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Tags: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Meet second year Ph.D. student in the department of chemistry, Brianna Garcia. Originally from La Verne, California, Brianna attended California State Polytechnic Institute, Pomona where she earned her B.S. in Chemistry (Biochemistry option). Now, at the University of Georgia, Brianna works at the Complex Carbohydrates Research Center with Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar and professor of biochemistry and molecular…
Franklin College double major Trisha Dalapati has immersed herself in UGA oppportunities, from volunteering to studying abroad to conducting laboratory research: During my freshman fall, a friend introduced me to the Lunchbox Garden project. LBG is an afterschool outreach program where UGA students visit a local elementary school twice a week. The group plans lessons on gardening and sustainable living, and volunteers provide the…
Great collaboration from computer science and engineering faculty: The researchers in UGA’s College of Engineering and the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ department of computer science say their study is the first to identify specific areas they call “three hinges.” They believe these junctions of three ridges along the brain’s surface play an important role in how the brain forms as well as how it works. “The traditional way of…
A provocative new study from psychology researchers published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences indicates that practicing with others shapes not only what monkeys learn, but also how they learn: Culture extends biology in that the setting of development shapes the traditions that individuals learn, and over time, traditions evolve as occasional variations are learned by others. In humans,…
Research, opinion and more put Franklin College faculty and students in print and pixels around the world in November. A sample of the great work by our colleagues: Chimps and bonobos had flings—and swapped genes—in the past (Distinguished Research Professor of Genetics Michael Arnold) – Science Magazine When does skepticism become bias in science? Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor Marshall Shepherd in his regular column in…
Brain Trust - Unlocking the mysteries of the mind - in the current Research magazine provides an expansive take on the breadth of neuroscience research at UGA: If the history of science has taught us anything, it is that transformational discoveries—influential findings that result in society-wide applications—are built upon a foundation of basic research. That’s a lesson well learned by neuroscientists at UGA, who recognize that we cannot…
The mysteries of the brain shape the contours of psychology professor Jennifer McDowell's research and teaching: What are your favorite courses and why? “Biologic Foundations of Behavior”— most graduate students in clinical or counseling fields have to take it, end up taking it with me, and a subset of students   always dread it. When I was new, I felt sorry that they were forced to take the class.  I have evolved.  Now I…
A team of researchers led by faculty in psychology has identified a number of biological markers that make it possible to classify mental disorders with greater precision: The advent of modern medical diagnostic tools has made it possible to identify the hallmarks of innumerable diseases with simple, reliable tests that portray the inner workings of the body in exquisite detail—allowing doctors to pinpoint the specific cause of a patient's…
Researchers in the department of psychology analyzing borderline personality disorder (BPD) have contributed something very interesting in conceptualizing the disorder's connections to empathy: "Our results showed that people with BPD traits had reduced activity in brain regions that support empathy," said the study's lead author Brian Haas, an assistant professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences psychology department. "This…
Compelling new research from the department of psychology on how brain structure in people differs according to how trusting people are of others: The research may have implications for future treatments of psychological conditions such as autism, said the study's lead author Brian Haas, an assistant professor in the department of psychology. Each autism diagnosis is on a spectrum and varies, but some diagnosed with the condition exhibit…
Terrific new study from the Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology Laboratory in the department of psychology: Although choosing to do something because the perceived benefit outweighs the financial cost is something people do daily, little is known about what happens in the brain when a person makes these kinds of decisions. Studying how these cost-benefit decisions are made when choosing to consume alcohol, University of Georgia…
UGA psychology research may lead to earlier, better diagnosis of dementia, Alzheimer’s By JESSICA LUTON jluton@uga.edu New research from UGA’s department of psychology may one day lead to a better biomarker for earlier detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), the leading predictor of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in older adults. With nearly 36 million people estimated to have dementia currently, and that number expected to double every…
   
Something we almost missed: a terrific interdisciplinary study mapping the cerebral cortex in mammalian brains that sheds new light on its development and organization, was published in the December 2012 issue of Cerebral Cortex. This research brought together UGA faculty from the departments of computer science, cellular biology, psychology and physics and astronomy in the Franklin College; the Faculty of Engineering, the Bioimaging Research…
Very interesting new research from the department of cell biology. The new work has identified the neural pathways in an insect brain tied to eating for pleasure, a discovery that sheds light on mirror impulsive eating pathways in the human brain. "We know when insects are hungry, they eat more, become aggressive and are willing to do more work to get the food," said Ping Shen, a UGA associate professor of cellular biology in the Franklin…
National Science Foundation Career Awards are a bit of misnomer, in that they are titled as though the awards are given at a career pinnacle recognize achievement. In fact, they are early career awards to support, and widen, a promising scope of inquiry by a young researcher. Tianming Liu, assistant professor of computer science in the Franklin College, was presented with just such an award after he demonstrated a new way to map the human brain…
Lots of great speakers on campus during the last week of October. I'll talk about dance choreographer Liz Lerman next week but the deparment of psychology will also bring to campus a neuroscientist whose work identifies the neural and genetic mechanisms that underlie physical attraction, love and family bonds. The lecture, on Nov. 2 at 12:20 p.m. in room 148 of the Miller Learning Center, is free and the public invited to attend. Larry Young is…
From body language to actual words, we pick up signals and act (or simply behave) accordingly all the time. But how does this work? Psychologists, using new and emerging technology in brain imaging to study behaviorial process in primates, have made some startling discoveries over the last two decades. What are mirror neurons? Pier Francesco Ferrari will visit campus the week of March 20 as a Willson Center Distingushed Lecturer and present his…

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