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

Green Energy Needs Green Storage

by Apurva Govandefigures by MacKenzie Mauger North Africa’s vast, arid Sahara Desert region covers 3.5 million square miles, which is just about the size of the United States. Sunlight hits the Sahara an average of 3,000 hours every year. Covering less than 1% of the Sahara with solar panels would generate enough energy to power the globe. Some solar energy can be used right away … Continue reading Green Energy Needs Green Storage

Internationally Banned Ozone-Destroying Pollutant Emissions in China have Declined

For years, banned air pollutants that damage the ozone layer have been coming out of eastern China. Using the same atmospheric monitoring network that first detected the pollution, scientists recently found that the emissions from the country have now largely stopped. Continue reading Internationally Banned Ozone-Destroying Pollutant Emissions in China have Declined

Racism and Exploitation in Phase I Clinical Trials

By Mary May Many people regard participating in clinical trials as an altruistic act that could help save lives. Most people, however, are unaware of who actually participates in the earliest stage of trials performed in humans. The healthy people who participate in Phase I clinical trials for the majority of drugs in the United States are most likely low income, Black or Hispanic, and … Continue reading Racism and Exploitation in Phase I Clinical Trials

Racial Disparities in COVID-19

by Wei Lifigures by Olivia Foster Rhoades The United States has the highest number COVID-19 cases and deaths in the world, with over six million confirmed cases and over 189,000 total deaths in the country as of September 9, 2020. Within the US, the pandemic is impacting racial groups differently, disproportionately affecting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. As the country is slowly … Continue reading Racial Disparities in COVID-19

Racism, Toxic Stress, and Education Policy

by Valentina Lagomarsinofigures by Olivia K. Foster Rhoades Brain development takes a long time. In fact, the human brain isn’t considered fully developed until after 25 years of life! To ultimately develop a healthy brain architecture, the foundation has to be sturdy. Scientists have found that events that happen during childhood are the most indicative of how one’s brain develops. There are many childhood events … Continue reading Racism, Toxic Stress, and Education Policy

Racial Discrimination in Face Recognition Technology

By Alex Najibi We unlock our iPhones with a glance and wonder how Facebook knew to tag us in that photo. But face recognition, the technology behind these features, is more than just a gimmick. It is employed for law enforcement surveillance, airport passenger screening, and employment and housing decisions. Despite widespread adoption, face recognition was recently banned for use by police and local agencies … Continue reading Racial Discrimination in Face Recognition Technology

COVID-19: from treatment to prevention

by Apurva Govande figures by Tal Scully COVID-19, the disease caused by the newly discovered virus SARS-CoV-2, is a national emergency. We need a vaccine to prevent severe outcomes of disease, to successfully combat future outbreaks of this virus, and to ensure that businesses and schools can safely reopen. Until one is available, healthcare professionals can mitigate symptoms while deploying existing drugs that may show … Continue reading COVID-19: from treatment to prevention