2025

Junk Food Puts Memory at Risk—Here’s How to Protect It
Source: Newsroom — UNC Health / School of Medicine (UNC) (https://news.unchealthcare.org/2025/09/eating-junk-food-increases-risk-of-cognitive-decline-study-shows/)
Summary: Taylor Landry, PhD, and his colleagues at Song Lab UNC found that just days of a high-fat diet disrupt memory circuits in the hippocampus by impairing glucose use in specific neurons—a process reversible with dietary or metabolic interventions.

2024

Wireless Drug Patch Shows Promise as Chronic Disease Treatment Delivery System 
Source: [Vital Signs – UNC Pharmacology](https://www.med.unc.edu/pharm/juan-song-lab-profiled-in-vital-signs-for-their-report-of-a-new-drug-delivery-system/) 
Summary: The Song Lab co-developed the Spatiotemporal On-Demand Patch (SOP), a wearable devicethat wirelessly delivers drugs via microneedles. This programmable patch allows precise, timed release of treatments for chronic conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. 

2023

Enhancing Neurons to Combat Alzheimer’s 
Source: [UNC Health Newsroom](https://news.unchealthcare.org/2023/04/scientists-enhance-new-neurons-to-restore-memory-elevate-mood-in-alzheimers-disease-research-model/) 
Summary: Dr. Song’s lab discovered that stimulating the supramammillary nucleus enhances adult-born neurons, restoring memory and mood in Alzheimer’s models. 

2022

Light Stimulation Boosts Brain Function 
Source: [Technology Networks](https://www.technologynetworks.com/drug-discovery/news/light-stimulation-spurs-neural-stem-cells-and-cognition-in-mice-361675) 
Summary: The Song Lab used optogenetics to stimulate hypothalamic neurons, increasing neural stem cell production and adult-born neurons. This led to improved memory retrieval and reduced anxiety-like behaviors in mice.

2020

Neuropeptides Modulate Local Astrocytes to Regulate Adult Hippocampal Neural Stem 
Cells 
Source: [UNC Health News](https://news.unchealthcare.org/2020/09/lack-of-key-neuropeptide-induces-neuroinflammation-to-impair-neural-stem-cells-and-limit-new-neuron-production/) 
Summary: The Song Lab discovered that the neuropeptide cholecystokinin (CCK), released from dentate interneurons, regulates neural stem cells via astrocyte-driven glutamate signaling. Stimulating CCK release promoted neurogenesis, while reduced CCK triggered astrocyte reactivity and neuroinflammation, impairing stem cell function.