Mechanical forces being studied by Stanford researchers may underlie brain’s development and some diseases
Feature on work by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty members Ellen Kuhl, Soichi Wakatsuki, and Antonio Hardan, supported by Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grants:
The same tools that Ellen Kuhl once applied to studying concrete are now revealing mysteries in how the brain folds and functions. The work was supported by a 2014 Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program Seed Grant titled: Understanding Gyrification Dynamics in the Human Brain and a 2016 Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program Seed Grant titled: Molecular Mechanisms of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.
Clearing clumps of protein in aging neural stem cells boosts their activity
Feature on work by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty members Anne Brunet, Judith Frydman, and Thomas Rando, supported by a Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grant:
Young, resting neural stem cells have large protein clumps often associated with neurodegeneration. As stem cells age, the aggregates inhibit their ability to make new neurons, Stanford researchers say. The work was supported by a 2014 Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program Seed Grant titled: Building a Toolbox of Proteostasis Sensors to Monitor the Aging Brain.
Stanford researchers listen for silent seizures with "brain stethoscope" that turns brain waves into sound
Feature on work by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty members Josef Parvizi and Chris Chafe, supported by a Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grant:
By converting brain waves into sound, even non-specialists can detect “silent seizures” – epileptic seizures without the convulsions most of us expect. The work was supported by a 2012 Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program Seed Grant titled: The Brain in Performance: Converting Brain Waves to Sound and Image.
Timing of stress-hormone pulses controls weight gain
Feature on research by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty member Mary Teruel, supported by a Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grant:
A circadian code controls the switch that produces fat cells, according to a new study by Stanford researchers. The work was supported by a 2014 Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program Seed Grant titled: Control of Fat Cell Differentiation by Hormonal Oscillations.
Tiny, light-sensitive chips developed by Stanford researchers could one day restore sight to the blind
Feature on work by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty member Daniel Palanker, initially supported by a Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grant:
Millions of people are slowly losing their vision to diseases of the retina, such as age-related macular degeneration. Now, a device more than a decade in the making may help some of them see again. The work was supported by a 2008 Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program Seed Grant titled: Optoelectronic Retinal Prosthesis.
Sound research: Scientific innovations harness noise and acoustics for healing
Feature on work by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty members Manu Prakash, Sean Wu, Utkan Demirci, Amin Arbabian, Josef Parvizi and Chris Chafe:
From the original stethoscope, invented more than 200 years ago, to the fleeting chirp of gravitational waves, sound has reverberated throughout the history of technological and scientific advances. Drs. Parvizi and Chafe’s work was supported by a 2012 Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program Seed Grant titled: The Brain in Performance: Converting Brain Waves to Sound and Image.
A Next-Gen EEG Could Help Bring Back Lost Brain Function
Feature on work by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty members Anthony Norcia, Martin Breidenbach, and Stephen Boyd, supported by a Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grant:
SLAC and Stanford researchers are developing a device that combines electrical brain stimulation with EEG recording, opening potential new paths for treating neurological disorders. The work was supported by a 2016 Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program Seed Grant titled: Scalable instrumentation for electrical brain stimulation and neural recording.
Google Glass helps kids with autism read facial expressions
Feature on research by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty members Dennis Wall, Carl Feinstein, and Terry Winograd, with support from Stanford Bio-X:
Wearing a device that identifies other people’s facial expressions can help children with autism develop better social skills, a Stanford pilot study has demonstrated. This work was supported by a 2016 Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program Seed Grant titled: From taxa to pathways: unraveling the metabolic impact of the gut microbiome in Autism Spectrum Disorder.
New computer model designs a drug delivery strategy to fight cancer
Feature on research by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty member Eric Shaqfeh, supported by a Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grant:
A better understanding of how nanoparticles move from the bloodstream into a tumor could eventually lead to more effective cancer treatment. The work was supported by a 2016 Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program Seed Grant titled: Integrated Computer Simulation and In Vitro Measurements of Cancer Nanoparticle Extravasation.
Stanford-led team simulates how Alzheimer’s disease spreads through the brain
Feature on research by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty member Ellen Kuhl, supported by a Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grant:
A new computer model maps how misshapen proteins associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and ALS spread throughout the brain. The work could aid in finding ways to diagnose and treat these neurodegenerative disorders. The work was supported by a 2016 Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program Seed Grant titled: Molecular Mechanisms of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy .
Stanford researchers develop tiny nanostraws to deliver molecules to human cells safely and efficiently
Feature on research by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty members Nicholas Melosh, Joseph Wu, and Richard Lewis, supported by a Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grant:
Minuscule nanostraws could help solve the problem of how to deliver precise doses of molecules directly into many cells at once. This work was supported by a 2014 Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program Seed Grant titled: New Engineering Tools for Investigating Cellular Reprogramming.
Researchers design new, flexible electrodes for studying heart cells
Feature on research by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty members Bianxiao Cui and Zhenan Bao, as well as 2013 Stanford Bio-X Bowes Fellow Allister McGuire, supported by a Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grant:
A team of Stanford researchers has designed a new flexible “micropillar” electrode to study the behavior of heart cells without affecting their behavior. The work was supported by a 2016 Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program Seed Grant titled: Elastic polymeric electronics for high throughput and high density mapping of cardiac arrhythmogenic activity.
High-tech health: How digital medicine is improving patient care
Feature on work by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty members Dennis Wall, Bruce Daniel, and Brian Hargreaves and 2017 Stanford Bio-X Bowes Fellow Anna Shcherbina:
As digital technology has become more portable, easy to use and affordable, it has begun to capture the minds of medical researchers. From new imaging tools to mobile devices, Stanford researchers are exploring how to use technologically advanced tools to fill gaps in patient care. The work by Drs. Daniel and Hargreaves was supported by a 2016 Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program Seed Grant titled: Technologies for Mixed-Reality breast surgery.
Home videos of children can be scored to diagnose autism
Feature on research by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty member Dennis Wall, supported by a Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grant:
Algorithms generated through machine learning can sort through observations of children’s behavior in short home videos to determine if the children have autism, a Stanford study has shown. This work was supported by a 2016 Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program Seed Grant titled: From taxa to pathways: unraveling the metabolic impact of the gut microbiome in Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The future of fighting cancer: zapping tumors in less than a second
Feature on research by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty member Billy Loo, supported by a Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grant:
SLAC and Stanford researchers secure support for two projects that share one goal: to reduce the side effects of radiation therapy by vastly shrinking the length of a typical session. This work was supported by a 2012 Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program Seed Grant titled: Pluridirectional High-energy Agile Scanning Electron Radiotherapy (PHASER): a novel design for radiation treatment of cancer.
Stanford researchers develop new techniques to study a deadly form of ovarian cancer
Feature on research by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty members Erinn Rankin, Sarah Heilshorn, and Oliver Dorigo, supported by a Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grant:
A particularly deadly form of ovarian cancer is so deadly in part because it is quick to develop resistance to the drugs used to treat it. Now, a team is using new materials and imaging techniques to better understand the disease. This work is supported by a 2018 Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program Seed Grant titled: The Metastatic Tumor Microenvironment and Treatment Response in Ovarian Cancer.