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.

Disease

Low-Level Mechanical Signaling to Stimulate Bone Growth

Aditi Kaveti ’23 Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by the reduction of bone quality and low bone mineral density (BMD). Bone resorption is the process by which osteoclasts break down bone tissue and release minerals, resulting in a transfer of calcium from bone tissue to blood. When excessive resorption occurs, bones weaken and become brittle, which may eventually develop into osteoporosis. Bone health can be … Continue reading Low-Level Mechanical Signaling to Stimulate Bone Growth

Young Investigators ReviewAugust 10, 2020Leave a comment

Health, Sociology

Silent Voices of the Hungry

Gwenyth Mercep ’22 About one in five US households with children experience food insecurity [1]. Food-insecure families may employ protective strategies to deflect collective hardships on children and national data suggests that in general, adults believe they are very successful in doing so [1]. Only 1% of these parents reported their children to experience a reduction in nutritional quality or quantity [1]. Contrarily, data shows … Continue reading Silent Voices of the Hungry

Young Investigators ReviewAugust 10, 2020Leave a comment

General Psychology

Unseen Intimate Partner Violence in the Emergency Department

Gwenyth Mercep ’22 Domestic abuse incidence is pervasive and tightly correlated with a large scope of disproportionate health disparities yet is largely underrepresented in data collection. Individuals who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) access the emergency department (ED) more often compared to their counterparts and most notably for chronic and long withstanding health conditions [1]. Despite guidance urging emergency medicine (EM) physicians to screen patients … Continue reading Unseen Intimate Partner Violence in the Emergency Department

Young Investigators ReviewAugust 10, 2020Leave a comment

Microbiota, Natural World

Developing Genetic Tools for Eukaryotic Marine Microbes

Gaurav Sharma ’22 Sea life may hold one of the most diverse microbial ecosystems since we have not yet uncovered all of the mysteries and organisms teeming among the depths. Among the microbes that have been studied are eukaryotic microbes which range in diversity. When it comes to studying these organisms, researchers are presented with a challenge and can only genetically study some of these … Continue reading Developing Genetic Tools for Eukaryotic Marine Microbes

Young Investigators ReviewJuly 27, 20201 Comment

Cancer

Novel Method Helps Reveal Prognosis of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Gaurav Sharma ’22 For the past couple of years, lung cancer has been responsible for the most cancer-related deaths in the general population. One variation of lung cancer is non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) which constitutes more than 80% of tumor growths originating in the lungs. NSCLC can be treated but 40% of patients have a recurrence of NSCLC highlighting the critical need for a … Continue reading Novel Method Helps Reveal Prognosis of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Young Investigators ReviewJuly 27, 2020Leave a comment

Cellular and Molecular Science, Natural World

The EMS Project

Wendy Wu ’22 Microbial life is usually associated with bacteria and archaea, often overlooking the existence of protists, eukaryotic microbes. Recent research has shown protists to play vital roles in their environment, especially in driving marine biogeochemical cycles and food webs. The ocean, which spans 70% of Earth’s surface, is home to a variety of microbial life. Despite this fact, there is a lack of … Continue reading The EMS Project

Young Investigators ReviewJuly 27, 2020Leave a comment

Disease

The Future of COVID-19 Testing

Wendy Wu ’22 COVID-19 is a disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus: SARS-CoV-2. First identified in Wuhan, China in late 2019, the coronavirus disease has become a pandemic within a matter of months, causing worldwide panic and hysteria. In this short time, nations and the World Health Organization struggled to contain the outbreak. In addition to treatment and vaccines, developing a test for COVID-19 … Continue reading The Future of COVID-19 Testing

Young Investigators ReviewJuly 27, 2020Leave a comment

Astronomy, Engineering, Natural World

Implications of Solar Geoengineering

Ashley Goland ’23 Solar geoengineering is a technology that aims to reflect incoming sunlight away from the Earth to reduce the rise of global temperatures, and one proposed approach is to send aerosols into the atmosphere. Although this method may seem like a quick, relatively cheap way to delay further climate change, the effects it could have upon marine and terrestrial organisms are not yet … Continue reading Implications of Solar Geoengineering

Young Investigators ReviewJuly 5, 2020Leave a comment

Cancer

Trispecific Antibodies in Anticancer Immunotherapy

Ashley Goland ’23 Immunotherapy is a form of cancer treatment that utilizes the body’s own immune system to destroy cancerous tumors and has shown promise in past animal and clinical human trials. For all of its dazzling successes to date, however, immunotherapy is not completely effective for treating the full range of cancer types and patients— yet. Scientists working in Sanofi Research and Development believe … Continue reading Trispecific Antibodies in Anticancer Immunotherapy

Young Investigators ReviewJuly 5, 2020Leave a comment

Biology, Health and Medicine

Cryopreservation of semen without using egg yolk

Panayiota Siskos ’23 Cryopreservation of semen conserves genetic information and allows fertilization via artificial insemination. Egg yolk is an ingredient of bull semen extender, which buffers sperm from temperature and environmental stressors. However, egg yolk composition is very variable between different producers. Cholesterol is a molecule that strengthens membrane structures. Increasing cholesterol content in sperm plasma membrane increases cryotolerance, allowing sperm to survive freezing temperatures. … Continue reading Cryopreservation of semen without using egg yolk

Young Investigators ReviewJuly 5, 2020Leave a comment

General Psychology

Does Reward Responsivity Moderate or Mediate Effects of Parental Depression on Offspring?

Panayiota Siskos 2023 Figure 1: Depression alters the reward responsivity, and is described as having less tendency to adjust behavior or put in effort for rewards. Depression has alterations in reward responsiveness constructs with subjective experiences of pleasure and neural activation for rewarding. Alterations may be assessed with neurophysiological measures including reward positivity event-related potential which correlates with positive emotionality in kids, behavioral, and self-report … Continue reading Does Reward Responsivity Moderate or Mediate Effects of Parental Depression on Offspring?

Young Investigators ReviewJuly 5, 2020Leave a comment