Where you live may affect your brain health, new study finds 

Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist

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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Oct. 15, 2025 — The conditions where you live may influence your brain health and risk for dementia, according to a new study from Wake Forest University School of Medicine 

The study, published today in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Behavior & Socioeconomics of Aging, a journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, found that individuals living in neighborhoods with higher levels of social vulnerability, environmental injustice and socioeconomic disadvantage showed measurable differences in brain structure and function. 

“This study is consistent with other research showing that the state of the social environment in which people live can shape their brain health in profound ways,” said Timothy Hughes, Ph.D., associate professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and senior author. 

Researchers analyzed data from 679 adults enrolled in the Healthy Brain Study at the Wake Forest Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Each participant underwent brain scans and blood tests to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The team then compared these results with three national-level tools that assess neighborhood conditions at the level of the zip code: the Area Deprivation Index, Social Vulnerability Index and Environmental Justice Index. 

Higher scores on these indices, reflecting greater neighborhood burden of the social determinants of health, were linked to changes in dementia-related biomarkers, especially among Black participants whose neighborhoods experienced the most burden of the social determinants. These dementia-related biomarkers included a thinner outer layer of the brain, white matter changes representing vascular disease, reduced blood flow and more uneven circulation, all of which may contribute to memory and cognitive decline over time. 

“This study is one of the first to connect a variety of place-based social factors with advanced biological markers of dementia,” said Sudarshan Krishnamurthy, a sixth-year M.D.-Ph.D. candidate and lead author. “It shows that the conditions and environment in which people live — such as access to clean air, safe housing, nutritious food and economic opportunity — may leave a lasting imprint on brain health.” 

The study contributes to a growing body of evidence that social and environmental factors are not just background influences but central to understanding and addressing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.  

Krishnamurthy emphasized the policy relevance of the findings. 

“If we truly want to improve brain health across all communities, we must look beyond individual choices and hone in on the broader systems and structures that shape health at the neighborhood level.” 

This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health grants F30 AG085932 and P30 AG07294; and the American Heart Association grant 24PRE1200264. 

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Journal

Alzheimer s & Dementia Behavior & Socioeconomics of Aging

DOI

10.1002/bsa3.70030 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Associations of place-based social determinants of health with biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias

Article Publication Date

15-Oct-2025

 

Extreme weather shapes climate change perceptions worldwide

Universiteit van Amsterdam

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People who have lived through floods, heatwaves, or other climate-related disasters are significantly more likely to view climate change as a very serious threat, according to new research from the University of Amsterdam, published in Environmental Research Letters.

The study, by Fabian Dablander from the UvA’s new climate institute SEVEN, analysed nationally representative survey data from more than 128,000 people across 142 countries. The results show a clear and consistent pattern: individuals who had personally experienced a climate-related hazard in the past five years were more inclined to describe climate change as a very serious threat compared to those in the same country who had not lived through such events. 

Floods, droughts, heatwaves 

One striking finding is the powerful effect of heatwaves on risk perception. Experiencing a heatwave increased the likelihood of seeing climate change as a serious danger to about the same extent as having a university education – a factor long recognised as one of the strongest predictors of climate awareness. The effect of floods, droughts, and heatwaves showed large variation across countries, while other hazards such as hurricanes and wildfires produced more consistent reactions worldwide. Even relatively infrequent events like mudslides were associated with heightened risk perception, demonstrating the broad psychological impact of experiencing natural hazards. 

Influence of political leadership and cultural narratives  

But the results also show that while individual experiences with disasters matter deeply, they do not always scale up neatly to the national level. Countries with widespread exposure to climate-related hazards do not necessarily have higher overall levels of climate risk perception. For example, although flooding is the most common hazard worldwide, national concern about climate change remains relatively low in some flood-prone regions. This suggests that media coverage, political leadership and cultural narratives strongly influence how people make sense of their experiences. 

Differences were also apparent across regions. People in South America were the most likely to view climate change as a very serious threat, with nearly three-quarters of those surveyed saying so, whereas in Europe the figure was closer to half. Meanwhile, residents of Oceania reported the highest overall rates of hazard experience, with more than four in ten saying they had lived through at least one extreme event in the past five years. Europe had the lowest rates of people reporting hazard experience, at two out of ten. 

A psychological gateway 

‘Personal experiences cut through abstract statistics and political debates,’ says Dablander. ‘When someone has lived through a devastating flood or heatwave, the risks of climate change become much more tangible and harder to dismiss.’ Dablander describes such experiences as a psychological “gateway” that can transform climate change from a distant concept into a pressing personal reality.

The implications are significant for public debate and policy. Although individuals who endure extreme events are more likely to take climate risks seriously, these personal experiences alone may not be enough to build national consensus. Without effective communication and political leadership, even widespread exposure to hazards may fail to galvanize the collective action needed to address the climate crisis. 

140 countries 

The research analysed data from the 2023 World Risk Poll conducted by Lloyd’s Register Foundation and Gallup. By examining hazard experiences alongside education, income, and resilience across more than 140 countries, the study provides the most comprehensive global picture yet of how climate impacts are shaping risk perceptions. 

