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Dr. Beata Kusmider

Managing Editor

About Beata

Engineer of biotechnology by training and a PhD candidate in molecular biology, Beata believes that science not only needs public understanding, but also engagement. At the same time, she realizes that science advances quickly. So fast, that it is hard for the information to be transmitted to and assimilated by the broader public. Consequently, Beata wants to participate in dissemination of new discoveries and creation of a forum, where groups with different points of view meet and every perspective can be heard and addressed.

Beata is the editor of 16 Breaks:

Could new synapses lift spirits?

Depression is a leading concern for public health, however, the available treatments are insufficient for many patients. Ketamine is a promising yet enigmatic new antidepressant option. Our research explores how ketamine remodels the connections between brain cells in mice.

Sep 25, 2019 | 3.5 min read
An ancient affair: a Neandertal woman and a Denisovan man had a daughter

We sequenced the genome of a ~90,000-year-old individual and discovered that she had a Neandertal mother and a Denisovan father. This shows that people from different prehistoric hominin groups occasionally met, interacted, and had children together.

Jun 19, 2019 | 4 min read
How Spiders Catch the Air for Their Flight

Though most spiders crawl from one location to another, some families of spiders travel through the air. This is known as ballooning. To better understand ballooning, we observed the flying spiders in nature and measured the properties of their ballooning silks in the laboratory.

Feb 25, 2019 | 3.5 min read
How the domestic rabbit became fearless

Domestic rabbits are much more fearless than wild rabbits. This study shows that tameness in domestic rabbits is associated with changes in brain regions that control perception of fear and response to fear.

Dec 18, 2018 | 3 min read