Category Archives: Plasticity

October 12

Ten Years in the Making

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10 years ago, I was in a medically induced coma. On life support, my life rested in the hands of the incredible staff at Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego (RCHSD). On October 8th, 2013, I suffered a severe traumatic brain injury due to a suicide attempt: I had jumped 3 stories from the parking garage […]

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September 01

Mind Over Matter: The Effect of Positive Mindsets on Performance and Well-being

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This article highlights the fascinating effects that positive mindsets and self affirmations have on human performance and well-being.

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May 11

Brains  ~in Space~

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[En Español] Brains have been evolving for 500 million years to exist on a planet with gravity. However, when astronauts enter outer space, their brains have to overcome some serious challenges contrary to the way they were designed. Astronauts report all types of side effects, both during their time in Space and upon their return […]

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December 09

Mal de Débarquement: The Science of Land Sickness

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Recently I was lucky to spend seven days on a catamaran out at sea with a small group of (COVID-vaccinated) friends. We traveled around the Gulf of California, witnessing truly amazing sights like manta rays jumping out of the water, sea birds diving into the water, and turtles floating along in the swell. This was […]

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March 04

The Bilingual Brain

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Humans have the ability to learn multiple languages. Studying bilingual brains offers scientists an opportunity to analyze physical changes in the brain and alterations in how the brain works as a result of some behavior, known as structural and functional plasticity. I recently wrote an article where I discuss plasticity, the ability of our brain […]

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September 17

Your brain is plastic!

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Your brain is plastic! It has the remarkable ability to modify its connections and to be rewired as a result of your experiences and the neural activity generated by them. This ability is known as plasticity. Neurons in the central nervous system communicate across synapses, the small gaps between two adjacent neurons that allow the […]

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August 20

Meet Marta Pratelli – A Researcher Exploring the Roadmap of the Brain

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Let me first introduce myself and tell you why I started to write about fellow scientists at UC San Diego. Choosing a profession isn’t an easy decision for most people. Some people, however, have an early calling. I knew when I was twelve that I was going to study Biology. I was fascinated by all […]

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December 26

Open Borders: Remapping the Brain

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While reading articles online, you may occasionally stumble across headlines like “Scientists find fear center of the brain,” or “Could this really be where the mind resides?” You might have also heard a TED talk where the speaker discusses how they discovered a part of the brain that makes decisions. Such expressions can take more […]

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October 24

Is Addiction a Disease?

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  While it may not seem obvious, this question carries a great deal of emotional weight to sufferers of addiction, as well as their families and friends. The answer to one question – Is addiction a disease? – seems to hold the answer to yet another question: Are many of the hurtful things I’ve done […]

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December 13

Astrocytes, the Underrated Stars

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[En español] You usually hear the term “brain cell” referring to neurons, like they’re the only cell type present in the brain. But that’s far from the case. Neurons can be considered the main cellular unit in our nervous system, as they are the cells that transfer the information by means of electrical and chemical signals. […]

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