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Academic Minute
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Astronomy to Zoology academicminute.substack.com

  1. 23H AGO

    Read Montague, Virginia Tech - Parkinson's and Essential Tremor

    On Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Week: How do we distinguish which symptoms belong to what neurological disease? Read Montague, Vernon Mountcastle Research Professor and Director of the Center for Human Neuroscience Research, explores this. Faculty Bio: Dr. Montague’s research focuses on computational neuroscience: the connection between physical mechanisms present in real neural tissue and the computational functions that these mechanisms embody. His early theoretical work focused on the hypothesis that dopaminergic systems encode a particular kind of computational process, a reward prediction error signal, similar to those used in areas of artificial intelligence like optimal control. The Montague Lab uses theoretical, computational, and experimental approaches to the problems of mental health and its derangement by disease and injury. They recently pioneered new approaches to measure sub-second fluctuations in dopamine and serotonin levels in the striatum of conscious human subjects. Transcript: Tremor is one of the most common symptoms of neurological disease. But two conditions that cause tremor — Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor — can look very similar, especially in the early stages. Distinguishing them is a persistent challenge.We recorded real-time chemical signaling in the brain during surgery, focusing on dopamine and serotonin. Patients played a simple decision-making game involving fair and unfair monetary offers while we measured how their brain chemistry responded to unexpected outcomes.A computational model revealed clear differences. In essential tremor, dopamine and serotonin worked in opposition: when one increased, the other decreased. In Parkinson’s disease, that reciprocal pattern was disrupted.The strongest signal separating the two disorders wasn’t dopamine, as many would expect, but serotonin. Its altered dynamics turned out to be the most reliable marker of Parkinson’s disease.These results suggest that serotonin could serve as a new biomarker for distinguishing Parkinson’s from essential tremor. More broadly, they show how combining behavioral tasks, computational modeling, and real-time neurochemistry can expose hidden disease signatures in the brain.By identifying these neurochemical fingerprints, we move closer to more accurate diagnoses and, ultimately, more personalized treatments for tremor disorders.This discovery reflects years of international, cross-disciplinary teamwork between researchers who revisited data collected nearly a decade ago with new analytical tools. By combining engineering, neuroscience, and computational modeling, the team transformed a long-standing puzzle into a clinically meaningful finding. Read More: [Virginia Tech] - Scientists reveal brain signaling that sets Parkinson’s disease apart from essential tremor This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit academicminute.substack.com

    3 min

  2. 1D AGO

    Stephanie DeLuca, Virginia Tech - Intensive Therapy Benefits For Infants and Toddlers With Cerebral Palsy

    On Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Week: Early interventions are key for children with cerebral palsy Stephanie DeLuca, associate professor and co-director at the Neuromotor Research Clinic, details why. Faculty Bio: Strokes are devastating events often associated with people over 65. But large numbers of infants have strokes, too, which can cause permanent neuromotor impairments. For more than 25 years, Stephanie Deluca, Ph.D., has studied how intensive neurorehabilitation treatments help children and adults with these impairments. Dr. DeLuca has helped develop and rigorously test multiple neurorehabilitation therapy protocols and led numerous clinical research trials. Her interdisciplinary research efforts have included; engagement of families, international training, and innovative teaching to prepare the next generation of clinicians and scientists. Dr. DeLuca has served as Co-PI on two NIH-funded multisite comparative effectiveness trials, and currently serves as a co-investigator and site- PI on the largest pediatric neurorehabilitation trial ever funded by the National Institutes of Health in the United States. In addition, she has served as a consultant for Humanity Inclusion funded by USAID and as a co-investigator on two global-health initiative grants funded by the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. DeLuca envisions “precision rehabilitation treatments” that can help all individuals impacted by neuromotor impairments by combining knowledge from diverse disciplines & communities to develop new evidenced-based rehabilitation techniques world-wide.Dr. DeLuca believes that research should serve to empower the individuals, families, and communities impacted by disability and seeks to use research to complete this goal. Dr. DeLuca has also served as a national leader by serving as a Director at Large on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy & Developmental Medicine (AACPDM) and previously chaired the Advocacy Committee for this organization and on the Treatment Outcomes Committee. Currently, she serves on the Care Pathways Committee for AACPDM. Before joining Virginia Tech, Dr. DeLuca was a faculty member in the department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she worked to train the next generation of therapists to be both clinicians and scientists. Transcript: Cerebral palsy is a neurological condition that affects how the brain controls muscles, often limiting movement on one side of the body. For many children, this can lead to lifelong challenges with arm and hand function.Early intervention is especially important because the brain is highly adaptable during the first two years of life. During this period, the nervous system is particularly responsive to learning and experience, creating an opportunity to support motor development.Our research examined how different early therapies might help infants and toddlers with unilateral cerebral palsy improve their arm and hand function. In the Baby CHAMP study — short for the Baby Children with Hemiparesis Arm-and-Hand Movement Project — we compared three therapist-delivered interventions designed to encourage movement and skill development.Two of the therapies used constraint-induced movement approaches. These methods limit the use of the stronger arm so the child practices using the weaker one during therapy activities. The third approach focused on bimanual therapy, which encourages children to use both hands together.Children between 6 and 24 months old participated in the study and received intensive, play-based therapy for three hours a day, five days a week, for four weeks.The results showed that children improved their hand and arm function on both arms across all three approaches. Whether therapy involved a cast, a splint worn during sessions, or no constraint at all, the gains were similar.These findings suggest that early, intensive therapy can help infants and toddlers build critical motor skills and that families and clinicians have multiple effective options during an important window of brain development. Read More: [Virginia Tech] - Intensive therapy approaches show benefits for infants and toddlers with cerebral palsy This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit academicminute.substack.com

