A new company called Gecko Biomedical cofounded by the prolific MIT scientist and entrepreneur Robert Langer has raised $11 million to advance work on a new kind of surgical adhesive technology. Langer is also an HMS senior lecturer on surgery. Jeff Karp, HMS associate professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is a cofounder of Gecko Biomedical.
On a typical workday morning, most people may hit the snooze button for a few minutes before getting up. It may seem like you’re giving yourself a few extra minutes to collect your thoughts. But what you’re actually doing is making the wake-up process more difficult and drawn out. Research by Charles Czeisler, the Frank Baldino, Jr., Ph.D. Professor of Sleep Medicine at HMS and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is cited.
New sleep apps promise to decipher the hidden meanings of your nighttime experiences. But how reliable are they? Deirdre Barrett, HMS assistant clinical professor of psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge Health Alliance, is quoted.
A new study has found that geography may favor some football teams over others. Roger S. Smith, HMS clinical instructor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is one of the authors.
Harvard researchers have discovered a piece of the puzzle that may help unlock new experimental treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Oleg Butovsky, HMS instructor in neurology and Howard Weiner, the Robert L. Kroc Professor of Neurology, both of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, led the study.
Contact lenses that deliver glaucoma medication over long periods are getting closer to reality, say researchers working with laboratory animals. Joseph Ciolino, HMS assistant professor of ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, is the lead author of a new study. Daniel Kohane, HMS professor of anaesthesia at Boston Children’s Hospital, was also one of the researchers on the team.
A 12-week, scientifically tested training program, newly available as an iPhone app, uses a technique called perceptual learning to reduce—or even eliminate—the need for reading glasses. Peter J. Bex, HMS associate professor of ophthalmology at Schepens Eye Research Institute, is quoted.
It has long been accepted that exercise cuts the risk of heart disease, and recent studies suggest a raft of more general benefits, such as reducing the risk of certain types of cancer and even preventing the onset of Type 2 diabetes. Now it seems that gym junkies can also expect a boost in brainpower, too. Research by John Ratey, HMS associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, is cited.
HMS students have created a music video titled “What Does The Spleen Do?” that piggybacks on the viral sensation ‘What Does The Fox Say?” by Ylvis. The video was created for the 107th Annual Second Year Show by the Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Dental Medicine class of 2016.
An international study led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has shown that a new type of gene therapy may help boys with a fatal immune disorder commonly known as “bubble boy” disease. Sung-Yun Pai, HMS assistant professor of pediatrics at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, presented the study’s findings at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology.
