"Lighting the brain," a recent New Yorker profile, offers insight into the brain of Karl Deisseroth, MD, PhD, the well-known innovator of both optogenetics and …
Tag: mental health
Genetic testing, autism, and “fixing” the pathological body
How do we know what is pathological, versus what is normal? It seems obvious until you start thinking philosophically, which was the goal of a …
Exploring links between domestic violence, depression and reproductive health
It's no surprise that domestic violence has effects that ripple outward in a victim's life, beyond physical traces of abuse. Research into just what those …
New frontiers for psychiatric illness
I started my recent conversation with Stanford psychiatrist and neuroscientist Amit Etkin, MD, PhD, with the March 24 crash of the Germanwings aircraft. The pilot, …
Study links air pollution with anxiety; calls it a “leading global health concern”
I often find that natural spaces and fresh air have a calming, balancing effect, and judging by the cultural association between relaxation and the outdoors, …
An oasis of peace in “the 500 channel universe”: Research on mindfulness and depression
Earlier this month, the American Psychological Association issued a feature on mindfulness and depression, highlighting research that suggests mindfulness is an effective way to ameliorate …
Examining how fathers’ postpartum depression affects toddlers
Postpartum depression doesn't only affect moms, and new research shows that fathers who suffer from it have just as great an effect on their kids …
Women who have a stillbirth are more likely to experience long-term depression, study shows
Any serious loss requires grieving time, and the birth of stillborn child is no exception. However, a recent study suggests that women who have experienced …
Cells from patients diagnosed with schizophrenia may provide clues about the disease
As a medical student, Sergiu Pasca was frustrated when he learned about the treatments available for mental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. "We can …
Hope for the globby thing inside our skulls
While at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, neuroscientists Tony Wyss-Coray, PhD, and Amit Etkin, MD, PhD, had a webcast conversation with NPR …
Neurosciences get the limelight at Davos
Four faculty from the Stanford Neurosciences Institute have been in Davos for the past few days attending the World Economic Forum along with world leaders …
Boldly Me: Bay Area non-profit helps build self esteem in those who feel different
Boldly Me is the dream-come-true of founder Alanna Powell, who was diagnosed with Alopecia Universalis as a toddler and consequently spent the majority of her life completely …
Advice and guidance on teen suicide
Not again, I thought as I read the opening line of a recent Palo Alto Weekly op-ed: "As a community we are grieving." Reading further, …
Survey shows nearly a quarter of U.S. workers have been diagnosed with depression in their lifetime
Depression is a major contributor to absenteeism, reduced productivity and disability among adults in the United States. Now results from a survey examining the societal …
Veterans helping veterans: The buddy system
I interviewed Army specialist Jayson Early by phone over the summer, shortly after he completed an in-patient program for PTSD at the Veterans Affairs hospital …
Girls at high risk for developing depression show signs of stress and premature aging
As we age and our cells divide, caps at the ends of our chromosomes called telomeres shorten. When a telomere grows too short, it will …