Patient Shows New Dexterity with a Mind-Controlled Robot Arm
With twice as many electrodes in her brain as previous study participants, a paralyzed woman can move a robotic arm with unprecedented flexibility.
Contributors
Susan Young
Follow @twitterapiBiomedicine Editor
I’m the biomedicine editor for MIT Technology Review. I look for stories where technology stands to improve human health or advance our understanding of the human condition.
I joined MIT Technology Review in March 2012 after a brief stint in the Washington, D.C., news bureau of the scientific journal Nature. Before I ventured to the East Coast, I spent several years in the San Francisco Bay Area as a doctoral student in molecular biology and one whirlwind year in science-writing boot camp in Santa Cruz.
In California, I wrote for the Stanford University press offices, the Multiple Sclerosis Discovery Forum, and the Salinas Californian newspaper. I grew up in a small town in eastern Texas, surrounded by bird song, rolling cattle fields, and lanky pine trees. When I’m not exploring health tech, you will probably find me cooking or giggling over an exceptional LOLcat.
Susan Young's Stories
Type
Healthy Genetic Variants Used to Make New Cholesterol Drugs
By mimicking genetic variation in people with naturally low levels of cholesterol, drug developers are hoping to create a new drug.
Biotech Amgen to Buy Genetics Pioneer DeCode
Amgen places a $415 million bet that human genetics will boost drug discovery.
Brain Pacemaker Tested on Alzheimer’s Patients
In an experimental trial, surgeons have implanted deep-brain stimulators into U.S. and Canadian Alzheimer’s patients.
Gene Therapy on the Mend as Treatment Gets Western Approval
Regulatory approval of a gene therapy treatment in Europe could spark broader patient access to the technology.
A Simple Gene Test Helps Curb Tuberculosis in Prisons
DNA sequencing is the most cost-effective way to screen for drug-resistant strains in prisons, say Stanford researchers.
Pass the Turkey Genome
Researchers are using genomics to breed a better Thanksgiving bird.
Medical Society Approval for Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing
Cell-free fetal DNA test can be primary screen for aneuoploidy-risk pregnancies, says Ob-Gyn society
Genetic Screening Can Uncover Risky Matches at the Sperm Bank
A startup called GenePeeks will identify recessive diseases that could show up in children of sperm-bank clients and donors.
The Latest Wearable Fitness Tracker Is the Size of a Quarter
The sleek device tallies simple movements like running and biking.
