Straight from a Scientist Medical Research Education and Discussion Podcast

Alzheimer's Disease Risk and Reward   When they hear about my work as a neurodegeneration researcher, people always ask me about Alzheimer's disease risk factors. What really causes Alzheimer's disease?  Plaque and tangle buildup   The truth is there's no one secret to staving off dementia, other than living your best life.  This doesn't mean following every impulse, but rather thinking clearly about your habits and consciously making those good habits easier to access.   Better lucky than good, but in this case it helps to be both. The kicker is that stress is also a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, so you'll want to be careful about that too.  Dr. Benton has a refreshing and practical approach about all these thoughts and more.

Deep Brain Degeneration in Alzheimer’s Disease with Dr. Lea Grinberg & Research Team Losing Control from the Locus Coeruleus, starring Jonathan Chen, Felipe Pereira, and Ian Oh This episode kicks off a series all about my recent work in neurodegenerative disease, with a an emphasis on Alzheimer’s disease, a devastating and complex dementia and a major focus of my (Dr. Connor Wander’s) dissertation at UNC Chapel Hill. And where better to start than where the first major pathological changes of tau, a disordered protein that goes dysfunctional in the brain, begins to accumulate and kill neurons.  This ground zero may be in neurons in the deep recesses of the brain act as central regulators of blood flow, inflammation, and neural network dynamics and seem particularly vulnerable to tau in those early, PRe symptomatic stages of Alzheimer’s disease.  I caught up with Dr. Lea Grinberg, Jonathan Chen, Felipe Pereira, and Ian Oh, members of her research team to define the current cutting edge in these studies. Dr. Lea Grinberg is an Endowed Professor at UCSF with a very active research group focused on early pathological changes in Alzheimer’s disease.  Dr. Grinberg was and is a pioneer in identifying early pathological changes in AD tied to tau aggregation in the locus coeruleus, or LC. We touched on the network modulatory function of the LC in the most recent episode with Dr. Esteban Oryarzabal. Loss of the LC and other brainstem nuclei is associated with a host of mood and sleep disorders that could be the key to understanding early Alzheimer’s disease.   Check the link below for more from Dr. Grinberg on the links between sleep, Alzheimer’s, and the loss of these brainstem nuclei.  Keep listening for great details on how these studies are conducted, and what’s next on the horizon for research into AD therapeutics and disease processes. Full show notes at www.sfspodcast.com

This episode is about neural networks on noradrenaline- the key neuromodulator known to flip almost every switch in the brain!  Drs. Esteban Oryarzabal and Connor Wander break down how noradrenaline, or norepinephrine help regulate brain states useful for attention and task-switching.  The studies here cover a whole new way to interpret brain imaging studies, which could have huge implications for neuroscience everywhere! Youtube link: https://youtu.be/NyMQhw5NpG4 Please note that this episode is special- it's a preview from research that hasn't fully undergone peer review.  This means that the findings discussed are still highly preliminary, and could be subject to change.  That being said, it's an incredible body of work, and fascinating at a minimum!   Source Paper: "Chemogenetic Stimulation of Tonic Locus Coeruleus Activity Strengthens the Default Mode Network" https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.28.463794v2   From <https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCbNHbknmBzRb1CQuQ2J1wFA/videos/upload?d=ud&filter=%5B%5D&sort=%7B%22columnType%22%3A%22date%22%2C%22sortOrder%22%3A%22DESCENDING%22%7D>   2022 Brings new season for Straight from a Scientist Podcast.  Connor has graduated from UNC Chapel Hill and is now embarking on a scientific industry career, where he explores the biology of aging.     If you missed it over 2020 and 2021, check back for our Science Web Games-- Including two neuroscience games and a Coronavirus explainer: https://www.straightfromascientist.com/science-games/

