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THE EMOTIONAL BRAIN: This tangle of cells contains both immature neurons (red and green) and mature neurons (blue) collected from a 13-year-old amygdala, an almond-shaped brain structure critical for emotional learning. The amygdala goes through an enormous growth spurt in childhood and adolescence - gaining as many as two million neurons – and scientists are trying to understand why. . A special region of the amygdala houses a multitude of immature neurons, like those pictured. UCSF researchers analyzed about 50 human brains of varying ages and found that most immature neurons are replaced by mature ones in our teenage years. The timing suggests that the mature cells may help drive the dramatic emotional development that unfolds in adolescence. . “Anyone who’s met a teenager knows that they are going through a rapid and sometimes tumultuous process of emotional learning,” said lead author Shawn Sorrells. “At the same time, adolescence is when many psychiatric disorders known to involve the amygdala first manifest." . Though their numbers drop in adolescence, a handful of the immature amygdala neurons survive to adulthood. These so-called “Peter Pan” cells may help the brain continue to adapt to new experiences into old age. Since this is the first time the neurons have been studied closely, the researchers plan to explore this question in future studies. . These mood neurons will be happy to know that they made it to our top 11 science stories of 2019! . 📷: Alvarez-Buylla lab / UCSF. . #UCSF #science #neuroscience #neuro #sciart #scicomm #brain #neuron #microscopy #imaging #biology #cellbiologyMantra for 2020: Never give up! 💪 UCSF School of Dentistry resident alum Dr. Ernest Goodman now leads research on the role African American dentists have played in civil rights and orthodontics. . #UCSF #UCSFLife #dentistry #meded #highered #inspiration #motivation #UCSFquotes #WomeninSTEM #UCSFProudTree of Lights: It could be the final year to enjoy the holiday lights on the roof of the Laurel Heights campus - an annual tradition that dates back to at least the 1960’s. The 40-foot tree has 36 strands of lights with 32 bulbs each that lights up the San Francisco sky during the holidays. . 📹: Ean Carlson, UCSF Facilities Engineer . #UCSF #UCSFLife #LaurelHeights #holiday #sanfranciscoeats“The students held a mirror up to us and said, ‘You have to do more than pronounce that you believe in diversity, equity, and inclusion – you actually have to do the hard work to unravel the consequences of structural racism in our society,’” says Catherine Lucey, @ucsfmed’s vice dean for Medical Education and executive vice dean. . Five years ago, UCSF students held a rally on the Parnassus campus to raise awareness of health care disparities, structural racism, and police violence. Since then, #WhiteCoats4BlackLives has sparked a national movement. . “In my 30-year career, I can’t think of a more impactful event than the White Coats for Black Lives die-in and the work that came subsequently,” Lucey says. . Pictured: UCSF students who participated in a White Coats 4 Black Lives anniversary rally in 2015. . 📸: Noah Berger . #UCSF #UCSFLife #UCSFStandsUp #MedEd #HigherEdA few words of inspiration from UCSF PhD candidate @victoriakcheung, first-generation college graduate. . #UCSF #UCSFLife #FirstGen #HigherEd #Neuroscience #WomeninSTEMDr. Nancy Ascher, the first woman in the world to conduct a liver transplant, right here at UCSF, shared a few words of wisdom during International Women’s Month earlier this year. . Follow along this month as we share some of our most inspiring quotes of 2019. . #UCSF #UCSFLife #UCSFWomen #UCSFquotes #WomeninSTEM40% of students UC-wide report going hungry or skipping meals due to lack of funds. . To combat this, the UCSF Basic Needs & Food Security for Students team has implemented a variety of programs, from a food market with free fresh produce, an app that shows when catered leftovers are available on campus to an Instant Pot cooking class that teaches how to create inexpensive meals. . This Thanksgiving, we are grateful to be able to empower our students to nourish their minds and bodies so they can focus on becoming the next generation of health leaders. . Recognize someone you know? Tag them! . #UCSF #UCSFLife #thankful #Thanksgiving #MedEd #HigherEd #InstantPotSalsa 💃🕺on the Plaza: UCSFers learned salsa steps and grooved to the music outside the Parnassus library. This event, hosted by @ucsfcampuslifeservices, animated the plaza with entertainment and fun. . #UCSF #UCSFLife #salsa . 🎞： Kathleen HennessyStudents from @ucsfnurse are building a new elective - Street Nursing. Their objective is simple: To use their expertise to help people experiencing homelessness on the streets of San Francisco. . In the meantime, you can find them every Tuesday morning near the SF Public Library with their medical supplies in tow, doing what they do best - provide nursing advice or just lending a compassionate ear. . #UCSF #UCSFLife #SanFrancisco #Homelessness #Nursing #MedEd #HigherEd . 📸: Elisabeth Fall

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