Witterings of a Neuroscientist

Urghhhhh

2010-12-15T18:36:00.000Z

Spent the whole day researching potential gene therapy for Parkinson's...quite a hefty subject on a hangover. This is what my brain looks like right now...

Talking of sleep...

2010-12-15T01:37:00.000Z

Finally had a breakthrough in my dissertation (the influence of genomic imprinting on sleep)! Have spent the last few weeks aimlessly trying to piece together bits of information but it finally glues together. Now I can sleep soundly, until tomorrow, when the slog begins again.

Sleeping Beauty

2010-12-15T00:40:00.000Z

So apparently people who sleep more tend to look more beautiful...definitely a good excuse for that lie in tomorrow then :)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11993944

Conversation Starters

2010-11-04T22:57:00.002Z

So came across the website of that mad German anatomist guy Guenter von Hagens and found some pretty interesting things...Can't decide whether the bull testes necklace was my favourite, or maybe the plastinated brain slices. It'll be quite interesting to see how many people buy these. That's christmas presents sorted for this year anyway...

http://www.plastination-products.com/Plastinated-Slices-Anatomy-Glass/Human/Head/Sagittal-plane/The-Original/Level-of-nose::369.html

Brainstem! Brainstem!

2010-11-04T17:59:00.000Z

I forgot how much I used to love this song! Definitely helpful for learning neuroanatomy (and for procrastination of course)...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li5nMsXg1Lk

Family Fortunes

2010-11-03T20:36:00.000Z

Just read an article in the New Scientist which discussed the apparent link between stress and the inheritance of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and depression. A few recently published studies have shown that stress in the early life of a mouse can result in a cross-generational development of schizophrenia, ie extreme stress in your grandparents early life can result in you developing schizophrenia or another psychiatric disorder. This is pretty disturbing to think that something horrible happening to a relative before you even existed could have such dramatic implications in your life. However I am thinking this is potentially a good excuse to avoid stressful events - for the sake of the future generation...

First Post

2010-11-03T17:09:00.000Z

So this is my first post, tres exciting! Currently reading journals on Hypothalamic Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone, not too interesting ( to me anyway), but you got to do what you got to do. Hopefully once I've sorted the wheat from the chaff I'll be able to discuss some neuro news that I actually find interesting...But uni work beckons...