  VIDEO WITH VISUAL AIDS ON YOUTUBE!!   How did you get so put together?  DNA is the blueprint, but it doesn't determine everything.  DNA gets turned into RNA, and then finally into proteins that help build your body and brain.  But there are SO many steps in that process that affect the final product- you.   The sum of these steps is a process called genetic regulation.  Genetic regulation makes sure that not all of our genes are expressed and turned into protein at the same time and same place- that would be a mess! This episode is all about genetic regulation by long, non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs, pronounced "link-R N A").  LncRNAs are long segments of RNA that serve non-traditional functions in the genome.  Although recently discovered, lncRNAs seem to be involved in everything from the genetic regulation of development to diseases like cancer.  LncRNAs could help rewrite the field of genetic regulation, and might be the biggest shift to understanding genetics since epigenetics became a hot topic. https://www.straightfromascientist.com/rachel-cherney/ Rachel is also highly involved in other forms of science communication!  Check out the Pipettepen and UNC SWAC for more info!  If you're at UNC, make sure to check TIBBS for career training and opportunities.    Specific visual references and their approximate timestamps are listed below.  Make sure to watch the Youtube Video for the full experience! 5:00: DNA vs RNA vs Protein - (image in video) 7:30: Alternative splicing - (image in video) 9:00: Jimena giudice lab at UNC  - http://giudicelab.web.unc.edu/ (Alternative splicing and intracellular trafficking in development and diseases) 9:30: It's estimated that >90% of proteins undergo alternative splicing 13:30: protein coding gene structure (image in video) 15:30: Additional note:  smaller ncRNAs have more defined structure than lncRNAs, their functions are better known 17:33: dosage compensation - calico cats (image in video) 20:50: An example of a motif that proteins recognize (http://www.rnajournal.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=31097619, figure 3 ) 21:00: xist repeat structure (https://www.mdpi.com/2311-553X/4/4/28/htm, figure 2, human vs mouse xist) 23:00:in cis lncRNA function (https://dev.biologists.org/content/143/21/3882, figure 2 b and c) 25:05: Markers are placed on histones, rather than DNA. Histones are proteins that DNA wraps around to compact dna into cells (image in video) 25:30: A note: polycomb complexes are conserved to plants and even fungi.  lncRNAs can be found in plants* 28:15: immunoprecipitation pipeline (image in video) 31:30 -33:35: Examples of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) (image in video) 35:00: Enhancer rnas (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1672022917300761 figure 1 38:30: single line RNA vs double line DNA, 3DRNA structure (image in video) 41:00: xist vs rsx  (http://www.rnajournal.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=31097619, figure 6b ) 42:30: SWAC /pipettepen,com - link to swac article that prompted this podcast -http://www.thepipettepen.com/what-determines-our-complexity/ 44:30: TIBBS -https://tibbs.unc.edu/

Marijuana and other cannabis products are becoming increasingly available across the country, and while compounds like CBD have been shown to be safe and even helpful in adults, the side effects of cannabis products are relatively unknown when it comes to the developing fetus. We've known that alcohol causes birth defects for over 40 years, causing a condition called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and the greater spectrum of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).   But alcohol isn't the only commonly used substance to cause birth defects.   Dr. Parnell's lab and others shows that CBD and THC, the two most well-studied compounds in marijuana can also be harmful to the developing brain.  His research points to a possible fetal cannabis syndrome that could have very similar effects to alcohol.  It seems that both alcohol and mariujana could hit the developing brain at the same stage- but listen in for the details!   Neurulation in embryonic development[/caption] Here's the main publication we discussed. UNC broke this story late last year here.

This week's episode is about the big things in life- specifically, supermassive black holes in dwarf galaxies!  Connor Wander sits down with Mugdha Polimera from UNC to talk about her work studying supermassive black holes and how their frequency in dwarf (smaller) galaxies can teach us about the formation of the universe.  She quite literally looks back in time! Mugdha explains how she studies such huge elements so far away, what her studies could mean for our understanding of the universe,  reviews her journey to be an astrophysicist, comments on some popular science myths, and more!  Her research could hold the secrets to how our own galaxy, the milky way, formed eons ago. https://www.straightfromascientist.com/mugdha-polimera-unc Here's a great reference for scale, so you can see just how big some of these things are! Supermassive black hole to scale with giant stars[/caption] https://neal.fun/size-of-space/   Questions about supermassive black holes or dwarf galaxies?  Visit Mugdha's bio to ask about them!          

