Penn NeuroKnow 🧠

Vaccines and autism: Let’s talk about it The conversation around autism and vaccines has become an increasingly hot topic of late (to put it mildly), but did you know that this debate began over 25 years ago? Here is a brief overview of t…

There’s a lot of talk about vaccines and autism, but what does the science say?

This week @pennngg.bsky.social student Nita Rome unpacks the history behind these concerns and how modern studies have debunked this misconception.

pennneuroknow.com/2025/11/11/v...

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How psychedelics remap the brain to help overcome traumatic fear — GLIA or technically, Psilocybin-enhanced fear extinction linked to bidirectional modulation of cortical ensembles [See original abstract on Pubmed]

Sophie Rogers of the Corder @flybottleescape.bsky.social lab studies how a psychedelic drug with growing therapeutic promise can alter the brain in ways that help overcome traumatic fear memories. Read more in this brief by fellow NGG student Jafar Bhatti! www.upennglia.com/briefs/bib-p...

How to make a guy compost in 10 days How can we use neuroscience to encourage environmentally-friendly decisions?

Why is it so hard to turn good climate intentions into real habits?

Read @pennngg.bsky.social student Margaret Gardner’s post to learn how neuroscience could help bridge the gap between our values and our actions. pennneuroknow.com/2025/11/04/h...

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Recording everything everywhere all at once Neuroscientists can now record from many parts of the mouse brain at once, helping us see how millions of neurons work together to guide behavior.

The billions of neurons in our brain work together like an orchestra. Now tools let scientists listen to the whole performance across different parts of the brain.

Read @pennngg.bsky.social student Abby Lieberman’s post to learn how: pennneuroknow.com/2025/10/28/r...

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The brain behind the balance Your brain is more than a thinking machine. Even when you rest, your brain is constantly monitoring, adjusting, and fine-tuning every heartbeat, breath, and chemical signal – keeping your body bala…

Your brain is more than a thinking machine. Even when you rest, your brain is busy monitoring, adjusting, and fine-tuning your existence.

Read @pennngg.bsky.social student Serena Chen’s post to learn how your brain keeps you balanced pennneuroknow.com/2025/10/21/t...

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Mighty mitochondria, the powerhouses of your nervous system Neurons require a lot of energy to keep your brain functioning, and this energy is overwhelmingly generated by certain cellular components: the mitochondria. Here, we discuss how mitochondria actua…

Mitochondria, the “powerhouse of the cell,” fuel your brain’s energy-hungry neurons. But that's not all they do!

Read @pennngg.bsky.social student Julia Riley's post to learn how mitochondria safeguard neurons and earn their moniker.
pennneuroknow.com/2025/10/14/m...

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Why our brains find conspiracy theories appealing Discover why conspiracy theories grab our attention, and how the brain’s reward systems and social instincts make them so hard to resist.

Ever wonder why conspiracy theories seem to spread faster than facts?

In our latest article, @pennngg.bsky.social student Emma Noel explains how our brain’s reward systems and social nature fuel belief in conspiracy theories. pennneuroknow.com/2025/10/07/w...

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including for the brain where it might be able to reverse some of the bad that a high natural sugar diet can cause.

- Stephen (post author)

3/3

As a result, it isn’t commonly studied as an “artificial sweetener” and for simplicity of the post, I chose not to discuss it. But it is a unique sweetener that some studies suggest has several health benefits, ...

2/3

Thanks for the comment – stevia is a weird one that’s in a category of its own. It’s similar to artificial sweeteners since it doesn’t have any calories, but it’s also similar to sugar since it occurs naturally.
1/3

Sweet but not innocent: Artificial sweeteners and brain health A recent study suggests artificial sweeteners are associated with a faster cognitive decline. How might that be happening?

Artificial sweeteners are supposed to be a guilt-free way to get your sweet fix, but are they?

This week Stephen Wisser explores a recent study suggesting that artificial sweeteners are associated with faster cognitive decline: pennneuroknow.com/2025/09/30/s...

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To pee or not to pee: How the brain controls the bladder That urge to pee? It’s not so simple. Behind it is a complex brain-bladder conversation that decides when to hold and when to go.

That urge to pee? It’s not so simple. Behind it is a complex brain-bladder conversation that decides when to hold and when to go.

Learn how your brain controls your bladder in this week's post by Andrew Nguyen: pennneuroknow.com/2025/09/23/t...

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To pee or not to pee: How the brain controls the bladder That urge to pee? It’s not so simple. Behind it is a complex brain-bladder conversation that decides when to hold and when to go.

That urge to pee? It’s not so simple. Behind it is a complex brain-bladder conversation that decides when to hold and when to go.

Learn how your brain controls your bladder in this week's post by Andrew Nguyen: pennneuroknow.com/2025/09/23/t...

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Is That Right?!
Dr. Prateekshit "Kanu" Pandey & Cara Hammer
Friday, Sept 19 show features Penn Biology Prof Marc Schmidt!

Is That Right?! is a science comedy show hosted at CSz Philly at 2030 Sansom St. Show starts at 7 PM.

Tickets start at $5 buy here or on site: phillyfringe.org/events/is-th...

Going viral: How scientists use viruses in research every day Viruses are experts at getting new DNA into cells. Every day, neuroscientists take advantage of this ability to help us understand the brain.

Viruses are experts at getting new DNA into cells. Every day, neuroscientists take advantage of this ability to help us understand the brain.

Learn how neuroscientists go viral in this week's post by Omer Zeliger: pennneuroknow.com/2025/09/16/g...

