By Zari McCullers Ever wondered why some foods seem to have an irresistible hold on us, while others leave us indifferent? Moreover, have you ever had a drink or two, and feel like the cravings get even worse? Why does kicking bad habits feel like a tangled, uphill battle? Behind these compulsions are the complexities … Continue reading Tangled: The Weave Between Diet, Addiction, and Hormones

By Savannah Moscon Intro In the world of modern medicine, it is important to remember that we can wield immense control over our happiness and health through the practice of accessible, positive habits. First – what is happiness, according to neuroscience? Many may associate happiness with dopamine, but dopamine – as is explored in the … Continue reading Your Biology Holds the Key to Happiness

By: Coryn Hoffman What determines your eye color? Have you ever thought about what determines the color of your eyes? Your eye color is the result of the amount and distribution of melanin in the cells of your iris. Melanin is a natural pigment that is produced by specialized cells called melanocytes found in your … Continue reading Heterochromia: Seeing the world through different colored eyes

By Natale Hall The use of contraception among humans is a practice nearly as old as human civilization itself. The earliest known record of pregnancy prevention was described in an ancient Egyptian papyrus roll dating back to 1850 B.C.1 Over the next thousand years, birth control evolved (thankfully) from inserting acacia leaves into the vagina … Continue reading Targeting the sAC, Male Birth Control May Soon Become a Reality

By Laura Odom On a rainy summer day in 2005 in the forests near El Valle de Antón, Panama, herpetologists Edgardo Griffith and Heidi Ross went on a rescue mission. The goal of this ribbit-ing hunt was to collect specimens of endangered frog species and propagate their numbers in captivity, safe from a growing epidemic … Continue reading No More Fish in the Sea: A Lonely Treefrog and the Ongoing Climate Crisis

By Ikram Mezghani A cute axolotl. Adapted image. Have you ever wondered why certain amphibians can regenerate entire amputated limbs while humans cannot? Well, you are not alone! Limb regeneration is a superpower that amphibians such as salamanders, newts, and axolotls possess throughout their lifetime. Even though the phenomenon has been observed by many people, … Continue reading mTORnament of Healing: Unlocking the Secrets of Axolotl Limb Regeneration

By Abbey Rebok DNA, the complex code that defines our existence, is under constant assault by a slew of both exogenous (e.g. UV radiation, tobacco smoke) and endogenous (e.g. spontaneous chemical modifications) DNA-damaging agents. Limiting your exposure to exogeneous agents may decrease your overall DNA damage burden, but normal biological processes also generate DNA damage. … Continue reading Mishaps in Mismatch Repair: Understanding Lynch Syndrome Etiology