Over the years, laboratories at Dartmouth, with support from undergraduates, have borne lab bench discoveries with immense clinical relevance. The academic research environment at Dartmouth and elsewhere provides scientists with the intellectual liberty to pursue new ideas and the resources needed to define them. Laboratory directors are not beholden to...
Engineering Nanoparticle-induced hyperthermia studied as cancer treatment option Magnetic nanoparticles may represent a viable cancer treatment alternative, Dartmouth Medical School and Thayer School of Engineering professor Jack Hoopes reported with colleagues external to Dartmouth in the Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics. The nanoparticles can be implanted in a tumor...
The Golem: What You Need to Know About Science It is often difficult to find books that holistically evaluate an academic discipline, and it is due to this very reason that The Golem stands out in stark contrast from its literary peers. In The Golem, authors Harry Collins and Trevor...
Neurogenesis in the Adult Human Brain In 1913, the pioneering neuroscientist Santiago Ramon y Cajal proclaimed that neurogenesis, or the birth of new neurons, occurs exclusively during prenatal development (1). It was difficult to imagine that such complex structures as the adult human brain could permit new neurons into their...
Atypical Asymmetry and Sensory Processing in the Autistic Brain May Cause Impaired Language Development and Social Interactions Autism, sometimes referred to as autism spectrum disorders or ASD, is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a threefold set of qualifying characteristics. Impairments in social interactions and communication, and repetitive and stereotyped patterns of...
Insights into their Function and Clinical Applications Acetylcholine (ACh) is a neurotransmitter in both the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and central nervous system (CNS). In the PNS, ACh activates muscles and is a major neurotransmitter in the autonomic nervous system. In the CNS, ACh tends to cause excitatory actions. ACh...
Attacking the Root of the Problem Stem cells, often associated with embryos and new life, have recently been implicated as one of the leading causes of death. A wave of papers published in the last five years suggest that renegade stem cells are the driving force behind many cancers. While...
Directing the Supply Chain: Applying Discoveries in Angiogenesis to Cure Human Diseases Angiogenesis, the physiological process of new blood vessel growth, has received generous amounts of attention and funding in the last decade. Angiogenesis has captivated the scientific community because of its broad implications for treating some of the deadliest...
A Wake-Up Call for Bioethics You feel an unsettling nausea wash over you as you wait in line for medication. Your joints start to ache; the disease has already begun to burn through your ligaments. You shudder as you watch the rash on your hand fester with the syphilis bacteria....
In recent years, educators and scientists have become increasingly aware of the fact that science remains intimidating or inaccessible to the general population. When Pamela Hines, senior editor of Science, visited Dartmouth in spring 2008, she encouraged guests at the Karen E. Wetterhahn science symposium to consider improving science education....
