Cell Biology & Physiology News

It’s not every day that an undergraduate student approaches you with an innovative idea that significantly impacts the field and leads to developing a patented product, a startup company, and published research,” says Jonathon Hill, an associate professor of cell biology at BYU. “[But] I actually think the mentorship aspect is the best story here.”

In 2002, the death of legendary NFL center Mike Webster introduced the world to the degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The disease is marked by depression, rage, substance abuse, cognitive dysfunction, and dementia, and diagnoses are rising rapidly among retired football players.

Every October, schools around the country celebrate Red Ribbon Week, the nation’s oldest and largest drug abuse prevention campaign. New research from the Edwards Lab in the BYU Neuroscience Center shows the importance of this drug abuse education, revealing mechanisms that explain why young adults are more susceptible to the negative effects of marijuana than adults.