Coronaspeak has gone viral, and the English language may never be the same
Because of coronavirus, our daily speech is now full of epidemiological jargon such as “contact tracing.” Experts (including MindCORE’s Andrea Beltrama) say we are using language to relieve the awfulness of pandemic life.
In a Q&A, linguist Andrea Beltrama of the School of Arts & Sciences discusses new words and phrases that have entered the language during the current health crisis. “Just like this pandemic had a massive impact on every aspect of our everyday lives,” Beltrama says. “It had a massive impact on language.”
How to actually keep those New Year’s resolutions, according to science
We chat with Joseph Kable, professor of psychology and director of MindCORE at the University of Pennsylvania.
In a second installment of “side gigs” stories, meet four more Penn employees whose after-work endeavors go above and beyond. Heather Calvert (above), executive director of MindCORE, is one. Along with her husband, Matt Gauntt of Human Resources, and their son, she spends evenings and weekends caring for one very energetic puppy, Ugo, one of the newest students at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center.
Driven by Data
As featured in Omnia, School of Arts and Sciences summer programs emphasize the importance of students developing data science skills. “There are commonalities across all of these fields in the ways you go about trying to make inferences from large datasets,” says psychology professor Martha Farah. (Pictured: The Introduction to Python for Data Science Summer Boot Camp for graduate students, co-sponsored by MindCORE, was a primer course for the powerful programming platform.)
Minds in the Wild
As part of a MindCORE effort to bring research into the community, behavioral psychologist Elizabeth Brannon and her team spent the summer conducting two studies at the Academy of Natural Sciences to better understand how children learn.
For juniors who want to gain experience in academic research, the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CURF) provides a summer’s worth of research funding to give them a running start toward their professional careers. Participant Donissa Edmonds (right) of the College of Arts and Sciences, a senior from Gambier, Ohio, is conducting research in the lab of Rebecca Waller (not pictured) of the School of Arts and Sciences this summer
Beyond the Brain: MindCORE’s unparalleled foray into the human mind
Brain research has advanced tremendously in recent years, but deciphering the complex relationship between brain activity and human behavior remains a compelling scientific challenge. Penn, with its history of excellence in cognitive science and neuroscience, is taking on that challenge with MindCORE.
One hour, one painting: A Barnes visit reveals clues about how the brain processes visual cues
The exercise is one part of a two-week mindCORE summer workshop aimed at underrepresented undergrads across the country. This year’s program focused on language science and technology, and minds in the world.
MindCORE Undergraduate Fellow presents at 2019 International Neuropsychological Society Annual Meeting
Mariya Bershad, a Penn senior and participant in our 2018 Summer Fellowship program, presented her poster “Early detection of AD-related Cognitive Change with the Mobile Cognitive App Performance Program (mCAPP)” at the 2019 INS Annual Meeting. This pilot study investigated the feasibility and preliminary psychometric properties of a mobile app-based memory task (mCAPP) that targets memory changes associated with preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease.
Procrastinating on Climate Change
Joseph Kable, Baird Term Professor of Psychology and MindCORE Associate Director for Research, discusses why humans can’t seem to make the commitment to slow climate change.
Omnia, 1/23/19
A Summer Studying the Mind and Brain
MindCORE’s Undergraduate Summer Fellowship Program in Interdisciplinary Mind and Brain Studies provides Penn undergraduates with the opportunity to work full-time with a Penn faculty researcher for ten weeks, and to present their findings at the end of the Program.
Omnia, 12/03/18
Social scientists trade academic silos for shared workspace
Researchers at the new Social and Behavioral Sciences Initiative (SBSI), sponsored by MindCORE, have access to two state-of-the-art labs, grants, and a collaborative environment aimed at creating a vibrant research community.
Penn Today, 11/15/18
Widening the Lens on Language Study
MindCORE faculty in the School of Arts and Sciences use language to unravel mysteries of culture, cognition, and communication.
Omnia, 10/10/18
What happens to the brain after a traumatic injury?
Two undergraduates interning with Penn Medicine’s Ramon Diaz-Arrastia spent the summer looking for biomarkers in the blood of TBI patients, and studying whether the generic form of Viagra might help promote recovery after such an injury.
Penn Today, 9/28/18
Sharing the science behind what we do, what we say, and how we learn
During a two-week mindCORE summer workshop for undergraduates across the country, Penn faculty from eight departments and five schools presented their research on a range of on mind- and brain-focused topics.
Penn Today, 6/15/18
New Interdisciplinary Center to Promote the Study of Human Intelligence and Behavior
MindCORE launched in January 2018.
Almanac, 12/12/17