Brain Hijackers: How cancer manipulates the brain to help it grow

by Hannah Farnsworthfigures with Xiaomeng Han Most people know someone in their life who has been impacted by cancer, and a staggering 40% of us will be diagnosed with cancer in our lifetimes. Despite the prevalence of cancer in the general population, there are many types of cancer that still lack effective treatments. One such form of cancer is a type of brain tumor called … Continue reading Brain Hijackers: How cancer manipulates the brain to help it grow

How does your brain make you feel sick? 

by Courtney Whildenfigures by Arianna Lord Imagine this: it’s the peak of winter, and you wake up not feeling well. You touch your face, it feels warm, and your thermometer tells you that you have a fever. As the day goes on, you don’t have much of an appetite, you’re exhausted, and you crave the warmth of a blanket and a cup of hot tea. … Continue reading How does your brain make you feel sick? 

Illicit fentanyl pushes caregivers to go rogue in the new frontier of treating opioid use disorders

Getting people on medication treatment for opioid use disorder has gotten harder by Claire Wilcox Healthcare providers who treat addictions are pushing medico-legal boundaries in ways they never did before thanks to the arrival of illicit fentanyl over the last decade. While pharmaceutical fentanyl is an effective prescribed pain treatment, illegally manufactured fentanyl has taken over the illicit opioid market, largely replacing heroin. It has … Continue reading Illicit fentanyl pushes caregivers to go rogue in the new frontier of treating opioid use disorders

Special Edition: Diversity

The world we live in is full of both seen and unseen wonders, filled with unique human beings, organisms, and communities. From the hundreds and thousands of bacteria that make up the microbiomes we interact with on a daily basis, to the efforts made to conserve and increase biodiversity, to saving endangered species, scientific research has enabled us to uncover and preserve more and more … Continue reading Special Edition: Diversity

United Nations Report Highlights Opportunities to Improve Global Air Quality

by Nadia Colombifigures by Daeun Jeongedited by Jennifer Sun Air pollution contributes to roughly 7 million deaths worldwide every year. It is among the leading avoidable causes of disease and death globally, and the world’s largest environmental health risk. Furthermore, it is a cause of global health inequities, disproportionately affecting women, children, the elderly, and low-income populations.  Working collectively to implement air quality standards that … Continue reading United Nations Report Highlights Opportunities to Improve Global Air Quality

Competing Visions of Science Funding in Congress

by Nathan Druckerfigures by Daeun Jeong As the U.S. recovers from the pandemic and shores up its environmental defenses from a rapidly changing climate, federal money is being spent like never before. Simultaneously, the exceedingly competitive global economy is driving lawmakers to thrust the American economy into the 21st century. One result of this fervor is a potentially vast increase in federal funding for science … Continue reading Competing Visions of Science Funding in Congress

Real World Evidence: A new approach to approve medical products for children

by Jeongpyo Hongfigures by Xiaomeng Hanedited by Sarah Kalinowski A little boy is in the hospital to fix his leg. His surgeon uses spinal rods developed for adults to fix the little boy’s leg as it is the only thing that really fits. Since the rod was developed for an adult spine, its clinical safety and effectiveness in the legs of children – with considerations … Continue reading Real World Evidence: A new approach to approve medical products for children

How do motor behaviors get better with practice?

by Cheshta Bhatiafigures by Jasmin Joseph-Chazan Ubiquitous actions that we perform in our daily lives, like tying our shoelaces or playing basketball, rely on our brain’s ability to learn and execute motor skills; this ability to knit movements into a series of actions enables us to walk, dance, or play the piano. However, have you ever wondered why we can improve at these tasks with … Continue reading How do motor behaviors get better with practice?

Viral Fossil Records: A Look into the Past! (and the Future?)

by Misha Guptafigures by Xiaomeng Han For close to two centuries, humans have been studying the biological past using fossil records. In recent history, we have added the ability to reconstruct the sequence of our DNA to our arsenal. Furthermore, phylogenetic trees (structures that define the evolutionary relationships in the line of descent from a common ancestor) have been created for all manners of organisms, … Continue reading Viral Fossil Records: A Look into the Past! (and the Future?)