‘Billions of people are already living with the impacts of climate change,’ says Dablander. ‘As these experiences accumulate, we may see rising demand for climate action. But without political leadership and media willing to connect the dots, those experiences alone won’t drive the transformation we need.’ 

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Journal

Environmental Research Letters

DOI

10.1088/1748-9326/ae0ae9 

WORD OF THE DAY 

Mount Sinai receives $4.5 million NIH award to launch a pioneering women’s environmental health research training program

First of its kind in New York state and first to integrate the field of exposomics

The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine

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New York, NY (October 15, 2025) – The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has received a prestigious $4.5 million, five-year K12 award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish a pioneering program that will train the next generation of leaders in women’s health research.

The program, called the Mount Sinai Life-course Exposomics Analytic Program (LEAP) in Women’s Health, is led by Rosalind J. Wright, MD, MPH, Dean for Public Health and Chair of the Department of Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine. LEAP is part of the NIH’s Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health initiative. LEAP is currently the initiative’s only active and funded program in New York State and the first nationally to integrate exposomics in women’s health research training.

LEAP will focus on the emerging field of exposomics—the study of how health is affected by the totality of environmental exposures across a person’s life, from conception onward. The program will provide support for three junior faculty scholars each year, giving them advanced training, mentorship, and resources to build independent research careers in women’s health.

“Advancing personalized medicine requires a deeper understanding of women’s health across the lifespan,” Dr. Wright said. “This includes conditions unique to women, such as reproductive outcomes, endometriosis, menopause, and gynecologic cancers, as well as disorders that affect women differently than men, including heart disease, lung disease, metabolic disorders, and mental health conditions. LEAP will allow us to accelerate training for early-career scientists and prepare them to lead innovative research that improves health outcomes for women everywhere.”

The program will provide scholars with a strong foundation in life-course theory, exposure science, epidemiology, and data science—essential tools for studying how environmental, social, nutritional, and chemical exposures influence women’s health across the lifespan. LEAP scholars will work closely with experts across disciplines including environmental medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, geriatrics, psychiatry, oncology, genomics, artificial intelligence, biomedical engineering, public health, and others.

“This new initiative builds upon Mount Sinai’s long-standing commitment to women’s health and environmental health research,” said Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, Interim Dean, Nash Family Professor of Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine, and Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System. “Our institution has pioneered studies in how environmental exposures shape disease risk, and we are now uniquely positioned to integrate that expertise with women’s health research. LEAP will create a powerful training environment that not only prepares future leaders, but also generates discoveries with the potential to transform care for women across their lives.”

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About the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is internationally renowned for its outstanding research, educational, and clinical care programs. It is the sole academic partner for the seven member hospitals* of the Mount Sinai Health System, one of the largest academic health systems in the United States, providing care to New York City’s large and diverse patient population.  

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai offers highly competitive MD, PhD, MD-PhD, and master’s degree programs, with enrollment of more than 1,200 students. It has the largest graduate medical education program in the country, with more than 2,700 clinical residents and fellows training throughout the Health System. Its Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences offers 13 degree-granting programs, conducts innovative basic and translational research, and trains more than 560 postdoctoral research fellows. 

Ranked 11th nationwide in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is among the 99th percentile in research dollars per investigator according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.  More than 4,500 scientists, educators, and clinicians work within and across dozens of academic departments and multidisciplinary institutes with an emphasis on translational research and therapeutics. Through Mount Sinai Innovation Partners (MSIP), the Health System facilitates the real-world application and commercialization of medical breakthroughs made at Mount Sinai.

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* Mount Sinai Health System member hospitals: The Mount Sinai Hospital; Mount Sinai Brooklyn; Mount Sinai Morningside; Mount Sinai Queens; Mount Sinai South Nassau; Mount Sinai West; and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai.  

 

Researchers ‘zoom’ in for an ultra-magnified peek at shark skin

Florida Atlantic University

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image: 

Scanning electron images show four types of denticle shapes found in bonnethead shark skin, arranged from least to most pointed (A–D). Samples come from juvenile and mature female sharks, revealing how denticle shape varies with size and maturity.

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Credit: Florida Atlantic University

Have you ever wondered what makes shark skin so tough and sleek? It’s dermal denticles – tiny, tooth-like structures that cover a shark’s skin. Made of the same material as teeth and shaped like small scales with grooves, these microscopic armor plates aren’t just for show. Dermal denticles serve important roles in helping sharks glide effortlessly, and protect their skin, especially during mating.

Although much is known, researchers still lack a full understanding of how dermal denticle shape changes across different parts of the shark’s body as it grows and if there are differences between males and females.

To solve this mystery, researchers from Florida Atlantic University turned to high-resolution imaging to examine bonnethead sharks (Sphyrna tiburo) – the pint-sized cousins of hammerhead sharks. Using advanced scanning electron microscopy, they were able to capture detailed images of the sharks’ skin, focusing on minute features like denticle shape, size and ridge patterns – details far too small to be seen with standard microscopes.

