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Nov. 5, 2025
Brain pathway may fuel both aggression, self-harm
Aggression and self-harm often both occur in individuals with a history of early-life trauma — a connection that has largely been documented by self-reporting in research and clinical settings.
Adding to this connection, individuals treated for self-inflicted injuries are five times more likely to engage in excessive aggression.
What’s happening in the brain to tie these two behaviors together?
A new Virginia Tech study by Sora Shin, assistant professor in the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC’s Center for Neurobiology Research, has identified a brain circuit that changes after trauma. The study was published Nov. 5 in Science Advances.
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Virginia Tech, Children's National announce pilot award program , articleThe new program supports innovative team science research aimed at promoting collaborative, high-impact, federally funded research. Proposals are due by Dec. 1, 2025.
Creating a healthier future. For everyone.
The Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC is one of the nation’s fastest-growing academic biomedical research enterprises and a destination for world-class researchers. The institute’s Virginia Tech scientists focus on diseases that are the leading causes of death and suffering in the United States, including brain disorders, heart disease, and cancer. Since its founding in 2010, the research institute has experienced unprecedented growth: doubling its enterprise and lab facilities in Roanoke, while also investing in brand-new laboratories on the Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus in Washington, D.C.
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Paraspeckle Protein NONO Regulates Active Chromatin by Allosterically Stimulating NSD1 , homeNov. 7, 2025, 10 a.m. | Chen-I Hsu | Graduate Student Dissertation Defense
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Research in Progress Seminar , homeNov. 11, 2025, 4 to 5 p.m. | Carol Bovo, Ph.D., Freitas-Lemos Lab | Fall Research in Progress Seminar Series
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Understanding Vascular Morphogenesis and Morphology: Live Insights from Zebrafish , homeNov. 21, 2025, 11:00 a.m. | Arndt F. Siekmann, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania | Co-Sponsored by the Center for Vascular and Heart Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute
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The Metabolic Switch in Development and Degeneration , homeDec. 12, 2025, 11:00 a.m. | Elizabeth Jonas, M.D., Harvey and Kate Cushing Professor of Internal Medicine (Endocrinology), Yale School of Medicine | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Center for Neurobiology Research
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Innovative Strategies for Overcoming Challenges in Brain Tumor Treatment , homeJan. 16, 2026, 11:00 a.m. | Kristin Huntoon, Ph.D., D.O., Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Arizona | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Cancer Research Center – Roanoke
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