    3 min

  3. 2D AGO

    Sarah Lessard, Virginia Tech - Keto Diet, Exercise and High Blood Sugar

    On Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Week: Can a diet help you get more benefits from exercising? Sarah Lessard, associate professor, looks into this. Faculty Bio: Identifying mechanisms to optimize the therapeutic benefits of exerciseWhy do some people gain fewer health benefits from exercise than others?Increased aerobic exercise capacity is one of the key health benefits of aerobic training. Some individuals, however, are “exercise resistant” and fail to improve fitness and other key health markers with training. People with metabolic diseases such as Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes have blunted improvements in aerobic capacity with training. The identification of high and low responders to exercise training can be a valuable tool in determining which mechanisms are most important in mediating the health benefits of exercise — information that is critical to identifying therapies to improve the health benefits of exercise. Transcript: Exercise is widely recognized as one of the best ways to improve health. It helps people lose weight, build muscle, and strengthen the heart. It also improves how the body takes in and uses oxygen for energy, one of the strongest predictors of health and longevity.But for people with high blood sugar, those benefits can be harder to achieve. Even when they exercise regularly, their muscles may not improve their ability to use oxygen efficiently. High blood sugar also increases the risk of heart and kidney disease and can prevent muscles from responding to exercise the way they should.Our research explored whether diet might help restore those exercise benefits. In a study using mice with hyperglycemia, we tested a ketogenic diet — a high-fat, very low-carbohydrate diet that shifts the body toward burning fat instead of sugar.After one week on the ketogenic diet, the mice’s blood sugar returned to normal levels. Over time, their muscles also began to change. The diet caused remodeling in the muscles, making them more oxidative and improving how they responded to aerobic exercise.The mice also developed more slow-twitch muscle fibers, which support endurance. Their bodies became more efficient at using oxygen, a key sign of improved aerobic capacity.These findings suggest that lowering blood sugar may help restore the body’s ability to adapt to exercise, highlighting how diet and exercise can work together to shape metabolic health. Read More: [Virginia Tech] - Keto diet could unlock the effects of exercise for people with high blood sugar This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit academicminute.substack.com

    3 min

  4. 3D AGO

    Zhen Yan, Virginia Tech - Weightlifting Beats Running for Blood Sugar Control

    On Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Week: Is there a better exercise than running for blood sugar control? Zhen Yan, Professor and Director of the Center for Exercise Medicine Research. examines one. Faculty Bio: Zhen Yan’s research highlights the importance of the power plants of our cells, the mitochondria. The quantity, number, and function of mitochondria are critically important to maintaining good health. Yan believes dysfunctional mitochondria is the genesis of a range of deadly and deblitating human diseases, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, cancer, and cognitive decline. His research aims to find ways to improve mitochondrial quality and quantity. Exercise intervention is one of the best ways to promote mitochondrial function. Transcript: Running is often praised as the best exercise for burning calories and protecting against diabetes. But when we directly compared running with weightlifting in a controlled experiment, we found weightlifting provided greater benefits for blood sugar control.Using a newly invented model of weightlifting by our lab, mice accessed food by performing a squat-like motion. The load increased over time progressively. Another group of mice had free access to a running wheel, representing endurance exercise. We compared the impact of exercise while mice were on high-fat diet.Over eight weeks, both groups improved glucose tolerance and reduced fat. But weightlifting was more effective. Mice in the weightlifting group showed lower insulin resistance, less obesity, and stronger improvements in insulin signaling in skeletal muscle.Importantly, these benefits were not explained by gains in muscle mass or exercise performance, suggesting that weightlifting triggers unique metabolic pathways.Diabetes and obesity are global health challenges. While endurance, resistance, and high-intensity interval training all improve long-term blood sugar control, our findings highlight that resistance training may offer stronger protection.The take-home message is simple: weightlifting-types of exercise are equally, if not more, effective than running in preventing obesity and improving whole-body metabolism. Read More: [Virginia Tech] - Weightlifting beats running for blood sugar control, researchers find This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit academicminute.substack.com

