases that do make it through. Now, scientists say they may have figured out a workaround.

Scientists may not be able to turn lead into gold… but they ARE now able to turn skin cells into brain cells.

And they say that discovery could be “science gold” for treating Parkinson’s disease.

With new economic pressures, more and more nuclear families are living together longer. Usually that means young adults moving back in with thier parents after school. Johns Hopkins professor Katherine Newman has written a new book about the trend and its impact.