Youths Making School Threats Have Significant Psychiatric and Experiential Similarities
Vignesh Subramanian ’24 Amid spikes in school threats, school shootings, and the proportion of K-12 students requiring emergency psychiatric interventions and referrals at schools in the United States, attention is increasingly being focused on the characteristics and needs of youths predisposed to violence or mental health crisis. Decades of research have repeatedly found that students who threaten or engage in attacks against people and campuses … Continue reading Youths Making School Threats Have Significant Psychiatric and Experiential Similarities
Racial Disparities in Recommendation of Resective Surgery Undermines Treatment of Brain Tumors
Vignesh Subramanian ’24 Brain tumors—abnormal and typically cancerous growths of uncontrollably multiplying cells—are often first treated using a surgical approach. Benign and malignant brain tumors may be addressed with excision (partial removal) or resection (complete removal) procedures once an evaluation of surgical indications has established their necessity. As such, these procedures require the physicians with whom patients consult—whether neurosurgeons, oncologists, neurologists, or other specialties—to explicitly … Continue reading Racial Disparities in Recommendation of Resective Surgery Undermines Treatment of Brain Tumors
Transgender and Gender Diverse Individuals at Greater Risk For Suicidal Ideation
Jessica George ’24 Suicide has been a long standing issue in the United States, with several socio-demographic and economic factors affecting an individual’s susceptibility to suicide risk. Transgender and gender diverse individuals (TGD) are at especially high risk. Given the high rates of suicide among TGD, as well as the lack of research in this area, it is important to address this gap. Dr. Kirakosian … Continue reading Transgender and Gender Diverse Individuals at Greater Risk For Suicidal Ideation
Insight on Histone Modification Mechanism Using Arabidopsis thaliana Flower
Julia Chivu ’23 Histone modifications play an essential role in the development and adaptation of plants. Histones are proteins that are involved in the packaging of DNA into chromatin. Histone modification can result in the regulation of gene expression in response to stress, temperature, light, and pathogen attack. The majority of histone-modifying enzymes– such as histone deubiquitinases– are not able to bind DNA. As a … Continue reading Insight on Histone Modification Mechanism Using Arabidopsis thaliana Flower
Growth of Artificial Brain Tumors Using Three Dimensional Cell Culture
Julia Chivu ’23 Three dimensional culture systems and patient derived cells successfully allow for tumoroid development. Tumoroids are structures that grow and appear morphologically similar to naturally growing tumors in a patient. Tumoroids show promise for testing new drugs and cancer treatments. For instance, glioblastoma is a form of brain cancer that is aggressive, fast growing, and deadly. In particular, the mesenchymal subtype of this … Continue reading Growth of Artificial Brain Tumors Using Three Dimensional Cell Culture
Racial Disparities in Childhood Adversity Exposure Influence Neuroanatomical Development
Vignesh Subramanian ’24 Childhood adversity is a broad term encompassing a range of experiences and circumstances that negatively impact a child’s well-being and development. Such circumstances include trauma and exposure to violence, all forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and family economic hardship, with profound and stratified implications for lifelong health. Lasting effects often include the development of toxic stress responses, accumulating hormones that over-activate certain … Continue reading Racial Disparities in Childhood Adversity Exposure Influence Neuroanatomical Development
Early Taste Experiences Drive Neural Responsiveness and Plasticity in Gustatory Cortex Circuits
Vignesh Subramanian ’24 An individual’s taste preference strongly influences their food choice, impacting their diet and, in turn, their health. Taste preference is defined as an individual’s partiality towards a particular food based on their sensory perception of its taste modalities (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, etc.), flavor, texture, and a host of other factors, and is in part guided by early experiences that identify foods … Continue reading Early Taste Experiences Drive Neural Responsiveness and Plasticity in Gustatory Cortex Circuits
Dancing on the Way to Good Health: The Implications for Culturally Relevant Dancing in the Latino Older Adult Population
Peter Gillespie ’25 Figure 1 Merengue, cha-cha cha, bachata, and salsa are four popular forms of dancing that have the potential to increase physical activity, thereby helping to prevent cognitive decline. Physical activity is crucial in improving the health of older individuals. Within the Latino community, there is a rich cultural history of various genres of dance that may help promote widespread physical activity among … Continue reading Dancing on the Way to Good Health: The Implications for Culturally Relevant Dancing in the Latino Older Adult Population
Pandemic year brought on exacerbation of race, gender, and geographical disparities of drug overdoses
By: Jessica George, Class of 2024 The opioid epidemic has been a major public health crisis in the United States for several decades; fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, has emerged as a significant contributor to the increase in drug overdose deaths in recent years. Given the prevalence and gravity of this problem, it is imperative to investigate any discrepancies that may exist between populations so as … Continue reading Pandemic year brought on exacerbation of race, gender, and geographical disparities of drug overdoses
Inflammatory diet associated with cognitive impairment
By: Jessica George, Class of 2024 Figure 1: dietary patterns may predict cognitive decline in older adults Cognitive decline is a major public health concern that affects millions of older adults worldwide. Age-related cognitive decline can lead to mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and other neurodegenerative diseases. While there is no cure for these conditions, early detection and intervention can improve outcomes and quality of life … Continue reading Inflammatory diet associated with cognitive impairment
Fighting opioid mortality rates with AI-based forecasts using social media language
By Shahzadi Adeena, Class of 2025 Figure 1: Pill container laying on counter with cap off The United States has been battling an opioid epidemic for over twenty years, with opioid-related deaths increasing by 350% in this period. A critical obstacle is that the driving force (such as usage of prescription drugs or synthetic opioids) differs within communities and over time. Current methods to follow … Continue reading Fighting opioid mortality rates with AI-based forecasts using social media language
Effect of acculturative stress and internalization on body image of deaf women
By Shahzadi Adeena, Class of 2025 Figure 1 : Two women talking to each other in sign language Body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors are causes for concern, as they are associated with psychological disturbances. Although research on body image concern has primarily focused on white women, the extent of such concerns varies among cultural groups. Factors such as cultural identity confusion, acculturation status (the … Continue reading Effect of acculturative stress and internalization on body image of deaf women
Young Investigators Review 