UVM Neuroscience Graduate Program

The microbiota-gut-brain axis is one of the most exciting areas of research these days, with the question of how microbes interact with the host being one of the critical puzzles. This review article by NGP graduate student, Theresa Legan, and colleagues provides an overview of the mechanisms by which microbes can influence serotonin signaling in the gut.

UVM Graduate College The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont

Direct and indirect mechanisms by which the gut microbiota influence host serotonin systems - PubMed Mounting evidence highlights the pivotal role of enteric microbes as a dynamic interface with the host. Indeed, the gut microbiota, located in the lumen of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, influence many essential physiological processes that are evident in both healthy and pathological states. A ke...

NGP faculty publication alert! New collaborative study between Seward and Deming labs underscores importance of functional genomics and precision medicine in lung cancer: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34849607/
UVM Graduate College

The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont

Functional assessment of somatic STK11 variants identified in primary human non-small cell lung cancers - PubMed Serine/Threonine Kinase 11 (STK11) encodes an important tumor suppressor that is frequently mutated in lung adenocarcinoma. Clinical studies have shown that mutations in STK11 resulting in loss of function correlate with resistance to anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody therapy in KRAS-driven non-small ce...

New study from NGP faculty members Alexandra Potter and Hugh Garavan describing effect size in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) examines correlations among 161 task and questionnaire variables, representing most instruments in the ABCD study.

Recalibrating expectations about effect size: A multi-method survey of effect sizes in the ABCD study - PubMed Effect sizes are commonly interpreted using heuristics established by Cohen (e.g., small: r = .1, medium r = .3, large r = .5), despite mounting evidence that these guidelines are mis-calibrated to the effects typically found in psychological research. This study's aims were to 1) describe the distr...

New study out from NGP faculty member Dr. Emmett Whitaker, finding that spinal anesthesia for infant surgery produces an electroencephalographic signature similar to physiologic sleep, in contrast to general anesthesia, which does not.

Electroencephalographic assessment of infant spinal anesthesia: A pilot prospective observational study - PubMed The EEG signature of infant spinal anesthesia is distinct from that seen with general anesthesia and is consistent with normal sleep. Further investigation is required to better understand the etiology of these findings. Our preliminary findings contribute to the understanding of the brain effects o...