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, General Psychology, Psychology

Anxiety Can Alter the Way We Perceive Negative Emotions

Lydia Wang ’26 As individuals, we constantly make decisions, many of which depend on our perception of social contexts. For example, when answering a question during class, one may gauge a friend’s expressions and observe whether they are grimacing or smiling, which (respectively) suggest an incorrect or correct response. This is an example of perceptual decision-making, where through observation and sensory input, one chooses an … Continue reading Anxiety Can Alter the Way We Perceive Negative Emotions

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Announcements

Application Deadline Extended!

Hello everybody! We hope you’re enjoying the last few days of your summer before the Fall 2022 semester starts. If you’re still looking for something to do or people to meet in the new semester, our staff and writer application deadlines have been extended to September 4th, 2022. SBYIR publishes an official journal every semester, provides training, and looks great on your résumé! Currently, we … Continue reading Application Deadline Extended!

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Announcements

SBYIR Staff and Writer Applications for Fall 2022 Now Open!

Do any of the following apply to you?Are you…? Then look no further and apply today to be part of the SBYIR team to join us in our goal of making science more accessible! Enjoy food and games at our events, new friendships and snark at our meetings, and a professional journal at the end of every semester! No research experience is needed and training … Continue reading SBYIR Staff and Writer Applications for Fall 2022 Now Open!

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YIWC

What We Owe to Ourselves and the Future Generation

Sophia Augier, Grade 11 There is an entire universe of endless possibilities just waiting for humankind to uncover. However, as a nation we struggle to recognize the benefits space research has on human life. Neither the broadening of earthbound scientific research, or the advancement of space research and exploration are mutually exclusive investments. Each is achievable and vital to sustaining human life, and should be … Continue reading What We Owe to Ourselves and the Future Generation

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YIWC

Synthetic Biology in the Medical Field: Should It Be Used in the Development of Vaccines and Future Medical Research?

Sara Maltempi, Grade 10 Synthetic biology is a scientific field in which the genomes of organisms are redesigned to give them new useful abilities by combining the principles of engineering and biology (1). Synthetic biology has only been around for a couple of decades but it has already created a new industry making “chemicals, drugs, proteins, probiotics, sensors, fertilisers, textiles, food and many other things … Continue reading Synthetic Biology in the Medical Field: Should It Be Used in the Development of Vaccines and Future Medical Research?

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The Future of Education: A Blended Approach to Virtual Learning

Julia Froese, Grade 12 IntroductionIn the past decade, technology has experienced a pattern of exponential growth within industry, business, and now, education. With the advent of the digital age, communication has become much more fluid and accessible, leading to a rise in investments regarding social media and computer science. However, at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, educational institutions had only touched the surface of … Continue reading The Future of Education: A Blended Approach to Virtual Learning

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YIWC

The Safety Behind Synthetic Biology Vaccines

Jennifer Zhong, Grade 11 As COVID-19 deaths and cases rise, rapid vaccine safety, development, and distribution become extremely important to potentially solve this world crisis. A myriad of people, over 105 million, have been infected with COVID-19 and well over 2 million have passed away as of February 2021 [7]. The numbers continue to climb. During a global pandemic such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, … Continue reading The Safety Behind Synthetic Biology Vaccines

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Plastic Pandemic of 2020: How Our Growing Expectations for Nature Conservation Through Recycling Tumbled by Global Crisis

Isabella Oliveros, Grade 10 In 2020, a coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2 left a destructive aftermath on the wellbeing of the United States of America and the world alike. The virulent strain was classified as a pandemic on March 11, 2020, and has devastated millions of people, businesses, families, and workers since (1). 14% of Americans have been hospitalized by this global pandemic, and the quality of … Continue reading Plastic Pandemic of 2020: How Our Growing Expectations for Nature Conservation Through Recycling Tumbled by Global Crisis

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YIWC

The Environmental Cost of COVID-19: A Plastic Pandemic

Angela Zhu, Grade 12 While the COVID-19 virus has halted economies and separated families around the world, it has unintended yet devastating consequences on the environment in the form of plastic. From masks to gloves, the personal protective equipment (PPE) that is necessary in the fight against the pandemic is piling up in landfills and polluting oceans. While many other industries have been on the … Continue reading The Environmental Cost of COVID-19: A Plastic Pandemic

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2021-22, mental health, Psychology

Depression May Be Linked To Specific Lipid Ratios Within The Body

Joyce Chen ’23 Depression is a chronic disease that affects quality of life by reducing one’s interest in basic activities and hobbies due to continual feelings of sadness and low self-esteem. Previous studies have proposed that low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels play a key role in depression because of changes in serotonin and lipid metabolism. There is little research on how depression is affected … Continue reading Depression May Be Linked To Specific Lipid Ratios Within The Body

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2021-22, Psychology

The Effects of Social Anxiety on Decision-Making and Recognition of Facial Expressions

Joyce Chen ’23 Facial expressions are one of the fundamental methods by which we perceive others. However, our perceptions can be faulty. Perceptual decision-making for recognizing facial cues is biased by our personal attitudes, social knowledge, and stereotypes. Despite there being numerous studies on this process, not much is known about how perceptual decision-making occurs in individuals with anxiety symptoms. Dr. Aprajita Mohanty, a Stony … Continue reading The Effects of Social Anxiety on Decision-Making and Recognition of Facial Expressions

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2021-22, discovery

Reprogramming Cells May Reverse the Aging Process

Sooraj Shah ’24 Aging is a natural process by which cells are progressively unable to divide as efficiently as before, causing cell death and lysis as the functions of the cell slowly begin to decline. The main contributor to this are the telomeres at the end of our chromosomes. Telomeres get shorter as cells divide because replication cannot copy the “lagging end” of the chromosome. … Continue reading Reprogramming Cells May Reverse the Aging Process

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