Rebecca L. Dyer

United States

Digital Producer and Copy Editor at The Arizona Republic

As a copy-editor, I'm part of the last line of defense, helping to hold the line on quality.

Articles

Brain Autopsies Reveal a Potential Culprit Behind Alzheimer's

1 month ago | sciencealert.com | Rebecca L. Dyer

Analysis of human brain tissue revealed differences in how immune cells behave in brains with Alzheimer's disease compared to healthy brains, indicating a potential new treatment target. University of Washington-led research, published in 2023, discovered microglia in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease were in a pre-inflammatory state more frequently, making them less likely to be protective.
Parkinson's Discovery Suggests We Could Already Have an FDA-Approved Treatment

Jan 19, 2025 | sciencealert.com | Rebecca L. Dyer

Researchers have discovered how a cell surface protein called Aplp1 can play a role in spreading material responsible for Parkinson's disease from cell-to-cell in the brain. Promisingly, an FDA-approved cancer drug that targets another protein called Lag3 – which interacts with Aplp1 – blocks the spread in mice, suggesting a potential therapy may already exist.
These 2 Jobs Have The Lowest Alzheimer's Death Rates. But What Does It Mean?

Dec 17, 2024 | sciencealert.com | Rebecca L. Dyer

Driving an ambulance or taxi as your job may provide some protection against Alzheimer's, according to a new study that discovered these occupations have the lowest rates of death associated with the disease. Researchers analyzed US death certificates for almost 9 million people who died during 2020–2022, linking occupational data across 443 professions with Alzheimer's as a cause of death.
Cannabis Use Linked to Epigenetic Changes, Study Finds

Dec 3, 2024 | sciencealert.com | Rebecca L. Dyer

Using cannabis may cause changes in the human body's epigenome, a study of over 1,000 adults suggests. The epigenome functions like a set of switches, activating or deactivating genes to change how our bodies function. "We observed associations between cumulative marijuana use and multiple epigenetic markers across time," explained epidemiologist Lifang Hou from Northwestern University when the research was published in 2023.
Brain Autopsies Reveal a Potential New Culprit Behind Alzheimer's

Nov 13, 2024 | sciencealert.com | Rebecca L. Dyer

Analysis of human brain tissue revealed differences in how immune cells behave in brains with Alzheimer's disease compared to healthy brains, indicating a potential new treatment target. University of Washington-led research, published in 2023, discovered microglia in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease were in a pre-inflammatory state more frequently, making them less likely to be protective.
Parkinson's Discovery Suggests We Already Have an FDA-Approved Treatment

Oct 9, 2024 | sciencealert.com | Rebecca L. Dyer

Researchers have discovered how a cell surface protein called Aplp1 can play a role in spreading material responsible for Parkinson's disease from cell-to-cell in the brain. Promisingly, an FDA-approved cancer drug that targets another protein called Lag3 – which interacts with Aplp1 – blocks the spread in mice, suggesting a potential therapy may already exist.
Owning a Cat Could Double Your Schizophrenia Risk, Research Suggests

Sep 22, 2024 | sciencealert.com | Rebecca L. Dyer

Having a cat as a pet could potentially double a person's risk of schizophrenia-related disorders, according to a recent study. Australian researchers conducted an analysis of 17 studies published during the last 44 years, from 11 countries including the US and the UK.
Watch Live: SpaceX's Polaris Dawn Launches For First Private Spacewalk

Sep 10, 2024 | sciencealert.com | Rebecca L. Dyer

After multiple delays, SpaceX looks likely to finally launch a four-person crew on the Polaris Dawn mission in just a few hours, and we can't wait to see the live action. This spaceflight is a huge milestone. If all goes according to plan, Polaris Dawn will travel farther from Earth than any human has in more than 50 years since the Apollo missions wrapped in the 1970s. Even more exciting are plans for the first private spacewalk.
Mice That Eat Less Live Longer – And We May Finally Know Why - NewsBreak

Jul 20, 2024 | newsbreak.com | Rebecca L. Dyer

Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments.
Mice That Eat Less Live Longer - And We May Finally Know Why

Jul 20, 2024 | sciencealert.com | Rebecca L. Dyer

We've known for over a century that mice and rats live longer when they are fed less, but a new study reveals the secret might be an imbalance between energy consumed and burned, rather than a lack of energy or protein. Researchers from the US and UK studied groups of mice put on identical diets, finding those housed in cooler environments lived longer and healthier lives. The important variance was that they had to use more energy to keep warm.