Yale Researchers Tackle Origins of Mental Illness & Black Hole Fuel
Yale University researchers are engaged in cutting-edge investigations spanning from the complexities of the human brain to the mysteries of the cosmos. recent projects focus on understanding the biological roots of mental illness and exploring the mechanisms by which supermassive black holes rapidly consume matter.
Unlocking Consciousness During Seizures
A team led by Dr.Dennis Charney at Yale School of Medicine is pioneering research into restoring consciousness during seizures. Their work centers on identifying the neural circuits responsible for consciousness loss during these events and developing targeted treatments.This includes exploring innovative brain stimulation techniques aimed at reactivating those circuits and potentially restoring awareness.The research aims to understand activity and develop treatments, including brain stimulation, that can restore consciousness during seizures.
Probing Dark Matter and Dark Energy with NASA support
Isaque Dutra, a Ph.D.student in Yale’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, has been awarded a NASA FINESST (Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology) grant. The FINESST competition, recognizing research projects across NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, provides up to $150,000 in funding over three years. Dutra was one of 24 researchers selected from a pool of 456 astrophysics proposals.
Under the supervision of Professor Priyamvada Natarajan, the Joseph S. and Sophia S. Fruton Professor and Chair of Astronomy and professor of physics in FAS, Dutra’s research will investigate the basic nature of dark matter and dark energy. Dark matter, a yet-undetected substance, is theorized to comprise the majority of matter in the universe, while dark energy is a hypothesized force driving the accelerating expansion of the universe.
Researchers suspect these enigmatic components may explain discrepancies within the Lambda Cold Dark Matter cosmological model, such as unexpectedly strong gravitational lensing signals. Recent data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument also suggest the need for physics beyond the current standard model. Dutra and Natarajan will utilize strong lensing by galaxy clusters, comparing high-resolution simulations with observational data to constrain alternatives to cold dark matter and probe the time evolution of dark energy.
further Research Highlights:
Researchers are investigating “treatment windows” for genetic brain diseases, focusing on the importance of timing interventions.
Yale engineers have developed a new method for creating practical nanowire materials.
A historical analysis explores the role of ecosystem engineering in the oceans.
A study examines how the increasing prevalence of fentanyl and othre potent synthetic opioids is influencing treatment approaches for opioid use disorder in hospital settings.
Research indicates that urban heat is delaying the onset of spring in New York City parks.Karen Guzman and Jim Shelton contributed to this report.*
