Matt Chittum
Matt writes about the people and scientific discoveries at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, builds and manages websites, and hosts the podcast "Big Science Small Pod." He earned an associates degree from Virginia Western Community College, a bachelor of arts degree in English from Roanoke College, and a master's degree in English from Virginia Commonwealth University. He joined the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute in 2020 after a career as a journalist at The Roanoke Times.
Stories by Matt Chittum
-
Article Item
Predicting the onset of a debilitating neurological disorder , articleViviana Hernández-Castañón, a postdoctoral associate at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, will use a fellowship from the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation to investigate brain activity changes associated with dystonia.
Date: Jun 25, 2026 - -
Article Item
‘A cautionary tale’: Study challenges assumption about brain activity in movement disorders , articleMeike van der Heijden found that studying activity in Purkinje cells in the cerebellum is not a reliable substitute for understanding activity in connected but less accessible deep cerebellar nuclei cells.
Date: Jun 19, 2026 - -
Article Item
International scientists to assemble in Roanoke to unlock the medicine of exercise , articleMore than 40 speakers and 250 attendees are expected for the 20th International Biochemistry of Exercise Conference, hosted in Roanoke by Virginia Tech and the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC.
Date: May 29, 2026 - -
Article Item
Examining a debilitating neurological disease with brain stimulation , articleAlyssa Lyon, a doctoral candidate in the Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health Graduate Program, will explore how neuromodulation changes communication between neurons in ataxia, a condition that affects muscle coordination and balance.
Date: May 22, 2026 - -
Article Item
‘The right patchwork’: New studies examine tobacco regulation , articleThree studies led by addiction researcher Roberta Freitas-Lemos examine approaches to reducing tobacco use, including tax policies and menthol bans.
Date: May 15, 2026 - -
Article Item
Systems neuroscientist takes a new approach to uncover neural drivers of mental illness , articleA professor with the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Michael Halassa is exploring intricate connections in the brain at the new Virginia Tech Patient Research Center at VTC, where he will conduct patient-based research in a clinical setting.
Date: Apr 15, 2026 - -
Article Item
Blood cancer researcher aims to stop the disease before it starts , articleSushree Sahoo, assistant professor in the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute’s Cancer Research Center — D.C., studies the hidden window between genetic mutation and cancer, seeking ways to intervene before disease ever develops.
Date: Apr 13, 2026 - -
Article Item
Changing the way we measure substance use recovery , articleAddiction researcher Allison Tegge and colleagues have proposed a new way to calculate recovery that recognizes incremental improvements and encourages people with multiple dependencies to keep going.
Date: Mar 10, 2026 - -
Article Item
Researchers refine understanding of the body's response to energy demands from exercise , articleThe study, led by Fralin Biomedical Research Institute exercise medicine scientist Zhen Yan, identified an important cell signaling mechanism that could be a target for treating diabetes.
Date: Feb 25, 2026 - -
Article Item
Keto diet could unlock the effects of exercise for people with high blood sugar , articleA new study by exercise medicine scientist Sarah Lessard found that feeding mice with hyperglycemia a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet lowered their blood sugar and improved their bodies’ response to exercise.
Date: Feb 25, 2026 -
Page 1 of 13 | 128 Results