    3 min

  5. 6D AGO

    Xiaolu Zhou, Texas Christian University - AI in World Regional Geography Education

    On Texas Christian University Week: Geography education may be getting an upgrade thanks to AI. Xiaolu Zhou, associate professor of geography, explains how this approach is evolving to enhance student learning. Faculty Bio: Dr. Xiaolu Zhou is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at Texas Christian University and co-leads the Human-Centered AI Future research cluster in the AddRan College of Liberal Arts. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with expertise in Geographic Information Systems, Big Data Analytics, and Urban Informatics. Dr. Zhou has received numerous grants and awards, including the Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series Award. He has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and co-edited a book published by Elsevier. His research supports data-driven decision-making in cities and helps bridge the gap between emerging technologies and real-world urban challenges. Transcript: Artificial Intelligence is changing how I teach and learn geography. In the past, analyzing New York City’s yellow cab trips or Chicago’s Divvy bike rides took weeks or even months to clean, process, and interpret. With AI, that same work can now be done in a fraction of the time. What once felt like advanced research is now accessible to students, who can work with real-world data, run analyses, and uncover meaningful spatial patterns without being overwhelmed by technical barriers. AI also allows me to create custom case studies that bring geography into conversation with the world around us. In class, for example, we explored the Israel–Hamas conflict. Instead of relying solely on a textbook, we used AI to identify credible resources, summarize complex information, and support more focused discussion. It made the topic immediate and accessible, helping students engage with current events through a geographic lens. Personalized learning has been another change. When we studied Dutch disease, AI suggested resources tailored to each student’s interests, from economic impacts to environmental consequences. It created a learning environment where students could move at their own pace, following the threads that mattered most to them. However, teaching geography with AI also means teaching about AI itself. We discuss how these technologies intersect with privacy, surveillance, and military applications. Students learn not only to interpret maps and data, but also to question the ethical and geopolitical implications they raise. In short, AI is transforming geography education from memorizing maps into a way of understanding the world through data, insight, and critical thinking. It’s making the discipline more dynamic, connected, and empowering for both educators and students. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit academicminute.substack.com

    3 min

  6. APR 30

    Amina Zarrugh, Texas Christian University - DNA-Based Ancestry Testing and Misunderstandings of Race

    On Texas Christian University Week: Have you sent your DNA off to be tested? Amina Zarrugh, associate professor of sociology, examines how these tests can lead to misunderstandings of race. Faculty Bio: Amina Zarrugh is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Texas Christian University. Her research focuses on politics and forced disappearance in North Africa as well as race and ethnicity in the U.S. Her work has appeared in journals such as Social Problems, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Critical Sociology, Middle East Critique, Teaching Sociology, and Contexts, among others. She completed her BA in sociology and government and her MA and PhD in sociology at the University of Texas at Austin. Transcript: Many of us have seen commercials for 23andMe or AncestryDNA, two leading companies for at-home DNA-based genealogical testing. With a small saliva sample taken at home, these companies promise to reveal long-lost ancestries. While millions in the United States have taken the companies up on this offer, we still know very little about how people interpret the tests and what they take away from them. What we do know is that the tests have been valuable to communities long denied information about their ancestry, especially Black communities in the United States. As the industry reaches more people, including those who already have access to ancestral information, we asked: “How do people who take at-home DNA-based ancestry tests interpret their results?” To answer this question, we analyzed over 400 YouTube videos of people reacting to their results. One key finding is that consumers often confuse ancestry with race or ethnicity, interpreting race as a biological category identifiable through DNA. Although they provide a saliva sample, many shift to using the language of “blood,” even labeling types such as “Native blood” or “Black blood.” Because the tests use terms like “ethnicity estimates,” consumers are encouraged to think about identity in quantities and proportions. They may downplay or emphasize results based on what they view as “desirable” ancestries, reinforcing long-standing stereotypes. These findings raise concerns about how misinterpretation of DNA-based technologies could revive racial science—the false belief that race is biological rather than a social construct. Given the deep ties between racial science and twentieth-century racism, our research underscores the importance of careful scientific and public understanding of these technologies. Given how deeply intertwined racial science was with twentieth century projects of racism, our research emphasizes the importance of how scientists and the public understand DNA-based technologies. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit academicminute.substack.com

