30 March 2017
Who are today’s scientists? Inspired by the project “Humans of New York”, Ar Magazine turns the spotlight on individual humans of science every month.
Name: Sam Walker
Lab @ CCU: Behavior and Metabolism Lab
Title of PhD project: Modulation of taste processing and nutrition by internal states
Photo credit: Marina Fridman
12 April 2017
Catch me if you can
In a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers at the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown in Lisbon, use advanced genetic and behavioural tools to establish that walking speed is in fact a key indicator of female’s receptivity and discover neurons that control mating in the brain of fruit flies.
26 April 2017
Bugs for thought: Gut bacteria tell the brain what animals should eat
Neuroscientists have shown, for the first time, that gut bacteria (the microbiome) “speak” with the brain to control food choices in animals. They identified two species of bacteria that have a radical impact on animal dietary decisions.
With the right microbiome, fruit flies are able to face unfavorable nutritional situations. – Zita Santos
Read the full story here.
27 April 2017
Humans of Science: Catherine French
Who are today’s scientists? Inspired by the project “Humans of New York”, Ar Magazine turns the spotlight on individual humans of science every month.
Name: Catherine French
Lab @ CCU: Neurobiology of Action lab
Post-doc Project: Investigating the functions of a protein called FOXP2, which is mutated in a speech and language disorder
Photo credit: Marina Fridman
09 May 2017
Prestigious grant awarded to group leader at Champalimaud Research
Joseph Paton, group leader at the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown in Lisbon, Portugal, is among the awardees announced today, May 9th, 2017, by the International Research Scholars Program. Paton is one of 41 outstanding investigators chosen from 1500 submitted applications.
18 May 2017
How the brain “plays” with predictability and randomness to choose the right time to act
We found that two different regions within the brain seem to play very different roles in the generation of action timing. One area appears to keep track of the ideal waiting time based on experience. A second area also keeps track of the ideal timing, and in addition shows variability that renders individual decisions unpredictable. – Zach Mainen
25 May 2017
Humans of Science: Yvonne Johansson
Who are today’s scientists? Inspired by the project “Humans of New York”, Ar Magazine turns the spotlight on individual humans of science every month.
Name: Yvonne Johansson
Lab: Cortico-striatal Microcircuit Lab, Karolinska Institute, Sweden
Scientific interest: Understanding the synaptic properties of cortical and thalamic projections onto different types of striatal neurons
31 May 2017
CR Investigator wins prize for biomedical research
Bruno Costa-Silva, principal investigator at Champalimaud Research, was awarded yesterday (May 30) the Crioestaminal/Associação Viver a Ciência Prize for biomedical research.
The winning project, which was selected among three finalists, is titled: “The role of pancreatic cancer-derived exosomes in mediating bone marrow cell recruitment to the pre-metastatic liver”.
09 June 2017
Rethinking the brain's wiring diagram
Appearances can be deceiving. When looking at the outmost layer of the brain, called the neocortex, it looks like a simple sheet of neurons. But the truth is far from it. This “simple sheet” has a complex sub organization of its own. And not only that, the neocortex is the brain structure that endows us with advanced cognitive abilities, such as thought and language.
14 June 2017
What makes a mother risk her life to protect her children
Faced with imminent danger, parents will unconditionally defend their young instead of ensuring their own safety. Scientists have now discovered that it is the release of the so-called “love hormone” – oxytocine – into the amygdala, a brain structure known for its crucial role in the processing of emotional reactions, that accounts for a mother’s behavior when it comes to protecting her offspring.
