News Mentions for the week of August 28, 2023

A massive study of medical and genetic data shows that people with a particular version of a gene involved in immune response had a lower risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Emmanuel Mignot, the Craig Reynolds Professor in Sleep Medicine of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, shares senior authorship with Michael Greicius, the Iqbal Farrukh and Asad Jamal Professor of neurology and neurological sciences, and Jean-Charles Lambert at the University of Lille in France.

Feeling a deep sense of dread about climate change? You’re not alone. Britt Wray, instructor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

We've all heard tales of the fabled “beer goggles” -- the phenomenon that alcohol makes people appear more attractive. However, new research suggests a different story. Alcohol might not enhance the physical allure of others, but instead give individuals the bravery to approach those they already find attractive. Molly Bowdring, clinical scholar of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted.

This summer’s heat wave is creating deadly conditions for people worldwide, and it turns out that rising temperatures don’t just affect our bodies — our minds are at risk, too. Britt Wray, instructor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provide comment.

Night owls may never truly love the those early hours. But there are simple ways to make them feel a little less painful. Rafael Pelayo, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted.

Stanford Medicine is celebrating Women in Medicine month and highlighting our women in leadership roles. Leanne Williams, the Vincent V.C. Woo Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is featured in this post.

A gift from a family of former student-athletes will help promote student-athlete well-being on The Farm. Kevin Anderson, '16, MS '16, together with his brothers Michael and Jack, have endowed Stanford Athletics' director of sport psychology position. Kelli Moran-Miller, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, will be the inaugural Anderson Brothers Director of Sport Psychology.

The National Survey of Drug Use and Health reported that people over age 65 are eclipsing their kids and grandkids in experimenting with marijuana today. Smita Das, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and chair of the council on addiction psychiatry at American Psychiatric Association, is quoted.

Despite emerging research, the health benefits of psychedelic drugs are understudied, leaving some worried about the risks of approving widespread use of such drugs before their benefits are better understood. Anna Lembke, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

A dearth of critical information has hampered efforts by the state and San Francisco to effectively address some of their most pervasive challenges, including substance abuse, mental illness and homelessness. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders make up 7.7% of the U.S. population, yet historically, the National Institutes of Health invested a mere 0.17% of its budget to research the health of these groups. A large cohort study termed ARISE and led by Ann Hsing, PhD, will be part of a national effort to address this gap. Clete Kushida, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and one of the co-investigators in the project, is quoted in this article about the study.