    3 min

  7. APR 29

    Melissa Reynolds, Texas Christian University - The (Deep) History of Media and Medical Misinformation

    On Texas Christian University Week: Misinformation in the medical field is not new. Melissa Reynolds, assistant professor of early modern European history, looks back to find out more. Faculty Bio: Melissa Reynolds is a historian of early modern Europe whose research examines how ordinary people understood their relationship to medical and scientific knowledge and to the natural world around them. She received her PhD from Rutgers University and held fellowships at the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University prior to her appointment as Assistant Professor of History at TCU. She is author of Reading Practice: The Pursuit of Natural Knowledge from Manuscript to Print (University of Chicago Press, 2024) and co-edits The Recipes Project, a scholarly digital publication focused on recipes and their role in the histories of food, art, magic, medicine, and science. Transcript: The circulation of medical misinformation on social media has been in the news a lot—so much so that it sometimes feels like we’re the first people in history to deal with the problem. But 500 years ago, readers had to wade through a similar quagmire of unverified medical knowledge.As a historian of early modern medicine, I’ve spent the past decade researching how readers in Tudor England navigated the dramatic increase in medical publishing between 1485 when the printing press was first brought to England, and 1557, when the Stationer’s Company was established to license and authorize printed books. Over those seven decades, printers produced more than 350 editions of medical books in English, offering advice on everything from how to cure the plague to how to eat a healthy diet. What I found was that these books contained very old knowledge that had circulated among English readers for centuries in handwritten manuscripts. What changed, in other words, wasn’t the medical advice itself; what changed was that for the first time, printers had a commercial incentive to propagate this advice. It didn’t matter to printers whether miracle cures worked. What mattered was that books sold. Understanding the dynamics of medical marketing from 500 years ago can help us see our present problem of medical misinformation in a new light: this is not the first time that new media has generated new commercial incentives that end up destabilizing medical expertise. At the same, this history suggests a way forward: in Tudor England, printers eventually organized to regulate the free-for-all market created by print. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit academicminute.substack.com

    3 min

  8. APR 28

    Jeannine Gailey, Texas Christian University - Rewriting the Body Story

    On Texas Christian University Week: What you think about your body’s appearance can have many effects on your well-being. Jeannine Gailey, professor of sociology, discusses how to change harmful beliefs. Faculty Bio: Jeannine A. Gailey is professor and director of sociology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Texas Christian University. Her research focuses on sociology of the body, fat studies, gender, sexualities, and deviance. She is the author of the monograph, The Hyper(in)visible Fat Woman and co-editor of Fat Oppression Around the World. Her publications have appeared in journals such as, Feminist Psychology, Journal of Gender Studies, Fat Studies, Qualitative Research, Social Psychology Quarterly, Deviant Behavior and Cultural Criminology, to name a few. Transcript: Negative body image is so common in women that it is often considered normal, but it’s impact can be devastating. Body image refers to one’s perceptions, thoughts, emotions, attitudes, and beliefs about their own body. Poor body image can harm mental health, strain relationships, and lower overall well-being. My collaborator, Dr. Jamie English, a licensed clinical social worker and eating disorder specialist, and I are interested in whether narrative therapy can improve women’s body image and sexual wellbeing by helping participants rewrite their body story. Narrative therapy has the potential to help with negative body image because it separates the individual from the problem, helping women see themselves beyond negative body image. Our participants are adult women whose struggles with body image are negatively impacting their sexual relationships. While we are still in the early stages of the study and continuing to recruit participants, the results so far are promising.Of the 10 women who have completed each phase of the study, which includes a pre and post-test, entrance and exit in-depth interviews and three narrative therapy sessions, all have shown at least some improvement. Most have experienced significant positive changes in how they feel about their bodies and appearance.Participants report that they are no longer fixated on their bodies, weight, or food, and shared that they now have the tools to think differently about their bodies. A few shared that the sessions helped them identify a trauma that had kept them stuck in patterns of negative self-thought.Rewriting their body story, they tell us, is giving them the freedom to think beyond their appearance. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit academicminute.substack.com

    3 min
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