In oceans all across the globe, fish have been observed rubbing up against sharks. Now, researchers collecting these observations have concluded that fish-on-shark chafing is more frequent and widespread than previously recognized—suggesting the behavior plays an important ecological role and raising more questions for scientists to explore.

Read more at my Animal Minds blog: Shark Spa Services.

Since stem cells give rise to all the different cell types that make up our bodies, they have the potential to repair or replace cells that are missing or dysfunctional in a wide range of diseases and injuries. In recent years, an explosion of clinical trials involving stem cell therapies has inspired hope that such regenerative strategies may soon cure some of our most vexing diseases. Before that hope is realized, we will need a greater understanding of the fundamentals of stem cell biology as well as the specifics of different disease processes.

Read my latest for IEEE Pulse magazine: Stem Cell Update: Where Are We Now?

There are more than 1,400 species of bat found all over the world. They have conquered every habitat except Antarctica and a few remote oceanic islands. So what makes bats so successful?

Over their 50-million years of evolution, bats have developed ingenious solutions to life’s challenges. In uncovering the secrets of bats’ “superpowers,” scientists are discovering just how much these amazing animals can teach us.

Read more about bats’ superpowers on Nat Geo: Why Bats Are the Real Superheroes of the Animal World.

In a new paper, animal welfare researchers reviewed the scientific literature to ask if animals can develop diagnosable clinical depression. They found worrying evidence in chronically stressed laboratory rats and animals living in sub-optimal conditions, such as intensively kept pigs, but a diagnosis of depression in another species is still elusive.

Read the whole story at my Animal Minds blog: Can Animals Experience Depression?

Human geneticists from around the world convened virtually on October 18-22 for the 2021 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) to share the latest discoveries in human genetics and genomics, as well as explore implications for human health and society.

I worked with ASHG to produce press releases for this meeting that highlight findings related to evolutionary and population genetics, complex traits and polygenic disorders, epigenetics and gene regulation, and more. To view the press releases, click here.