That tracks > Next time you visit your doctor, don’t leave your fitness tracker at home. Consumer-grade wearable technology can be helpful in managing complex brain and nerve disorders — for instance, helping to identify the conditions under which a seizure or migraine might occur. “This technology has great potential to provide more complete data for each person, allowing for … possible identification of triggers to allow for a more individualized and successful treatment plan,” Medical School neurology professor Sarah Benish, MD, told U.S. News and World Report in March.

Gene screen > Some Minnesota parents will soon be able to opt into whole genome sequencing for their newborns through a federally funded study called BEACONS. The study screens for more than 700 treatable diseases, with the goal of slowing or even reversing diseases that were once considered untreatable, said Medical School genetics and cell biology professor and Masonic Cancer Center member David Largaespada, PhD. “Biology doesn’t have to be destiny,” he told the Star Tribune in April. “These devastating childhood diseases can be prevented, not simply managed.” 

Stockpiling sleep > Can you stock up on sleep before a night shift at work or an overnight flight? Go ahead and try it, says Medical School neurology professor Michael Howell, MD. He recommends aiming for an extra 30 to 60 minutes per night leading up to the anticipated sleep-deprivation event. “Napping is a highly effective way of paying into your sleep account,” Howell told the BBC in February, as long as it doesn’t interfere with your ability to sleep at night.