This episode is all about bad bugs.  Specifically, a flesh-eating bacteria strain called Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus).  S. aureus is a very common bacteria that's best known for becoming resistant to antibiotics, and becoming MRSA.  Bacteria and the immune system are always at war with each other.  Antibiotics can give the body the edge in this battle, but common resistance is making this much harder in hospitals and homes across the world.  Bacteria survive these antibiotics and the immune system is left to clean up the mess.  Currently, S. aureus is a major cause of death for bacterial infections. To make things worse, S. aureus and other bacteria can survive more than just antibiotics:  Jenna Beam and the Conlon Lab study how bacteria escape and survive the immune system, and what we can do to stop bacteria in general.  All that and more on this episode!  Make sure to check out the full video on our new Youtube Channel!  Jenna and the Conlon Lab just published a paper on this very topic!       You can hear more about bacterial resistance mechanisms in general from a recent episode Dr. Brian Conlon did with Curioscity- check it out here.    

  This weeks episode combines several topics you may have heard of, but never thought about in the same context!  Diabetes and epigenetics are two well-researched topics, but not in the context of fetal development.  During pregnancy, the placenta is the highway that connects a mother and fetus, so when epigenetics act on the placenta, they could have huge effects on development of the fetus and/or the mother.   We break it down straight from a scientist in this episode with Laetitia Myeyruix from UNC's School of Global Public Health, in the Department of Nutrition.  I learned a LOT from this episode, and I'm sure you will too!  Laetitia makes it really easy to understand everything, you don't even need me there! This is another VIDEO episode!  Check it out on Youtube, and please subscribe to our new channel! Laetitia is studying the effect of diabetes on epigenetics- the gene access regulators that can ultimately determine which genes go on to be expressed and affect the body.   Laetitia is working with scientists and clinicians in South Africa to determine how diabetes risk in pregnant mothers affects the placenta. Additionally, we talked about Nutribites, the blog Laetitia edits for-- go check it out for some sweet nutrition advice from the experts! Also mentioned in the podcast: Exit West, the book Laetitia mentioned she was reading and highly recommended! Astrobites  Oncobites  And all the other bites blogs! Joe's Big Idea The Atlantic Student Subscription The Economist Student Subscription  

Join Lebaron (Lee) Agostini and Connor Wander in our FIRST VIDEO episode! This episode is all about Cancer Biology. Lee studies experimental cancer therapies for pancreatic cancer. New cancer therapies called combination or synergystic cancer therapies use multiple drug types to shut down, corner, and eliminate cancer cells in the body. The full video version of this episode is available on Nov 5th at 7PM EST ! Head on over to our YouTube Channel and check it out there! Also streaming (audio only) on all the usual platforms. Further information Here's a recent paper from Lee and his lab at Jefferson University: https://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2019/07/04/0008-5472.CAN-18-3645 Any other questions for Lee? Ask him on Instagram or LinkedIn  

What is Alzheimer's disease? Who can get Alzheimer's, and how does the disease progress?  Maya Gostyla and Connor Wander break down the state of Alzheimer's disease treatments, risk factors, and potential breakthroughs in the field.   Related Episodes If you like this episode, we have tons of podcasts on Alzheimer's disease! You can hear more about Maya and her research story in this episode.   Further Reading about Alzheimer's disease Here's a great review from the experts on where Alzheimer's research and therapies are today. For more in-depth analysis of developments in AD and other neurodegenerative diseases, check out Alzforum.org for Alzheimer’s disease background reading. Read about and see images of protein maps in the human brain that help identify markers of brain disease.    Any other questions?  Let us know!  We appreciate your feedback. You can now support the podcast at https://www.patreon.com/sfspodcast.  Many thanks to our past and present supporters!  Thanks to Plant Warrior for their support.  Use discount code SFS10 at checkout for 10% off your purchase of plant-based protein.

