Author: Young Investigators Review

The Young Investigators Review is Stony Brook University's undergraduate-oriented, all-inclusive science journal. Founded in 2008, our mission is to provide the student community with a way to learn more about the research currently being done on-campus by their faculty and fellow peers. We feature articles that span all fields, from Physics to Neuroscience, as well as original student research reports straight from the campus laboratories. Our journal offers aspiring talented future researchers and physicians a way to hone their science writing skills and spread word of their experiences to inspire incoming students to think about devoting their futures to the various fields of science.
2022-23, Brain, Cognition, General Neuroscience, Neuroscience, Year

Microdosing Psychedelics

Shahzadi Adeena ’25 In recent years, there has been a growing interest in microdosing psychedelic drugs as a potential tool for enhancing cognitive abilities and improving overall wellbeing. Vince Polito and Richard J. Stevenson of Macquarie University investigated the effects of microdosing psychedelics on psychological variables such as mood, attention, wellbeing, mindfulness, mystical experiences, personality, absorption, creativity, and sense of agency. The researchers hypothesized that … Continue reading Microdosing Psychedelics

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2022-23, Brain, General Neuroscience, Neuroscience, Year

Return of Consciousness After Traumatic Brain Injury

Shahzadi Adeena ’25 Understanding the fundamental mechanisms of consciousness, particularly following traumatic brain injury (TBI), is nuanced and challenging. Thalamic function plays a critical role in facilitating consciousness; injury to thalamus-frontal circuitry can impair consciousness. Sima Mofakham and Charles Millek of Stony Brook University hypothesized that thalamocortical projections to the frontoparietal network facilitate the complex dynamics needed for consciousness, and that injury to these connections … Continue reading Return of Consciousness After Traumatic Brain Injury

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2022-23, Ecology, Environment, Evolution, Natural World, Year

21 Million Year Old Fossil Reveals Hominid Environment and Diet

Julia Chivu ’23 The Motroto site in Uganda has recently provided new insights on the evolution of the locomotor versatility, diet, and environment of early hominids. The site is estimated to be twenty-one million years old. Associate professor in the Department of Anthropology at Stony Brook University, Dr. James Rossi, is part of a large research team that has recently examined the fossil remains of … Continue reading 21 Million Year Old Fossil Reveals Hominid Environment and Diet

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2022-23, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Year

Differentiating Between Speech and Song Across Cultures

Julia Chivu ’23 Given that speech and song are produced by the same vocal tract, there is an ongoing debate as to whether or not speech and song can be distinguished by their acoustical features across different societies. It can be difficult to determine where speech ends and songs begin within a culture. This concept is especially challenging to research since there is no reliable … Continue reading Differentiating Between Speech and Song Across Cultures

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2022-23, education, General Psychology, Psychiatry

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

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2022-23, Biology, Brain, General Neuroscience

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

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2022-23, COVID-19, Disease, Health and Medicine

Bupropion as a Possible Treatment for COVID-19-Related Brain Fog

Jessica George ’24 The COVID-19 pandemic has affected millions of people worldwide, and many have reported persistent symptoms even after recovery from the initial infection. One of the most common long-term symptoms reported is “brain fog,” a condition characterized by cognitive impairments such as memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and mental fatigue. A recent case series published by Dr. Samuel Reinfeld from the Stony Brook University … Continue reading Bupropion as a Possible Treatment for COVID-19-Related Brain Fog

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2022-23, Depression, General Psychology, Psychology

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

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2022-23, Cellular and Molecular Science, Molecular Biology, Year

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 

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2022-23, Brain, Degenerative Disease, General Neuroscience, Year

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

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2022-23, Brain, General Neuroscience, Neuroscience, Sociology, Year

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

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2022-23, General Neuroscience, Neuroscience, Year

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

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