Clinicians have long used ultrasound to image inside the body, but it may prove even more useful as a therapeutic tool. Already approved for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor, researchers are exploring focused ultrasound for a variety of other neurological and psychiatric conditions.

Read my latest article for IEEE Pulse: Treating the Brain with Focused Ultrasound.

Noise pollution is widespread, encroaching into more wild places and impacting animals in myriad ways. Research shows that human-made noise can affect how animals communicate, forage, protect themselves from predators, and use space within a habitat. Now, a new study suggests that such noise may also disturb social networks, with unknown ecological consequences.

Read the whole story at my Animal Minds blog: Noise Pollution Makes Birds Flock Together.

Data sharing has been common practice in genetics and genomics research for decades, accelerating biomedical discoveries and improving human health. Sustained funding to the National Institutes of Health will ensure that genetic and genomic data remain accessible to researchers in ways that also protect the privacy of participants and minimize the stigmatization of groups of people.

Read more in my fact sheet for the American Society of Human Genetics: Data Sharing to Advance Genetic and Genomic Knowledge.

Scientists first proposed treating disease by changing the DNA in a person’s cells nearly 50 years ago. Today, the promise of gene therapy is beginning to be realized. Currently, there are nearly 20 gene therapy medicines approved by the FDA and over a thousand registered clinical trials involving gene therapy. With robust and predictable NIH funding, these numbers will continue to grow.

Read more in my fact sheet for the American Society of Human Genetics: Gene Therapy: From Fundamental Research to Clinical Success.

Does your cat play fetch? A new survey suggests the behavior might not be uncommon, but also that each cat may have their own individual play preferences.

Read more at my Animal Minds blog: Cats Play Fetch, Too.