Jamie Song

Redirecting the approach to solving Alzheimer’s Disease

At least 55 million people are living with dementia worldwide. Among the various forms of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease — a neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by a loss of neurons — is the most common. Alzheimer’s progressively impairs thinking and behavior, eventually leading to serious memory loss and affecting a person’s ability to do everyday tasks. It may begin with mild forgetfulness, but over time, patients experience frequent memory loss and increasing confusion about everyday tasks and their surroundings.

The man-made neuron: The future of bioelectronic discoveries

Neurons are the specialized cells that allow our bodies to transmit impulses, like factories that process inputs. They send signals that help us catch a ball, recognize a favorite song or pull our hand away from something hot; their structure and electrical properties make these rapid responses possible.

In Photos: It’s fall o’clock somewhere!

Nobel Prize awarded for discovery of the peacekeepers of our immune system

Each year, six Nobel Prizes are awarded in the fields of physiology or medicine, physics, chemistry, economics, literature and peace work. This year, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi for their groundbreaking discoveries in peripheral immune tolerance — the mechanism by which the immune system prevents itself from attacking the body’s own cells.