This week's episode is with the host of The Blunt Report podcast: Konner Blunt.  Connor and Konner talked about ALzheimer's disease, the experience of podcasting, science communication, and Jiu Jitsu among other things.    Check out The Blunt Report here: http://www.thebluntreport.com/   More about Alzheimer's disease: https://www.straightfromascientist.com/alzheimers-disease/    

Tayler is a PhD candidate in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia. Her research focuses on the pharmacology and toxicology of supposed ‘fertility-boosting’ herbal supplements on sperm cells, using flow cytometry to elucidate their effects at a cellular level. She is also a science communicator in her spare time, and posts regular pharmacology-based series online. You can find her on Instagram at @taylercatherine Link to a good general review on oxidative stress: https://www.nature.com/articles/35041687 Link to a review of herbal medicine safety issues: https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2017/206/2/what-risks-do-herbal-products-pose-australian-community

Sean Jackewicz is a research student at the University of Georgia who is studying for his degree in Genetics, with the goal of being a medical doctor. Sean's research in the lab has focused on cancer development and cancer therapies, while his work outside of the lab focuses on the role of genomics in people's lives. Sean is currently leading the development of a clinical genotyping tool that he hopes will give health practitioners the ability to personalize treatment plans for patients like never before. Sean is also passionate about communicating the upcoming change genetic technology will cause throughout all areas of life. The best way to talk with Sean and follow his journey through healthcare is through his Instagram: @chemical_reacsean

Alzheimer's disease is a terrifying neurodegenerative disorder characterized by impaired memory, cognitive deficits, and neuronal loss. With few treatments and no cure after decades of research, scientists are starting to think outside the box for better ways to ward off Alzheimer's disease. In this episode, we discuss the links between mental health and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's, and how common strategies for better mental health have great promise for Alzheimer's disease treatment. In general, the best protective strategies for Alzheimer's disease are things that improve mental health, such as trying new things and staying active. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Harry Steinbusch from Maastricht University. Dr. Steinbusch has a wide array of research interests centered mostly around how everyday activities might help protect against neurodegenerative disorders, and how genetic modifications like epigenetics are important in disorders like Alzheimer's disease. We also talk about how Dr. Steinbusch runs his lab from all over the world, and his founding of the AD Fast Track conference     Some actionable tips for better mental health: Use it or lose it - an active brain is a healthy brain! Learning new things and traveling to new places stimulates adult neurogenesis, the birth and development of new neurons in the brain Exercise, particularly group exercise, was found to be most beneficial Learning more than one language is also linked to better mental health Citations and further reading: Andrew Crowther, soon to be PhD from the Song Lab talks with Connor Wander about his research- serotonin and adult neurogenesis. Epigenetic changes in Alzheimer's disease neurons Some other great places to start for exercise induced neurogenesis. This episode marks the final part of the AD Fast Track series. Check out all previous episodes, and stay tuned for more some summary episodes on Alzheimer's disease.

Genome-wide association studies, or GWAS, are very helpful in telling researchers where to focus their attention. They point out genetic linkers that have the potential to be used as medicines or diagnostics. GWAS identify genes or clusters of genes associated with greater risk for diseases and disorders. But GWAS aren't a silver bullet... Dr. Liz Tunbridge studies genetic risk factors for various psychiatric disorders. She has noted that while GWAS are very useful, they have many limitations, and the interpretations of such studies can be very complicated. Listen in to learn more about the challenges of turning this statistical information into something tangible and the complex therapeutic impacts of gene families.   About Dr. Tunbridge Dr. Elizabeth "Liz" Tunbridge is an Associate Professor at Oxford University. Her research focuses on how individual genetic variants change brain function in psychiatric disorders, with the hope that understanding this can lead to better treatments for patients. Dr. Tunbridge is very active on Twitter! Check out her TED Talk titled "Would there be mental illness in a utopia?" Dr. Tunbridge is also a writer for The Conversation. Learn more about her research here.   More Information This episode features was recorded in San Diego, CA, where Connor Wander attended the BrightFocus Alzheimer’s Disease Fast Track conference, followed by the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting. The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) is a well-known conference, drawing 28 thousand people annually. Any other questions?  Let us know!  We appreciate your feedback. You can now support the podcast at https://www.patreon.com/sfspodcast.  Many thanks to our past and present supporters!  Thanks to Plant Warrior for their support.  Use discount code SFS10 at checkout for 10% off your purchase of plant-based protein.

