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University of Utah

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·November 24, 2025·9 min read

Genetics Point to a New Type of Suicide Risk

New research shows that many people who die by suicide without prior suicidal thoughts or behaviors are not simply “missed cases”—they may have an entirely different underlying risk profile. Genetic analyses of more than 2,700 deaths revealed that these individuals carry fewer genetic risk factors for major psychiatric conditions compared to those with known suicidality.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·October 21, 2025·8 min read

Long-Term Keto Diet May Damage Your Body

A new study reveals that while the ketogenic diet can prevent weight gain, it may cause severe long-term metabolic problems. Researchers found that mice on a long-term keto diet developed fatty liver disease and impaired blood sugar regulation due to stressed pancreatic cells.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·June 2, 2025·6 min read

How Cocaine Hijacks the Brain

In a groundbreaking study, researchers have engineered fruit flies that voluntarily consume cocaine, creating the first fly model for cocaine addiction. Typically, flies avoid the drug due to its bitter taste, but by disabling their bitter-sensing receptors, scientists encouraged addictive behavior within just 16 hours of exposure.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 15, 2024·6 min read

Creativity’s Neural Origin Revealed

Researchers have identified how the brain's default mode network (DMN) collaborates with other regions to produce creative thought. By using advanced brain imaging techniques, they tracked real-time brain activity during creative tasks.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 19, 2024·5 min read

Time Cells Play Key Role in Learning Complex Tasks

New research reveals that "time cells" in the brain, crucial for learning complex behaviors requiring precise timing, are not just simple timekeepers. These cells adapt their firing patterns as mice learn to distinguish between differently timed events, suggesting a more complex role in processing temporal information. This discovery could aid in early detection of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

Autism Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 10, 2024·6 min read

Gut Microbes Influence Autism-Related Behaviors

A new study demonstrates the profound influence of gut microbes on behavior, particularly in the context of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The study reveals that gut discomfort in mice reduces social behaviors, a phenomenon reversible by specific bacterial introductions.

Brain Cancer Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·January 31, 2024·5 min read

Cancer Triggers Brain Attack via Immune System Response

Researchers discovered how certain tumors trigger a severe immune response, causing rapid-onset memory loss and cognitive deficits, a condition known as anti-Ma2 paraneoplastic neurological syndrome. This rare syndrome, affecting less than one in 10,000 cancer patients, results from the immune system attacking brain proteins that resemble viral structures.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 5, 2023·6 min read

Microglia’s Role in Controlling Anxiety and OCD

A new study reveals how microglia can regulate anxiety and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder (OCSD) behaviors. Traditionally overlooked in favor of neurons, specific microglia populations were found to both stimulate and suppress these behaviors, thus acting as both a "brake" and "accelerator".

This shows a man walking between two DNA staircases.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·May 28, 2023·6 min read

The DNA of Decision-Making

A novel study uncovers a peculiar pattern of decision-making in mice, influenced by a specific gene named Arc. While searching for food, mice repeatedly visited an empty location instead of staying at a site abundant in food. However, mice lacking the Arc gene demonstrated a more practical approach, sticking with the food-rich site, thereby consuming more calories overall.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·January 12, 2023·6 min read

Risk of Autism Associated With When and Where Forebears Lived

Where and when grandparents and parents of children were born could contribute to an increased risk of ASD in their offspring.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·November 23, 2022·5 min read

Gene That Guides Earliest Social Behaviors Could Be Key to Understanding Autism

The TOP2a gene controls a network of genes that contribute to ASD. Drugs that suppress TOP2a during development can turn on a cluster of other genes that disrupt brain development and increase autism risks. Alterations to the TOP2a gene may be responsible for the social behavioral difficulties associated with ASD.