A prestigious research institute based at UCLA will honor Dr. John E. Buster, associate director of the Center for Reproduction and Infertility at Women & Infants Hospital and professor of obstetrics and gynecology, as one of its three “Legends” this May. Dr. Buster is being recognized for his outstanding contributions to reproductive endocrinology and infertility throughout his career. Read more

Each semester scores of undergraduate volunteers provide services such as free health screenings, health-related social work, and high-school sexual education across Providence. Student volunteers talk about the CareFree Clinic, Clinica Esperanza, HealthLeads, and SHAPE. Read more

For decades, scientists have looked for explanations as to why certain conditions occur with age. Now a fascinating body of research supports a largely unrecognized culprit: the aging of the eye. Dr. David Berson, a professor of medical science whose lab studies what the eye tells the brain, spoke to The New York Times about the topic. Read more

Butler Hospital has awarded Dr. Steven A. Rasmussen of Barrington with its annual award for physician excellence in 2011. The Robert J. Westlake, MD Award annually goes to a doctor at Butler Hospital in recognition of their personal achievements and contributions to the mental health of the people of Rhode Island. Read more

A study led by Xiaomeng Xu, a psychology intern in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, finds that a brain scan conducted at the very beginning of a relationship can determine whether a couple is destined for love and marriage or heartbreak. Read more

Dr. Jennifer Johnson, assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior, talks about recent changes to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, which mental health professionals use to diagnose patients. She says symptoms of depression exhibited while grieving are now considered as actual depression. Read more

Evolutionary biologists at Brown University, including Dr. Pascal-Antoine Christin, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Dr. Erika Edwards, assistant professor of biology, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Sheffield, have documented for the first time that plants swap genes from plant to plant to fuel their evolutionary development. Read more

A team lead by Don Ho, a graduate student in the lab of chemistry professor Shouheng Sun, have created a living 3-D model of a brain tumor and its surrounding blood vessels. The living-tissue model could be used to test the effectiveness of nanoparticles in fighting other diseases. Read more

Dr. Wael Asaad, assistant professor of neurosurgery, reveals the important roles expectation and surprise play in the learning process. Dr. Asaad's research lab seeks to improve the understanding of the basic neural mechanisms of learning and to develop strategies to repair the brain following disease, traumatic injury, or stroke. Read more