Women are almost twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's disease as men. However, this is NOT because they live longer. When we look into the aging brain, males and females experience different timelines. The molecular underpinnings of these sex differences could make a huge impact on our understanding of Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Roberta Diaz Brinton is spearheading research into sex differences in Alzheimer's disease. She works to discover how to protect the aging female brain from these increased risk factors. This episode features another throwback recorded in San Diego, CA, where Connor Wander attended the BrightFocus Alzheimer's Disease Fast Track conference, followed by the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting.   About Dr. Brinton Dr. Roberta Diaz Brinton leads the Center for Innovation in Brain Science at the University of Arizona that studies diseases of aging, Alzheimer’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s and ALS. Dr. Brinton is an internationally recognized expert in the systems biology of Alzheimer’s disease. She is developing the first regenerative therapeutic to regenerate the degenerated brain. Her analysis focuses on the brain at greatest risk for Alzheimer’s: the aging female brain. Her findings show that the sex difference in Alzheimer’s disease is not because women live longer than men, as commonly thought, but rather because the disease starts earlier in the female brain. Her insights into these key transition states of the aging brain provide therapeutic opportunities to prevent, delay, and treat neurodegenerative disease.   More Information Read more about Dr. Roberta Diaz Brinton's research and scholarship. Learn more on the Brinton Lab Website. The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) is a well-known conference, drawing 28 thousand people annually. In contrast, AD Fast Track is a much smaller conference put on by BrightFocus, a foundation built to support AD and glaucoma research and awareness. Many of the speakers at the event were directly supported by BrightFocus (Lamb, Brinton, Head, Grinberg). Alzheimer's disease research is reinventing itself in the wake of past failures. New understandings of disease complexity, paired with recent advances in technology and a renewed surge in funding for research fuels new hope for a cure or treatment. Yet we aren't putting all our eggs in one basket. This series explores Alzheimer's disease research and the variety of research strategies with the common goal of curing Alzheimer's disease.   Any other questions?  Let us know!  We appreciate your feedback. You can now support the podcast at https://www.patreon.com/sfspodcast.  Many thanks to our past and present supporters!  Thanks to Plant Warrior for their support.  Use discount code SFS10 at checkout for 10% off your purchase of plant-based protein.

This week's episode features another throwback recorded in San Diego, CA, where Connor Wander attended the BrightFocus Alzheimer's Disease Fast Track conference, followed by the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting. We talked with Dr. Elizabeth Head, who studies the link between Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's disease with the hopes of improving lives for both patient classes. Listen to hear about this super interesting and very promising work!   About Dr. Elizabeth Head Dr. Elizabeth Head has recently moved from the University of Kentucky to the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and joined the UCI MIND institute. Dr. Head has published over 150 peer reviewed papers, over 30 review papers and book chapters and serves as a grant reviewer for the National Institutes on Health. Dr. Head has dedicated over 20 years to the study of aging and Alzheimer’s disease with a focus on people with Down Syndrome. Catch Dr. Head's livestream where she answers the question: "Are there any promising vaccines for Alzheimer's" on May 3rd, 2019.   More Information Learn more about The International Brain Bank for Down Syndrome-Related Alzheimer's disease mentioned in the podcast. Also watch a presentation by Dr. Head on how to improve quality of life in Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's disease.   The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) is a well-known conference, drawing 28 thousand people annually. In contrast, AD Fast Track is a much smaller conference put on by BrightFocus, a foundation built to support AD and glaucoma research and awareness. Many of the speakers at the event were directly supported by BrightFocus (Lamb, Brinton, Head, Grinberg). Alzheimer's disease research is reinventing itself in the wake of past failures. New understandings of disease complexity, paired with recent advances in technology and a renewed surge in funding for research fuels new hope for a cure or treatment. Yet we aren't putting all our eggs in one basket. This series explores Alzheimer's disease research and the variety of research strategies with the common goal of curing Alzheimer's disease.   Listen to our Alzheimer's Fast Track Series Ep. 39: Alzheimer’s Disease Research Part I with Drs. Diane Bovenkamp, Frank LaFerla, and Bruce Lamb Ep. 41: Alzheimer’s Disease Research roundtable with Drs. Cynthia Lemere, Charles Glabe, and Lea T. Grinberg   Any other questions?  Let us know!  We appreciate your feedback. You can now support the podcast at https://www.patreon.com/sfspodcast.  Many thanks to our past and present supporters!  Thanks to Plant Warrior for their support.  Use discount code SFS10 at checkout for 10% off your purchase of plant-based protein.

