Recent News

Mixing fibers for gut health

July 29, 2025

Scientists have long known that fiber feeds beneficial bacteria in the human gut. Now, researches in Purdue University’s College of Agriculture have discovered that combining specific fibers can have a synergistic effect, producing a greater-than-expected number of anti-inflammatory substances. This work has the potential to transform how prebiotics are used to promote health.

Mixing fibers for gut health

Purdue Researchers Develop a Novel Human Brain Model to Study Alzheimer’s Disease

July 18, 2025

Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine researchers are taking an innovative approach to studying Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Ranjie Xu, an assistant professor in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences and a member of the Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, has developed a sophisticated 3D human mini-brain model to reveal new insights into how the disease progresses and to validate promising new treatments.

Purdue Researchers Develop a Novel Human Brain Model to Study Alzheimer’s Disease

New study from Purdue Health Sciences researchers finds early environmental factors that influence Parkinson’s disease development

June 17, 2025

With limited therapies available to slow disease progression and an aging U.S. population, the number of Parkinson’s disease cases in the United States is expected to rise to 1.2 million by 2030, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation. While many researchers focus on the disease after it has progressed, Jason Cannon, professor and acting head of the Purdue University School of Health Sciences, and Fatema Currim, a postdoctoral researcher in the Cannon Lab of Experimental and Translational Neurotoxicology, are looking into the first environmental and dietary exposures that influence Parkinson’s disease development.

New study from Purdue Health Sciences researchers finds early environmental factors that influence Parkinson’s disease development

Tackling Alzheimer’s: Purdue scientists map genetic risks for women

March 10, 2025

Despite decades of research, understanding the precise biological mechanisms behind the disease has remained a challenge. Now, an interdisciplinary team of researchers at Purdue University, led by Professor of Biological Sciences, Peristera Paschou, has made significant strides in uncovering genetic and biological factors that contribute to Alzheimer’s—particularly in women. Their work, published in Acta Neuropathologica Communications, provides new insights that could pave the way for more personalized treatment approaches.

Tackling Alzheimer’s: Purdue scientists map genetic risks for women

Purdue Psychological Sciences researcher explores brain’s reaction to pet pics, positive stimuli while examining neurological effects of depression

January 16, 2025

Spilled coffee on your khakis, check engine light blaring bright, laptop possessed by a digital demon again. But then your phone buzzes. It’s a picture sent by your spouse of your beloved family dog doing something quite precocious. Your mood is instantly elevated. Dan Foti, professor in the Purdue University Department of Psychological Sciences, has researched the brain’s reaction to such positive visual stimuli. The mood elevation from seeing your beloved pet may seem immediate, but it takes precious milliseconds for the information to be processed, no matter how cute the photo is.

Purdue Psychological Sciences researcher explores brain’s reaction to pet pics, positive stimuli while examining neurological effects of depression

Unlocking the Mysteries of the Brain

November 15, 2024

Despite more than six decades of research in the field of neuroscience, many functions of the brain — the most complex organ in the human body — remain a mystery. Recent research conducted in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine and the Bindley Bioscience Center revealed that scientists are one step closer to understanding the process that activates and deactivates specific proteins within our cells. This breakthrough could one day lead to enhanced treatments that may slow down or perhaps reverse the advance of neurogenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis.

Unlocking the Mysteries of the Brain

https://www.purdue.edu/research/features/stories/purdue-and-upenn-research-finds-link-between-aging-fat-accumulation-in-the-brain/

October 2, 2024

With age, some cells in the brain enter a state of senescence: rather than dying or regenerating by dividing, they just linger, alive, but functioning less effectively than normal cells. Senescence in the brain has been linked to cognitive decline, and senescent cells are targets for antiaging therapies, but researchers know little about how such cells appear and function in living organisms. Now, in a finding which may help to address aging-related disease, an interdisciplinary team — which at Purdue University was led by researcher Gaurav Chopra — discovered that diminishing energy production in aging neurons triggers senescence in nearby glial cells, which ordinarily support and protect neurons.

https://www.purdue.edu/research/features/stories/purdue-and-upenn-research-finds-link-between-aging-fat-accumulation-in-the-brain/

Inspired by the human body, engineer designs chips that could make wearable AI more energy efficient

August 20, 2024

Shreyas Sen, an Elmore Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University, is taking lessons from the human body’s nervous system to design chips that might get AI to work offline for a network of wearable devices without needing to frequently charge them.

Inspired by the human body, engineer designs chips that could make wearable AI more energy efficient

Bowman appointed chair of U.S. Labor Department’s advisory board for compensation, benefits of nuclear weapons industry workers

August 1, 2024

Aaron Bowman, professor and interim dean of Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS), has been selected to serve as chair of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health for the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program.

Bowman appointed chair of U.S. Labor Department’s advisory board for compensation, benefits of nuclear weapons industry workers

Purdue to open Accessible Precision Audiology Research Center in Indianapolis

May 6, 2024

Leveraging Purdue’s internationally recognized expertise in audiology and auditory neuroscience and AI-driven data analytics, Purdue University announced plans for the new Accessible Precision Audiology Research Center (APARC) in Indianapolis on Wednesday (May 1). The community-facing center will address the urgent need for accessible precision audiology, especially among underserved populations in Indiana. It will be housed in the 16 Tech Innovation District, the city’s destination for innovation and entrepreneurship, and be adjacent to Purdue University in Indianapolis, the urban extension campus that launches July 1.

Purdue to open Accessible Precision Audiology Research Center in Indianapolis