Neuroscience

Neuroscience PhD student pens novel rooted in Middle Eastern mythology

Colleen Rich — Mon, 20 May 2024 13:32:30 +0000

Neuroscience PhD student pens novel rooted in Middle Eastern mythology Colleen Rich Mon, 05/20/2024 - 09:32

��AV doctoral student Rania Hanna has been writing since she was a child. All those years of storytelling paid off this spring with the publication of her debut novel, The Jinn Daughter, published by Hoopoe Press in April.

Rania Hanna. Photo provided

Reviewers have called her book a “haunting homage to Middle Eastern folklore,” and Hanna, a Syrian American, said she draws from stories she heard as a child for inspiration.

Can you tell us a little about your author journey?

My writing journey started in childhood. I was a voracious reader, so it made sense I’d turn to writing.

In the third grade, I would write short essays on things I was interested in—like dinosaurs and Egyptian mummies, and then hand them to my teacher. At the end of the year, [my teacher] took all my essays and bound them into a book for me. It was such a beautiful and thoughtful gift, and I've never forgotten it.

I found my publisher, Hoopoe Books, an imprint of the American University in Cairo, working with my literary agent. Hoopoe centers Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) voices, so they were the perfect choice for The Jinn Daughter.

What inspired the book?

My heritage! I grew up being fed oral stories by my dad, and so a lot of the stories are a reflection of his stories and our culture. What prompted the specifics of The Jinn Daughter is that a few years ago, I finished reading Tahereh Mafi’s Whichwood, and I loved the idea of taking care of the dead. When I was a teenager, I read Garth Nix’s Sabriel and the Old Kingdom series, and I fell in love with the idea of taking care of the dead there, too, so it all culminated into The Jinn Daughter, with someone who cares for the dead as she does the living. I think it’s important to honor our ancestors, our dead, and not forget their stories.

Hanna's debut novel, The Jinn Daughter, was published by Hoopoe Press in April. Photo provided

How did you come to attend George Mason?

I've been wanting to pursue a PhD in neuroscience for some time, and living in the area, I narrowed down choices to those local to me. George Mason was one of my top choices, and in fact, my top choice, after meeting with professors from the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience and learning of the research being done. The program’s flexibility has allowed me to pursue my degree and study the areas I want. I'm studying the effects of taxanes [a type of drug that blocks cell growth] in relation to neuropathic pain in cancer models.

How does the writing tie into your academic studies? Is there any overlap?

Academic studies and research are stressful, so my writing is cathartic. Having a creative outlet is necessary to my mental health, and without writing, I would walk dead through life. My research and writing do not overlap currently, but I hope to apply my skills in both and write a neuroscience or other scientifically bent book one day.

Do you think you will write another?

Absolutely. Writing is woven into my soul, and Middle Eastern culture is known to have such a rich tradition of storytelling, so it is my culture lineage to write and to tell tales. I have another story in the works, this one focused again on Middle Eastern themes and draws from Arabian star folklore.

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Hear Rania Hanna talk about her novel

Graduate discovered her community at Mason and learned to lead

Colleen Rich — Thu, 18 May 2023 20:39:06 +0000

Graduate discovered her community at Mason and learned to lead Colleen Rich Thu, 05/18/2023 - 16:39

Sarah Hunter chose ��AV not only because she knew it was a prestigious school, but because she felt a sense of calm when she toured the campus.

Hunter liked the atmosphere at Mason, and the diversity she saw during that campus tour made the neuroscience major feel like she would fit in. She was thrilled when she was accepted and began her freshman year, then COVID quickly changed everything.

After almost two years at home, returning to campus was difficult for Hunter. She decided that she had to get out of her comfort zone and re-engage with the Mason community, so she joined the student organization Women of Color in STEM. Finding this like-minded community sparked new friendships and built her confidence.

From there, she branched out and became one of the founding members of the Mason chapter of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE).

“I never saw myself as a leader,” said Hunter, who is graduating this week with a bachelor of science in neuroscience. “The more I got involved I actually felt heard, and it changed me. I’m more confident now.”

During her time at Mason, Hunter has held leadership positions with Women of Color in STEM, and NOBCChe, as well as the National Society of Black Engineers and the Pre-Pharmacy Honor Society. In all these roles, she is passionate about motivating others to get involved, find their path, and get inspired.

Her advice to incoming students is to get involved on campus as soon they can. “There are so many different kinds of student organizations here. It is hard to choose just one.”

Hunter plans to attend graduate school in the fall to begin a pharmacy degree.

