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.)

Read article – Agnes Binagwaho, adjunct professor of pediatrics and of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, was recently appointed as the vice chancellor at the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) in Kigali, Rwanda. As vice chancellor of UGHE, Professor Binagwaho is expected to continue establishing the UGHE’s reputation as a global hub for health care delivery science.

Read article – Article cites research conducted at the Geisel School of Medicine that analyzed youth smoking and what motivates it from several perspectives, including the music kids hear and the movies they see. The researchers found that adolescents who see lots of smoking on the big screen are more likely than others to smoke.

Read article – Quotes Elijah Stommel, professor of neurology, who was the lead author of a recent study that found eating mercury-laden seafood may raise the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study will be presented in April at the American Academy of Neurology’s 69th Annual Meeting in Boston, Mass.