By Esma Yerlikaya The Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award – otherwise known as the F31 fellowship – is a highly prestigious research grant designed to cover a graduate student's stipend and tuition. Beyond providing critical funding, being awarded an F31 fellowship serves as a significant acknowledgment of a researcher’s ability to … Continue reading Third Time’s the Charm: My F31 Fellowship Journey
Too Much of a Good Thing: Fluoride in Drinking Water
By: Abbey Rebok For over half a century, fluoride has been supplemented to drinking water to prevent tooth decay. While initially deemed as a major public health advancement, skepticism has been brewing over the necessity and safety of fluoridation. Critics of fluoridation suggest fluoride imparts an unnecessary risk to public health, while proponents boast of … Continue reading Too Much of a Good Thing: Fluoride in Drinking Water
Want to read an article about electrolytes? Na, K then.
By Gaelyn Lyons The other weekend, I took a trip to Target, my place of solace and self-care. As I passed the personal care aisle, I noticed a sale on Liquid IV, my go-to electrolyte powder for pre-run hydration. As I browsed the different aisles, I noticed bottles of Gatorade, packets of powdered Propel, and … Continue reading Want to read an article about electrolytes? Na, K then.
Tackling concussions head-on with safer sports equipment
By Louis Betz Approximately 80% of the United States population engage in sports and fitness activities. Engaging in athletics provides benefits to physical health, social behavior, and developing soft skills like leadership and teamwork, especially in adolescents and young adults1. Despite the benefits of sports, it is important to identify and minimize potential health risks, … Continue reading Tackling concussions head-on with safer sports equipment
The menopausal puzzle: piecing together hormones, health, and aging
by: Katie Kimbark The term “menopause” was first described in the early 1800s by French scientist Charles Pierre Louis de Gardanne.1,2 Despite its descriptions in the preceding millennia, he was the first to designate menopause as a medical phenomenon, distinct from any other stage in a woman’s life. Although women are often attuned to the … Continue reading The menopausal puzzle: piecing together hormones, health, and aging
Polio’s Resurgence Under Genocide: A Public Health Crisis Ignored
By Ikram Mezghani Imagine waking up with a sudden fever that leaves your muscles aching, and as the days pass, moving your limbs becomes impossible. For much of the early 20th century in the United States, that was a reality for many patients who contracted polio. Poliovirus is a highly contagious but often silent disease … Continue reading Polio’s Resurgence Under Genocide: A Public Health Crisis Ignored
Got Milk? The Science Underlying Lactose Intolerance
By: Alexandra Evans As children, we are told to drink milk to develop strong bones. However, approximately 70% of the global population are lactose intolerant, which means they lack the ability to digest lactose in milk-containing dairy products.1 Lactose is the predominant carbohydrate, or sugar, found in milk, as well as its main energy source. … Continue reading Got Milk? The Science Underlying Lactose Intolerance
Naturally Misleading: Uncovering What’s Hiding in Our Food
By: Jenny Lausch Imagine you are doing your weekly shopping at Aldi on a Saturday afternoon. You are a graduate student just trying to get by and do your best to stay healthy despite your crazy hours in lab and (very) limited free time. You are trying to limit your soda intake, so instead you … Continue reading Naturally Misleading: Uncovering What’s Hiding in Our Food
More Than Meets the Eye: The Chemistry of Art Objects
By: Elise M. Rizzi Gently meandering around a gallery, shuffling between works of art and closely admiring the details. Such appreciation is a common experience, though few ponder, how did this art come to exist? Not who created this piece of art, but how this conglomeration of matter came together. How did each molecule, each … Continue reading More Than Meets the Eye: The Chemistry of Art Objects
Heartbeat: One Researcher’s Advocacy Journey from the Lab to Human Impact
By Zari McCullers At a forum I attended in early October, I sat in a room filled with fellow researchers – primarily in the basic and biomedical sciences – ready to hear about the power of patient advocacy. This event was meant to remind us not just why we do our work, but for whom. … Continue reading Heartbeat: One Researcher’s Advocacy Journey from the Lab to Human Impact