Ruairi J Mackenzie
Technology Networks
RJ is a freelance science writer based in Glasgow. He covers biological and biomedical science, with a focus on the complexities and curiosities of the brain and emerging AI technologies. RJ was a science writer at Technology Networks for six years, where he also worked on the site’s SEO and editorial AI strategies. He created the site’s podcast, Opinionated Science, in 2020. RJ has a Master’s degree in Clinical Neurosciences from the University of Cambridge.
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Published Content
Total: 609
News
Antipsychotic Drugs May Work Differently to How We First Thought
Scientists have paved a new path toward more effective drugs for schizophrenia and provided results that suggest the way these drugs work is more complex than first thought.
News
Brain Wave Study Reveals Secrets of Unconsciousness
Spelunking the depths of unconsciousness may have gotten a notch easier, as researchers from MIT unveil a pioneering study on how general anesthetics affect our brain waves.
News
“Exciting” New Alzheimer’s Drug Slows Disease Progression, But Side Effects Dampen Celebrations
A paper outlining the efficacy of a new drug for Alzheimer’s disease has been published. The hotly awaited findings confirm that the compound, donanemab, can delay the rate of decline in individuals with early-stage Alzheimer’s by 22.3%. Nevertheless, side effects complicate the picture.
News
Chat-MD? Scientists Put AI Models’ Medical Skills to the Test
In a new study published in Nature, scientists from Google Research have introduced a novel benchmark, known as MultiMedQA, for evaluating the ability of large language models (LLMs) to present accurate answers to medical questions.
News
Enjoy the Science of Silence: We Hear Silence Just Like Other Sounds
As our world grows louder by the day, more and more people are searching for a little silence. Now, a new study suggests that our brains can hear silence in the same way it perceives sound.
News
Human Breast Milk Compound Alters Brain Growth in Mice
Human breast milk is a nutrient-rich mix that helps nurture newborns through an essential period of development. New evidence suggests that one particular compound derived from breast milk, the sugar myo-inositol, might play an important role in the maturation of the newborn brain.
Article
Neurodegeneration: Are We Closer to a Cure, or Still a World Apart?
Our knowledge of how pathological proteins like amyloid spread and become deposited throughout the brain in many major neurodegenerative diseases is now extensive. Nevertheless, our improved understanding of Alzheimer’s molecular mechanisms has yet to bridge over to effective treatments that reverse disease progress. Are we any closer to a cure?
News
Alzheimer’s Drug Gets Full FDA Approval Despite Safety Concerns
The FDA has this week converted the accelerated approval of the Alzheimer’s disease drug lecanemab to a traditional approval. However, concerns regarding side effects weighed against limited clinical benefits raise concerns surrounding its use.
News
Feral Mink Brains Suggest That the Effects of Domestication Can Be Reversed
In a highly unexpected defiance of evolutionary biology, feral populations of the American mink have been shown to reverse key changes to their brain size that occur during domestication. The study reaffirms the amazingly plastic nature of the animal brain, even in the face of many generations of selective breeding.
News
Depression After a TBI May Be a Distinct Condition
A new study suggests that depression developing in the aftermath of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) should be characterized differently from classical major depressive disorder (MDD).
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