By: Ikram Mezghani Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is not a condition most people expect to encounter outside the pages of a neurology textbook. Globally, it is considered rare, affecting only one to two people out of every 100,000 per year. However, in August of this year, news reports began emerging from Gaza where doctors described an … Continue reading Paralyzed by Genocide: The rise of Guillain-Barré in Gaza
biology
A Bid for Bite-Sized Immunity: A Story of Safety Checkpoints in Vaccine Development Working Like They Should
By: Marissa Padilla and Julia Simpson Today, we have vaccines available for various pathogens (disease-causing agents) that have historically plagued mankind, including measles, tetanus, the flu, and most recently, COVID-19. Vaccines are our best form of defense against deadly pathogens because they teach our immune system to create small proteins, called antibodies, that help neutralize … Continue reading A Bid for Bite-Sized Immunity: A Story of Safety Checkpoints in Vaccine Development Working Like They Should
OMG! What’s with all these OTCs?
By: Elise M. Rizzi We’ve all been there - you wake up with a pounding headache, stuffy nose, body aches, chills, the whole nine yards. You head to the store to see what meds you might be able to find to help. The pharmacy aisle (Figure 1) is so overwhelming, with bright labels and long … Continue reading OMG! What’s with all these OTCs?
Raw Milk: A Game of White Russian Roulette
By Christina McAninch Figure 1. White, luscious, and perfect for bacterial growth. Source: Women's Healthcare Once upon a time, drinking milk was a game of Russian roulette. Prior to the 1800s, milk was produced in small dairies as close as possible to the consumer, minimizing transportation time while maximizing freshness and reducing the risk of … Continue reading Raw Milk: A Game of White Russian Roulette
Third Time’s the Charm: My F31 Fellowship Journey
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
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
Using Fruit Flies to Fight Frontal-Temporal Dementia
By Julia Simpson Dr. Daniela Zarnescu, the Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Training here at Penn State College of Medicine, has artistic renderings of fruit flies pinned to a corkboard in her office, and a stuffed neuron – small, fuzzy, and blue – on her desk. Dr. Zarnescu finds herself pulled in a … Continue reading Using Fruit Flies to Fight Frontal-Temporal Dementia
Pemphigus Vulgaris: A Rare Skin BlistERing Disease
By Coryn Hoffman The skin, or the epidermis, is the largest organ in your body, but have you ever thought about the structural components that allow your skin to stay intact? Cell-cell junctions are critical for maintaining the integrity of the epidermis, which protects your body from dehydration and external elements such as infection, physical … Continue reading Pemphigus Vulgaris: A Rare Skin BlistERing Disease
People Died and Nobody Paid Attention
By Rachel Kang Introduction The Castro District, known locally as The Castro, was one of the first gay neighborhoods in the United States. It transformed from a predominately working-class neighborhood to a hotspot of LGBTQ+ activism in the 1970s. Gay men flooded the streets, dancing, smiling, and proud to be who they were and to … Continue reading People Died and Nobody Paid Attention
This is your brain on gluten
By Victoria Vernail Gluten is a class of proteins naturally found in wheat, barley, and rye. Gluten is present in many common foods, including beloved pastas and baked goods, because it helps ingredients stick together. Food that is gluten-free may have a dry and crumbly texture compared to gluten-containing foods because it is missing the … Continue reading This is your brain on gluten
Lions Talk Science 