This episode is all about neuronal apoptosis.  In Dr. Mohanish Deshmukh's eyes, some cells are willing to undergo apoptosis, while others are very cautious.  Understanding these differences could be the key to understanding, treating, or curing diseases that haunt us in modern times.  Research in Dr. Deshmukh’s lab at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, focuses on pathways for neuronal apoptosis and the ways that survival and death work in different cells. Apoptosis is programmed cell death.  In apoptosis, cells commit "suicide" quietly to minimize inflammation and damage to their neighbors.  Apoptosis is a normal and vital process which helps protect us from cancer and other disease states.  However, it becomes a problem in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and ALS.  When it comes to apoptosis, neurons are special.  Neuronal apoptosis seems to be distinct from other cell types. Listen in to hear how neurons resist triggers that would kill other cells.  Also learn about the difference between apoptosis and necrosis, as well as how that understanding has changed over time.  We discuss the importance of synaptic pruning.  Finally, we speculate some on the possible presence and effect of bacteria in the brain. About Dr. Deshmukh Dr. Mohanish Deshmukh is a Professor of Cell Biology & Physiology and the Neuroscience Center at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  Visit the Deshmukh Lab website to learn more about current research. Also follow the Deshmukh Lab on Instagram. More Information To get a background of apoptosis in other cells, check out Episode 23: The Role of Apoptosis with Georgia Smith.  She tells us about apoptosis in the context of influenza.   Any other questions?  Let us know!  We appreciate your feedback. You can now support the podcast at https://www.patreon.com/sfspodcast.  Many thanks to our past and present supporters!  Thanks to Plant Warrior for their support.  Use discount code SFS10 at checkout for 10% off your purchase of plant-based protein.

