Science Expeditions, the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s 13th annual science open house, will open the doors of dozens of campus attractions — and the expertise of scores of researchers — to thousands of curious visitors March 20-22.
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Science Expeditions opens doors to UW-Madison research March 20-22
Science Expeditions, the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s 13th annual science open house, will open the doors of dozens of campus attractions — and the expertise of scores of researchers — to thousands of curious visitors March 20-22.
Pilot study results guide changes to anxiety research
March 12, 2015 Over the last year, University of Wisconsin–Madison research into the biological underpinnings of anxiety has drawn a great deal of interest — largely due to the researcher’s plan to incorporate infant monkeys raised apart from their mothers. Results from a pilot study have led Ned Kalin, psychiatry professor and lead investigator, to a change that plan. This important study, which hopes to point out new directions for developing better treatments for mental health disorders that cause serious suffering for millions of people, will move forward at UW–Madison without separating young monkeys from their mothers. In the pilot study, outlined last year in a report to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers observed the behavior of 25 monkeys that were rejected by their mothers and raised out of necessity by human caregivers alongside other young monkeys. The researchers expected monkeys that were reared without their mothers to …
Move over Mozart: Study shows cats prefer their own beat
As more animal shelters, primate centers and zoos start to play music for their charges, it’s still not clear whether and how human music affects animals. Now, a study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison shows that while cats ignore our music, they are highly responsive to “music” written especially for them. The study is online at Applied Animal Behaviour Science.
Laying a foundation for treating ALS, spinal cord injury
Su-Chun Zhang, a professor of neuroscience and neurology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Waisman Center, and his research team have published a unique model for learning more about the role of human astrocytes today in the Journal of Clinical In…
Learning lessons by following Madison’s foxes and coyotes
Last year, a family of foxes — complete with roly-poly kits — took up residence on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus and made the city its playground. With winter in full swing, the foxes and their larger dog-like counterparts, coyotes, are out there again, roaming the wilder (and often not so wild) parts of the city and campus. This year, David Drake, a UW-Madison associate professor of forest and wildlife ecology, is welcoming the public to join him and his research team as they go out and radio collar the animals in an effort to track and better understand these urban canids.
Yin retirement closes UW–Madison sound localization lab
After nearly 40 years of distinguished teaching and research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, neuroscience professor Tom Yin has opted to retire, a decision he made more than a year ago when his National Institutes of Health grant was up for renewal.
Animal research ethics discussion to focus on UW anxiety study
Bioethicist Jeffrey Kahn and veterinary pathologist Eric Sandgren will meet on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus Thursday evening for a discussion of animal research ethics focusing on a particular program employing monkeys in the study of anxiety and depression. The event, which is free and open to the public, begins 7 p.m. Thursday in Room 1111 of the Genetics-Biotechnology Center Building, 425 Henry Mall.
New imaging agent provides better picture of the gut
A multi-institutional team of researchers has developed a new nanoscale agent for imaging the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This safe, noninvasive method for assessing the function and properties of the GI tract in real time could lead to better diagnos…
Hair from infants gives clues about their life in the womb
Like rings of a tree, hair can reveal a lot of information about the past.