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Did you know that our eyes spontaneously move 3–5 times per second? While seemingly simple and mostly unconscious, these eye movements can tell us a lot about how our brains work.

Dig into the fascinating world of eye movements!
pennneuroknow.com/2025/09/09/e...

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Two sides of the matter: The human brain may be symmetric in form, but not in function Even though it is a myth that people are either “left-brained” or “right-brained,” certain complex functions, such as spoken language, are primarily found on one side of the human brain. How and wh…

Even though it is a myth that people are either “left-brained” or “right-brained,” certain complex functions, such as spoken language, are primarily found on one side of the human brain.

Learn when and why the brain picks a side: pennneuroknow.com/2025/09/02/t...

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Counting sheep: How should we fall asleep? Have you ever wondered why some people need total silence and darkness to fall asleep, while others prefer to listen to white noise or watch their favorite TV show? Is there a “best” way to fall as…

Have you ever wondered why some people need total silence and darkness to fall asleep, while others prefer to listen to white noise or watch their favorite TV show? Is there a “best” way to fall asleep?

Learn more in this week's post: pennneuroknow.com/2025/08/26/c...

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THIS Thursday, Aug 21, 5:30-7:30 PM
Be a Brain and Language Scientist for an Evening

Pennovation
3401 Grays Ferry Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19146 US
Free for ages 12+

Registration required: actionnetwork.org/events/be-a-...

Please share.

@standupforscience.bsky.social @ninaahmadphl.bsky.social

Vagus nerve stimulation: A new frontier Electrical stimulation is proving to be a powerful treatment for neurological diseases – especially when it comes to the vagus nerve

This week, Joseph Stucynski dives into the exciting world of a new and powerful treatment for neurological diseases: electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve.

Learn more: pennneuroknow.com/2025/08/19/v...

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Your brain’s behavioral blueprint: The chemicals behind how we eat, sleep, feel, and socialize What do worms, mice, and leafcutter ants have in common? They’re helping scientists uncover the power of neuropeptides — chemical messengers in the brain that shape behavior and may hold the …

What do worms, mice, and leafcutter ants have in common? They're helping to uncover the power of neuropeptides — brain messengers that shape behavior and may hold the key to future drug discovery.

@kara-mcgaughey.bsky.social explains: pennneuroknow.com/2025/08/12/y...

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Turning pages, swiping screens, and hitting play: Is reading always the same to our brain? Whether it’s on paper, screen or audio, there are more ways than ever to enjoy a good book. But do different formats engage the brain in the same way?

Whether it’s on paper, screen or audio, there are more ways than ever to enjoy a good book. But do different formats engage the brain in the same way?

Co-editor @catrinahacker.bsky.social explores in this week's post: pennneuroknow.com/2025/08/05/t...

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Give the article a read- you'll see the author does not agree that plants feel pain, but they do react to damage in pretty surprising ways.

Mind-muscle connection: How does your brain tell your muscles to move? From doing the dishes to playing an instrument, a special connection between your brain and the muscles is key to keep us moving the way we want.

From doing the dishes to playing an instrument, a special connection between your brain and the muscles is key to keep us moving the way we want.

Learn more in this week's post by Carris Borland: pennneuroknow.com/2025/07/29/m...

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Do plants feel pain? It may sound like a ridiculous question— but it’s worth asking. From Venus flytraps snapping shut to stressed plants releasing ultrasonic “screams,” plants react to touch and damage in …

Do plants feel pain? From Venus flytraps snapping shut to stressed plants releasing ultrasonic "screams," @neuromelody.bsky.social explains how plants react to touch and damage in surprisingly similar ways to us.

pennneuroknow.com/2025/07/22/d...

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Can we trust our memory? We may think our memory is set in stone, but it’s more like wet clay. From false childhood memories to wrongful convictions, explore the science behind how our memories can deceive us — and how the…

We may think our memory is set in stone, but it’s more like wet clay.

From false childhood memories to wrongful convictions, explore the science behind how our memories can deceive us: pennneuroknow.com/2025/07/15/c...

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Can we trust our memory? We may think our memory is set in stone, but it’s more like wet clay. From false childhood memories to wrongful convictions, explore the science behind how our memories can deceive us — and how the…

We may think our memory is set in stone, but it’s more like wet clay.

From false childhood memories to wrongful convictions, explore the science behind how our memories can deceive us: pennneuroknow.com/2025/07/15/c...

#neuroskyence #PsychSciSky #SciComm 🧪

Emotional support animals: A life- (and brain-) changing bond Connections with a pet support mental health. How do emotional support animals help manage symptoms of mental illnesses and how does the brain react to this connection?

Many pet owners will tell you that time with their pets improves their mental health. How?

Learn how emotional support animals help manage symptoms of mental illnesses and and how the brain reacts to this connection: pennneuroknow.com/2025/07/08/e...

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Emotional support animals: A life- (and brain-) changing bond Connections with a pet support mental health. How do emotional support animals help manage symptoms of mental illnesses and how does the brain react to this connection?

Many pet owners will tell you that time with their pets improves their mental health. How?

Learn how emotional support animals help manage symptoms of mental illnesses and and how the brain reacts to this connection: pennneuroknow.com/2025/07/08/e...

#neuroskyence #PsychSciSky #SciComm 🧪

The unique human ability to cry Humans are the only species that display tearful, emotional crying. Why have we evolved this behavior? Does it benefit us? And if so, why don’t we cry more?

Humans are the only species that display tearful, emotional crying. Does it benefit us? And if so, why don’t we cry more?

Learn about the unique human ability to cry in this week's post: pennneuroknow.com/2025/07/01/t...

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