Author Archives: Sue Modlin

Restoring lost gene activity prevents many disease signs in an animal model of the rare, single-gene neurodevelopmental condition. The UNC Neuroscience Center lab of Ben Philpot, PhD, led this research. Full article can be found here.

UNC-affiliated startup Pulvinar Neuro’s novel treatment for mental illness – a technology that uses closed-loop, non-invasive stimulation of brain waves – offers hope to a rising tide of patients and recently led to the company’s acquisition by medical device leader Electromedical Products International. Full article can be found here.

Since middle school, Michelle Itano has been mesmerized by the power of microscopes. These seemingly familiar pieces of technology can do so much more than simply capture images of small things. They can unveil a world beyond our imagination — one Itano strives to show as many people as possible....

Dr. Jason Stein has been promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in the Department of Genetics, effective January 1, 2022. Dr. Stein earned his BA from the Integrated Science Program at Northwestern University and his PhD in Neuroscience at UCLA.  He served as a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Dan Geschwind...

We are delighted to announce the 2021 NeuroSpark awardees: “Measuring Brain-wide Responses to Neural Circuit Perturbations During Movement” Adam Hantman, Ian Yen-Yu Shih “Tracking Arousal Responses with a BOP (Biometric Ocular Photometer)” Jose Rodriquez-Romaguera, Nicolas Pegard, Rebecca Grzadzinski, Anthony Zannas “Advancing a Computational Tool to Measure Facial Grimacing Associated with...

Congratulations to Dr. Michelle Itano on receiving a renewal for her CZI Imaging Scientist Cycle 1 grant, for an additional 2 years, resulting in a total of 5 years of funding!! More information on Dr. Itano’s project can be found here.

One injection of a potential new gene therapy for Angelman syndrome forestalls many of the neurodevelopmental condition’s key traits, according to early tests in mice. “While additional pharmacology and safety studies are needed, our viral vector can potentially provide transformative therapeutic relief with a single dose,” says lead investigator Benjamin Philpot, professor of...

Full details of the announcement can be found on the UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine Newsroom Website. Damaris Lorenzo, PhD, at the UNC School of Medicine, led research to reveal crucial downstream effects of rare genetic variants, an important insight into the underlying biology of autism.

Dr. Rodriguez-Romaguera receives a Junior Faculty Development Award from the UNC Provost’s Office sponsored by IBM and R.J. Reynolds Industries to dissect amygdala circuits involved in hyperarousal of social cues.

Dr. Jeannette Delva-Wiley, mentored by Dr. Morika Williams Funded July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022 I received my B.S. in Chemistry from Bennett University in 2012. Under the advisement of Dr. Robert Newman, I received both my M.S. in Biology in 2016 and Ph.D. in Applied Science and Technology...