Read article – According to a new Dartmouth-led study, preschool age children who are exposed to child-targeted fast-food advertising on television are considerably more likely to consume fast-food products. “I think what’s significant about this study is we’re using scientific methods we’ve developed over the past two decades to measure media and advertising exposure in an objective way, so that the findings are generalizable to real life and we’re able to control for influences that we know are important—like parents’ fast-food consumption and the overall amount of TV that children watch,” said Madeline Dalton, PhD, lead author on the study, professor of pediatrics and professor of biomedical data science at the Geisel School of Medicine, and professor of The Dartmouth Institute.

Read article – In an op-ed, Kathryn B. Kirkland, professor of medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine, professor of The Dartmouth Institute, interim section chief of palliative care, and director of the humanities in the medicine program in the department of medicine, argues that there are times when doctors should ignore end-of-life directives. “…Making sure your surrogates know what is important to you is critical. They will be the ones to tell your doctors whether to use life support in situations of uncertainty,” said Kirkland. (Kirkland is also participating in this year’s Dartmouth Public Voices project.)

Read article – Continued coverage on a study conducted by researchers at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center which found unique immune cells, deemed resident memory T cells, battle melanoma. Additional coverage: University Herald.

Read article – An article about a newly published study by researchers at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center found that unique immune cells, called resident memory T cells, do an outstanding job of preventing melanoma. “While we have shown that these T cells can kill melanoma in skin, we still need to determine whether they exist in other organs such as [the] lung, where metastatic melanoma grows,” said lead author Mary Jo Turk, PhD, associate professor of microbiology and immunology. “Since our study identifies that resident memory T cells are critical for protection against tumors, and that T cells in skin provide long-term immunity to melanoma, the generation of such cells should be the goal of future cancer therapies.”

Read article – An article that shares five observations about the appointment of Norman Payson, who graduated from Geisel in 1973 and is a member of the school’s Board of Overseers, to the board of directors for the Phoenix-based The CORE Institute.

Read article – Quotes Jeffrey Cohen, chair and professor of neurology, in an article about how the family of the 18-year-old Israeli-American suspected of making hundreds of fake bomb threats at American Jewish institutions claim a brain tumor was the cause of his behavior. Cohen says that such a tumor usually causes sensory issues and not behavioral problems. “I’m not saying it is impossible,” says Cohen. “It would just be in the realm of something so rare we would write a medical article about it.”

Read article – In response to claims from high-profile athletes about the benefits of computerized brain training games, cognitive neurologists offer advice on how to separate the hype from the hope for patients. The article quotes James L. Bernat, MD, FAAN, a medical ethicist and neurologist who holds the Louis and Ruth Frank Professorship in Neuroscience at Geisel, who said that he thinks it is important for physicians to help patients sort out what their goals are in using a brain training program. He makes a distinction between training and prevention. “If it really is a form of training, I have no quarrel with that,” said Dr. Bernat, who added that the questionable goal has to do with prevention.

Read article – Quotes Duane Compton, dean of the Geisel School of Medicine and professor of biochemistry and cell biology, in an article that shares five facts about his recent appointment as dean.

Read article – A feature story about how Duane Compton, professor of biochemistry and cell biology, has been named dean of the Geisel School of Medicine after serving in the role in an interim capacity for almost three years. “It is critical that Geisel’s next leader have a detailed understanding of the school’s mission and goals as well as its operating structure, including Geisel’s relation to its clinical partners. Duane Compton has both that depth of knowledge and a strategic understanding of Geisel’s future opportunities. Duane’s commitment to Geisel’s success has been clear and unwavering,” said President Phil Hanlon. (additional coverage in VTDigger.)