This week’s episode marks the 2nd of a series focused on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research.  All episodes were recorded in San Diego, CA, where Connor Wander attended the BrightFocus Alzheimer’s Disease Fast Track conference, followed by the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting. The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) is a well-known conference, drawing 28 thousand people annually.  In contrast, AD Fast Track is a much smaller conference put on by BrightFocus, a foundation built to support AD and glaucoma research and awareness.  Many of the speakers at the event were directly supported by BrightFocus (Lamb, Brinton, Head, Grinberg). Alzheimer’s disease research is reinventing itself in the wake of past failures.  New understandings of disease complexity, paired with recent advances in technology and a renewed surge in funding for research fuels new hope for a cure or treatment.  Yet we aren’t putting all our eggs in one basket.  This series will explore Alzheimer’s disease research and the variety of research strategies with the common goal of curing Alzheimer’s disease.   In This Episode Listen in to a roundtable with Drs. Cynthia Ann Lemere, Charles Glabe, and Lea T. Grinberg to learn about current research on the causes and possible treatments for Alzheimer's Disease.  We also discuss possible misrepresentations of the Amyloid cascade hypothesis, as well as applications of 3D printing in brain scan models. Special thanks to all podcasts guests and to Martha and Rachel from BrightFocus!   More Information Listen to a brief summary of Alzheimer’s disease signs and symptoms with Dr. Diane Bovenkamp. Find more quick chats on the BrightFocus Foundation website, including some tips and support for Alzheimer’s disease caregivers. The Amyloid cascade hypothesis is commonly discussed in Episode 41: Alzheimer’s disease roundtable. Listen to a discussion of Amyloid beta’s putative role as an ancient ant-microbial peptide in the brain in Episode 13: Amyloid Beta: Villain, or Hero in Alzheimer’s Disease? This possible role for Amyloid beta is important in the Amyloid cascade hypothesis; the idea that amyloid beta is the first thing to go wrong in AD, and triggers a chain reaction causing tau to aggregate and kill neurons.  This is a commonly discussed hypothesis in Alzheimer’s research, and is often referenced in this series. Learn more with a detailed infographic on the Amyloid cascade hypothesis.  It’s in a perspective piece discussing the recent developments in AD research by Biogen, and Eisai, two companies working on Alzheimer’s disease therapeutics like such as anti-amyloid or anti-tau antibodies, which have shown some promise in AD clinical trials. For more in-depth analysis of developments in AD and other neurodegenerative diseases, check out Alzforum.org for Alzheimer’s disease background reading. Read about and see images of protein maps in the human brain that help identify markers of brain disease.     Any other questions?  Let us know!  We appreciate your feedback. You can now support the podcast at https://www.patreon.com/sfspodcast.  Many thanks to our past and present supporters!  Thanks to Plant Warrior for their support.  Use discount code SFS10 at checkout for 10% off your purchase of plant-based protein.

To honor our recent collaboration with TheSciCommunity, we sat down with the founders Dan and Gabe and discussed the importance of science communication.  Dan and Gabe share their values and mission to spread science in a transparent and direct way.  Also in this episode, we discuss our pathways into science, how to improve the dialogue between scientists and the public, and fake news.  We also talk about the Skype A Scientist program that connects scientists with classrooms around the world.  Finally, we answer the question: Is scicomm enough?   About Dan Dan is a science writer and founder of Instagram's theSciCommunity, a science-centered networking page that strives to bring scientists and science enthusiasts from all over the world together to share their love of the STEAM fields.  Dan strives to prove to as many people willing to listen that science is for everyone. Connect with Dan on Instagram.   About Gabe Gabe Santos is a paleontologist from Los Angeles, California where he is the Collections Manager and Outreach Coordinator for the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology.  As Collections Manager, Gabe is responsible for the care, cataloging, and organization of the Alf Museum’s research fossils.  Also as Outreach Coordinator, he organizes the museum’s outreach and education programs, such as Skype in the Classroom and Discovery Days.  Gabe also assists in teaching the Museum After School program.  He received his B.Sc. in biology at University of California-Irvine, and his M.Sc. in geology at California State University-Fullerton.  His research interests focus on the Eocene vertebrate fauna of Southern California and the paleobiology of marine mammals, particularly in the extinct hippo-like desmostylians.  Gabe is also an active science communicator and co-founder of the Cosplay for Science Initiative, which connects pop culture with science education to make science more relatable and scientists more approachable.  Connect with Gabe on Instagram. Also check out Cosplay for Science.   More Information Follow even more awesome science communicators on Instagram @silli_scientist @beyond.the.ivory.tower @susannalharris @chem.with.kellen @becky.outside @animedia_science @science.bae @caimarison @patrickkelly_ @thescalex.of.science @mark_thescienceguy @ph_d_epression Want to learn more about science communication?  Listen to Episode 20: Biomedical Engineering and Science Education with Stephanie Teeter to hear a discussion about difficulties in science education recorded at ComSciCon Triangle.     Any other questions?  Let us know!  We appreciate your feedback. You can now support the podcast at https://www.patreon.com/sfspodcast.  Many thanks to our past and present supporters!  Thanks to Plant Warrior for their support.  Use discount code SFS10 at checkout for 10% off your purchase of plant-based protein.