Depression and mood disorders can seem universal. But recent research has revealed that some people — specifically those with a smaller-than-normal hippocampus — are more likely to suffer than others. Staff reporter DIVYA SUBRAHMANYAM reports how understanding the genetic link between brain size and mood may help scientists create more...
In the junkyard of the human genome, Yale scientists have identified a few pieces of DNA that are more than just scrap metal. Assistant professor of genetics James Noonan and a team of other geneticists recently found a sequence of genes among what was traditionally considered to be “junk DNA” that may have contributed to unique aspects of human-limb development —...
The adage “no pain, no gain” may have some truth to it after all. Mothers who give birth vaginally show significantly greater brain activity in response to their baby’s cry than mothers who have chosen a Cesarean section, new research conducted by a group of researchers at the Yale Child Study Center suggests. The group, led by Child Study Center assistant...
Nearly five years ago, scientists completed one of the largest international projects in research history, tremendous in its scope and importance. They determined the sequence of the nearly 30,000 genes in the human genome. Although the Human Genome Project introduced the concept of ‘completeness’ to human biology for the first time, it was just the first step toward...
Yale researchers link estrogen to improved memory capacity Scientists from the Yale School of Medicine recently discovered a molecular mechanism by which estrogen improves memory for women. While other recent studies have shown that hormone therapy has little or no benefit in preventing memory loss or dementia among older women, the Yale report uncovers a...
In another move aimed at boosting its standing in the sciences, Yale has lured world-renowned scientist James Rothman ’71 from Columbia University to chair the School of Medicine’s Department of Cell Biology. The University announced Rothman’s appointment on June 5. Part of his job will be to lead the expansion of the department with the launch of a new cell...
“Ivy League Egg Donor Wanted.” Sound familiar? From the News to the New Haven Register, this and similar ads for egg donors have appeared in the pages of local newspapers, attempting to lure intelligent Yale women with sums ranging from $5,000 to $100,000. One Web site, offering $35,000 is looking for a “Genius Asian donor,” and describes the ideal match: “You...
The problem with owning an iPhone, perhaps the most advanced phone on the market, is that most people on campus seem to think it really does make you a tool. YCC President Rebecca Taber defends her iPhone by noting that she never even owned an iPod, so when her Razr died last year, she considered buying an iPod and a BlackBerry Pearl. But the iPhone turned out to satisfy...
How evil is Google? Harper’s Magazine recently commented on how Google’s environmentally-friendly policies really involve sucking up as much cheap electricity as possible, with little regard to how it is generated, as long as the location is close to a hydroelectric dam. Additionally, Google’s “server farms” bring little by way of employment for local towns and...
Sweating for a cause, nearly 700 students, faculty members and Elm City residents swarmed the New Haven Green on Sunday morning to participate in the fourth annual AIDS Walk in New Haven. The event — a 5-kilometer walk through the city — is sponsored each year by the Yale chapter of AIDS Watch and is designed to raise funds for 10 local HIV and AIDS service...
When Michael Koelle, director of undergraduate studies in the Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry department, came to Yale 10 years ago, there were twice as many MB&B majors as there were last year. His initial reaction: it was simple coincidence. Biology-oriented students, he assumed, were probably just drifting to other biology-related majors. But a departmental...
