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Rebecca Knickmeyer lands $5.5m NIH grant to study genetics of early brain development
August 27, 2021
By Saneeya Mir
Michigan State University’s Rebecca Knickmeyer is leading the largest-of-its-kind effort to understand the impact of genetics on early brain development and neurological disorders such as autism, schizophrenia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Supported by a $5.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, the project seeks to illuminate which genes steer the course of brain …
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Spotting — and hearing — heart attacks before they strike
September 20, 2021
By Saneeya Mir
If heart attacks blared a warning signal, patients would have a better chance of avoiding them. That’s the idea behind a new imaging technique developed by a Spartan-led team of researchers. “We shine light into an artery where we’ve delivered certain types of particles that can absorb that light,” said Bryan Smith, an associate professor in …
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Understanding the skin’s defense system
June 1, 2021
By Saneeya Mir
It can be easy to forget that the human skin is an organ. It’s also the largest one and it’s exposed, charged with keeping our inner biology safe from the perils of the outside world. But Michigan State University’s Sangbum Park is someone who never takes skin or its biological functions for granted. He’s studying …
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Mentoring a new generation of scientists
April 29, 2021
By Saneeya Mir
Two high school students won third and fifth places in the 2021 Flint Regional Science & Engineering Fair with the mentorship of an MSU professor and a graduate student. Ayan Nair and Arohi Nair, tenth graders at Okemos High School, were awarded top honors for their projects that focused on alleviating hospital congestion and addressing …
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Testing a new way to tackle cancer
April 5, 2021
By Saneeya Mir
A potential new weapon against cancer is entering the first phase of clinical trials thanks to a collaboration between Spectrum Health, the Lansing-based company Niowave and Michigan State University. MSU’s Kurt Zinn, a professor of biomedical engineering, radiology and small animal clinical sciences, is leading the effort to validate an innovative radiotherapy as part of a safe, more effective …
