FABBS reports on items of interest to many communities – scientists, policymakers, and the public. In our news, you will see updates on science funding and policy, articles that translate research for policy, and descriptions of the research contributions of scientists at all stages of their research careers.
How to prevent obesity? Look to anti-smoking efforts
May 25th, 2017
Almost half of deaths in the U.S. are caused by our decisions to engage in unhealthy behaviors like poor food choices and alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use. So it should be easy to improve health, right? Not really, as it turns out. People continue to make self-destructive choices, despite knowing that their behaviors will likely cause them problems in the long run. That means policymakers need to understand why people make those choices, and then give them good
read moreFABBS Honors Henry “Roddy” Roediger
May 25th, 2017
Henry L. Roediger, III is the James S. McDonnel Distinguished University Professor at Washington University in St. Louis. He studies human learning and memory and has made contributions to the study of illusory or false memories; implicit memory tests and priming; retrieval practice effects and their implications for education; confidence about memory reports and their accuracy; highly superior memory abilities; and collective memory phenomena, among other topics.
Roediger
read moreTo Prevent Dementia, Get Moving
May 25th, 2017
What if there were a way to significantly reduce your odds of developing Alzheimer’s-related dementia, with no side effects? There just may be, and it has been around forever: exercise. Decades of studies show that physical activity has a host of health benefits, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Now, research by Dr. Ozioma Okonkwo at the University of Wisconsin, Madison finds that exercise can also help prevent the brain changes and cognitive
read moreNIH Rolling Out New Policy to Limit Support for Individual Grantees
May 25th, 2017
On May 2, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a new policy, restricting the amount of support individual grantees may receive from the agency. In a statement, NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins said NIH was enacting this policy to ensure the agency is “exercising optimum stewardship of the funds that we receive from taxpayers.” NIH also said the policy is necessary to address an imbalance in the distribution of NIH grant funding. Data indicate that 10 percent
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