The team studied skin samples from 24 bonnethead sharks across various life stages. These sharks were an ideal subject, as their skin denticles undergo noticeable changes as they grow and show distinct features between males and females, especially in areas linked to mating.

Findings, published in the journal Integrative and Comparative Biology, provide an ultra-magnified peek into the hidden world of shark skin, revealing how evolution fine-tunes this natural armor for survival and reproduction.

Results of the study showed that denticle morphology changes significantly as bonnethead sharks mature, supporting the idea that these changes improve swimming efficiency and skin protection. Younger sharks had fewer ridges on the denticles, less overlap between them, and smaller ridge angles compared to older sharks. However, the overall length of the denticles stayed about the same at all stages. These changes likely help sharks swim better and protect their skin as they mature.   

“Shark skin is far more dynamic than people realize,” said Marianne E. Porter, Ph.D., senior author and an associate professor of biological sciences in FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. “Our study shows that as bonnethead sharks grow, their skin doesn’t just get bigger – it transforms in ways that improve swimming performance and provide greater protection. These changes help reduce drag in the water and strengthen the skin against physical challenges like predators or mating-related injuries. It’s a remarkable example of how nature fine-tunes biological structures to meet the changing demands of an animal’s life.”

Although previous studies found that female sharks often have thicker, tougher skin with higher denticle density – possibly to protect against male bites during mating – this study found minimal differences between the sexes. The only denticle trait that showed sexual dimorphism was ridge angle, which was slightly larger in males. There were also no significant differences in denticle features across the dorsal, medial and ventral parts of the abdominal region studied.

“This research is relevant because gaining an understanding of the developmental aspects of a shark’s dermal denticles can provide extraordinary insights into their evolutionary role in facilitating survival locomotion and reproductive materials,” said Hannah Epstein, corresponding author, a recent graduate of FAU High School and a current student in FAU’s Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College. “We can also apply these quantifications of shark skin to other fields, such as bioengineering, to specifically design materials that can help someone swim faster, just as denticles help a shark swim faster.” 

The patterns observed in this study mirrors findings in other species, such as Portuguese dogfish sharks, which have 11 different denticle shapes that appear at different developmental stages. Past research has also shown that juveniles tend to have smaller denticles than adults, a trend that held true for bonnethead sharks in this study. 

“The advanced imaging and analysis tools we have at the Marcus Research and Innovation Center were essential for this research,” said Tricia Meredith, Ph.D., co-author, director of research for Florida Atlantic Laboratory Schools, and an assistant research professor in FAU’s College of Education. “Using scanning electron microscopy and precise morphometric software allowed us to see and measure the tiny details of shark denticles like never before. This technology opens up new possibilities to understand how these structures function and evolve, giving us a clearer picture of shark biology and biomechanics.”

The Berlin Family Bioimaging Lab is a one-of-a-kind research laboratory that provides students access to high-tech equipment to work on complex research projects, including cancer treatment research, vaccine development, and prosthetic creation, among others. Students like Epstein can research some of the world’s most challenging problems at an early age and can share that research and publish it in peer-reviewed journals. The lab includes a micro computed tomography scanner; scanning electron microscope; histology suite; inverted compound microscope; and stereoscope and is available to researchers of all levels at FAU.  

Scanning electron images of embryonic bonnethead shark skin show detailed denticle structure. Image A displays the raw scanning electron microscopy view; Image B highlights five central denticles used for morphometric measurements, which were averaged to represent the sample.

(From left) Janeisy Davila, an alumna of FAU; Marianne Porter, Ph.D., Hannah Epstein (seated); and Jamie Knaub, FAU imaging lab assistant and a Ph.D. candidate.

Credit

Alex Dolce, Florida Atlantic University

Study co-author is Madeleine E. Hagood, a Ph.D. student of integrative biology at FAU.

The research was supported by a National Science Foundation CAREER Award grant, awarded to Porter, and an FAU Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry grant awarded to Epstein.

- FAU -

About Florida Atlantic University:

Florida Atlantic University serves more than 32,000 undergraduate and graduate students across six campuses along Florida’s Southeast coast. Recognized as one of only 21 institutions nationwide with dual designations from the Carnegie Classification - “R1: Very High Research Spending and Doctorate Production” and “Opportunity College and University” - FAU stands at the intersection of academic excellence and social mobility. Ranked among the Top 100 Public Universities by U.S. News & World Report, FAU is also nationally recognized as a Top 25 Best-In-Class College and cited by Washington Monthly as “one of the country’s most effective engines of upward mobility.” As a university of first choice for students across Florida and the nation, FAU welcomed its most academically competitive incoming class in university history in Fall 2025. To learn more, visit www.fau.edu.

 

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Journal

Integrative and Comparative Biology

DOI

10.1093/icb/icaf115 

Method of Research

Imaging analysis

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Zooming in on Bonnetheads: Quantifying Impacts of Maturity on Denticle Morphology