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Ascoli’s Lab Continues to Crowdsource

Teresa Donnellan — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 16:07:11 +0000

Ascoli’s Lab Continues to Crowdsource Teresa Donnellan Thu, 10/20/2022 - 12:07

In This Story

Giorgio Ascoli

A study led by bioengineering professor Giorgio Ascoli has received $250,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. The project will make use of a massive open-source repository called Hippocampome maintained by Ascoli’s lab.

Ascoli, along with Gina C. Adam of George Washington University, is applying learning rules to “a full-scale spiking neural network simulation of the CA3-CA1 region [of the brain],” a EurekAlert! news release states. The simulation will be based on information from Hippocampome. The release further states that the project, called "CRCNS22 Learning Rules in the Hippocampus and their Mapping to Neuromorphic Systems," will enable scientists to estimate “how much of the learning in these neuroanatomically constrained networks is due to dynamic synaptic plasticity and how much is due to fixed neuroanatomy.”

Incidentally, Ascoli’s lab recently received attention via a gmu-tv video highlighting another of its open-source repositories, NeuroMorpho.org. Ascoli says, “The future of neurological research is collaborative, and NeuroMorpho.org is where collaboration happens.”

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Neuroscience

Bioengineering

federal funding

Bioengineering research featured in the scientific journal Nature

Martha Bushong — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 17:26:36 +0000

Bioengineering research featured in the scientific journal Nature Martha Bushong Tue, 10/05/2021 - 13:26

In This Story

Giorgio Ascoli

The October issue of Nature features research by Mason researchers. Cover illustration provided by Nature.

Two recent research publications authored by bioengineering professor Giorgio Ascoli appear as the cover articles in the first issue of the October edition of the scientific journal Nature.

The thrust of Ascoli’s research involves developing technologies and models to investigate neural circuits from molecular to whole-brain scales. These technologies have implications for a better understanding of brain functions and brain diseases.

“The brain is the most complex object in the universe; it’s the seat of our inner lives and by far the most intelligent machine we know. Mapping all cell types in the brain amounts to establishing a ‘parts list,’ which is an essential step in reverse-engineering the functional circuit blueprint,” says Ascoli.

The Nature article, “A multi-modal cell census and atlas of the mammalian primary motor cortex,” discusses the methods and techniques used to generate a systematic, multi-modal strategy that can be extended to the whole brain. The article reports on the creation of a cell census and atlas of the motor cortex—the area of the mammalian brain that controls movement. The publication is the initial product of the BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN).

“The overarching goal of the BICCN is to leverage these technologies to generate an open-access reference brain cell atlas that integrates molecular, spatial, morphological, connectional and functional data for describing cell types in mouse, human and non-human primates,” says Ascoli.

Much like a population census that defines the characteristics of a group of people and informs decisions, cell census information aligned across species will be highly valuable for making rational choices about the best models for each disease and therapeutic targets.

The companion article “Cellular anatomy of the mouse primary motor cortex” characterizes, in detail, the connectivity architecture of the network of nerve cells making up the command center for movement in the mammalian brain. In this study, Ascoli is the first senior corresponding author of a large collaborative team that includes Mason doctoral graduate Manju Attili (now a lead data scientist at MITRE Corporation), Research Associate Professor Diek Wheeler, and colleagues from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, and the University of California, Los Angeles, among other institutions.

Bioengineering department chair Mike Buschmann envisions even more innovative applications for the research. He says, “The molecular and anatomical neuron atlas of the motor cortex that Giorgio and colleagues assembled provides a rigorous ground zero for a myriad of applications in brain-machine interfaces, biologically-inspired robotic controllers, active prosthetics, and artificial intelligence.”

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Bioengineering

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CEC faculty research

Mason was a perfect fit for neuroscience major

Colleen Rich — Mon, 10 May 2021 13:31:01 +0000

Mason was a perfect fit for neuroscience major Colleen Rich Mon, 05/10/2021 - 09:31

Malek Salhab. Photo by Shelby Burgess/Strategic Communications

When ��AV senior Malek Salhab mentioned he was Palestinian from Jerusalem, the logical question was, how did he find Mason?

Easy, he said, “my parents are alumni.”

Alan Salhab, BA Art ’97, and Nancy Khater, BA English ’01, attended Mason together, married and moved to Alan’s native Jerusalem. So when it was time for Malek to apply to college, Mason had an edge.

Malek, a neuroscience major and member of Mason’s Honors College, who will attend medical school at Virginia Commonwealth University as an early selection candidate on scholarship, said Mason did not disappoint.

“It’s provided an amazing opportunity for me to reach my potential and exceed my own expectations,” he said.

Salhab made the most of that opportunity.

He began the Mason chapter of United 2 Heal, a humanitarian nonprofit that provides donated medical supplies to underserved countries around the world. And he started the Health-Link Institute that provides aid to communities with a high concentration of disenfranchised people, such as Washington, D.C.

In addition to community service, Salhab has conducted research at Mason’s Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, and served on the President-Student Advisory Group and on the American Medical Student Association.

Salhab received the 2021 Spirit of King Award, presented to a student who made exceptional contributions to the development of an inclusive learning environment, and Student Involvement’s Distinguished Quill Award for senior leadership.

“What sets him apart is his compassion for others and his drive to make a difference in the world,” said Mimi Lewis Qurashi, health professions advising coordinator in Mason’s Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President. “It’s been inspiring to see the impact Malek has made during his time at Mason. I have no doubt with his skills and the knowledge he gains at VCU, he’ll make an even greater impact as a physician.”

For Salhab, creating those organizations carried personal value.

He called the medical infrastructure in Jerusalem “unacceptable.”

“Nobody really talks about medical infrastructure and supply shortages,” Salhab said. “People think, ‘Well, those countries, whether third world or otherwise, they are not as advanced,’ when the fix is really simple—send medical supplies.”

Salhab said United 2 Heal approaches hospitals and requests donations of surplus equipment, picks up the equipment and ships it oversees. Fundraisers help defray shipping costs.

Though rewarding, the effort is somewhat impersonal, which was part of the motivation for starting the Health-Link Institute, Salhab said.

“You’re physically handing a lunch bag to someone in front of you, and you can interact with that person,” he said, adding that the organization also was a way to break down academic silos at the university.

“I wanted to bring the pre-health professions—pre-med, pre-dentistry, pre-pharmacy and nursing—under one veil, so to speak,” Salhab said. “I saw people from a wide range working on the same project. We were all collaborating, which will be the case in our futures as health care professionals.”

Similar, he said, to how he collaborated with Mason.

“Whenever I wanted to do something bigger or better or more ambitious, Mason was always there to match my ambition,” Salhab said. “My experience here has been amazing.”

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Jane Flinn celebrates 50 years of service

Colleen Rich — Fri, 09 Oct 2020 09:00:45 +0000

Jane Flinn celebrates 50 years of service Colleen Rich Fri, 10/09/2020 - 05:00

��AV psychology professor Jane Flinn has achieved something few Mason faculty have: She’s celebrating 50 years of service. Flinn is only the second Mason professor to meet this milestone; English professor Don Gallehr was the first in 2016. Here are some fun facts we learned about her:

She was originally a physicist. Flinn started teaching physics at Mason in 1969. She could only teach part time on Tuesdays and Thursdays while her young daughter was in preschool, and she felt very fortunate to be hired “at a very new and very young” Mason.

She was born in England and educated at Oxford. Flinn originally came to the United States for her graduate studies. While working on her PhD in physics at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., she was able to audit some psychology courses and loved them. She decided to pursue a second PhD, this time in social psychology at George Washington University (GWU), which she worked on part time while teaching at Mason. After completing her second PhD, Flinn taught in both departments for almost 10 years.

She created Mason’s undergraduate neuroscience degree program. While at Mason, Flinn served as chair of the Psychology Department and director of the undergraduate neuroscience program she helped to create, among other duties. She also has been recognized with numerous accolades and awards including the David J. King Teaching Award, the university’s highest teaching award, and a University Mentoring Award. She is currently director of Mason’s Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Program.

She loves her field of research. During a required physiological psychology class at GWU, she had an “a-ha moment” about her career. “I think that the professor and I were the only two people in the room who really understood the physics of neuronal conduction,” says Flinn. “I suddenly felt I had come home. I discovered the subject I love, which combines both hard science and behavior.” Flinn’s current research focuses on the role of certain metals in learning and memory, especially pertaining to Alzheimer’s disease and traumatic brain injury.

She thinks you should get moving. Flinn is a huge advocate for brain health. One of her favorite classes to teach is one she designed: The Brain in Books and Film. “I think it is important to understand how your brain works,” she says. And that includes the essential role that exercise plays in brain health. Flinn recently started adding a five-minute break to her classes during which she and students exercise using a video by Wendy Suzuki, author of “Healthy Brain, Happy Life.” “Interacting with young people on a daily basis is something that is valuable and perhaps keeps one’s brain going,” she adds.

She believes education is transformational. Each year, Flinn mentors undergraduate and graduate students in her lab and says she finds it very satisfying when her students find success. “Education opens doors, and at Mason it opens doors for students who might not otherwise have this opportunity.”