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, Health

Optimizing Treatment for Diabetic Patients With Coronary Artery Disease

By Allan Mai ‘20 There are currently 415 million people worldwide living with diabetes; this number is expected to rise to 640 million by the year 2040. Complications, especially coronary artery disease (CAD), is one of the leading causes of death in diabetic patients; conversely, optimizing management of such complications can also significantly increase lifespan. While the previous assumption was that good glycemic control would … Continue reading Optimizing Treatment for Diabetic Patients With Coronary Artery Disease

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Pharmacology

Yeast and the Biosynthesis of Cannabinoids

By Allan Mai ‘20 Scientists have recently been exploring routes to biosynthesize cannabinoids by introducing a series of genes into yeast cells. Using the simple sugar galactose, Dr. Xiaozhou Luo and his team at the University of California at Berkeley successfully devised a pathway to produce major cannabinoids such as cannabigerolic acid and cannabidiolic acid among others. The biosynthesis of such compounds would allow for … Continue reading Yeast and the Biosynthesis of Cannabinoids

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Cancer

Utilizing Heat Shock Protein 90 in Breast Cancer Imaging: A Cheaper Alternative?

By Riya Gandhi ‘22 In the current day and age, therapeutic procedures for breast cancer–such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery–are at the forefront of the initiative to manage cancer effectively. Across the globe, there are nations where the resources for such treatments are readily available. However, what about the low to middle income nations? Unfortunately, many of these countries, which hold higher rates of … Continue reading Utilizing Heat Shock Protein 90 in Breast Cancer Imaging: A Cheaper Alternative?

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Cancer

Assessing the Risk: The Susceptibility of a Cancer Patient to Acute Kidney Injury

By Riya Gandhi ‘22 Due to their ability to purify blood and remove wastes, the kidneys are regarded as the filtration system for the human body. As such, they are one of the most crucial organs. However, what happens one or both of your kidneys are damaged, or worse, fail completely? Such an occurrence is known as acute kidney injury (AKI) and can transpire within … Continue reading Assessing the Risk: The Susceptibility of a Cancer Patient to Acute Kidney Injury

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Cancer, Cell Cycle

Invasion of the Gboxins: Inhibiting the Proliferation of Glioblastoma Cells

By Riya Gandhi ‘22 The aggressive proliferation of glioblastoma cells is characteristic of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a fatal cancer of the brain. As much as treatments may help, patients with this cancer typically relapse. Furthermore, radiotherapy and chemotherapy unintentionally target and poison normal proliferating cells, thereby harming the wellbeing of the patients. However, under principle investigator Dr. Yufeng Shi, researchers at the Cancer Biology & … Continue reading Invasion of the Gboxins: Inhibiting the Proliferation of Glioblastoma Cells

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Health

Reducing Exhaustion in Entrepreneurs Through Mindfulness Exercises

Raymond Cheung ‘22 Entrepreneurs play an essential role in developing innovations and redefining the way businesses operate. However, entrepreneurship is arduous and often causes entrepreneurs to work until they are exhausted to achieve their goals. Although it may not be possible to prevent exhaustion, mindfulness exercises can potentially mitigate the effect of exhaustion. Researchers at Oregon State University present promising findings of the effect of … Continue reading Reducing Exhaustion in Entrepreneurs Through Mindfulness Exercises

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Cognition

Augmented Reality Games and Physical Activity: Exploring the Effect of Pokémon Go

Raymond Cheung ‘22 When Pokemon GO was released in 2016, the world was captivated by the ability to capture Pokemon in the real world through augmented reality. An interesting consequence of the game’s popularity is that it promotes physical activity in its players. A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Tokyo found that the game positively impacted the physical activity in older … Continue reading Augmented Reality Games and Physical Activity: Exploring the Effect of Pokémon Go

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Psychology

Relationship Between Academic Environment and the Mental Health of Students

Raymond Cheung ‘22 Researchers at the University of Munich and other universities analyzed the effect of a high-achieving environment on the mental health of students. Their work is vital because it provides insight into how a high-performing environment can harm the academic development and mental wellbeing of students. In the study, the researchers analyzed the responses of over 7,700 German school students with regards to … Continue reading Relationship Between Academic Environment and the Mental Health of Students

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Cancer

Neutrophils Escort Circulating Tumor Cells and Increase Metastatic Potential

By Nicole Zhao ’20 Numerous cancer research projects are dedicated to investigating the primary tumor and its microenvironment. Though this is undoubtedly important, the role of immune cells during cancer dispersion in the blood cells is largely uncharacterized. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) lead to metastasis of several types of cancers and its levels are often a predictor of survival rate. These cells are often found … Continue reading Neutrophils Escort Circulating Tumor Cells and Increase Metastatic Potential

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2018-19, Disease, Health

South Asians Have the Highest Rates of Heart Disease

By Nicole Zhao ’20 Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women worldwide. However, people of South Asian descent have a higher death rate from heart disease than any other group. Following a variety of diets, from omnivorous to vegetarian, South Asians are four times more likely to be diagnosed with heart disease even at normal body weight and tend … Continue reading South Asians Have the Highest Rates of Heart Disease

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Disease, Health

Sleep Modulates Hematopoiesis and Protects Against Atherosclerosis

By Nicole Zhao ’20 Numerous pathological conditions such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease have been connected to insufficient or interrupted sleep. However, little is known about the specific mechanisms by which sleep maintains health. In this study, it was found that sleep regulates hematopoiesis and protects against atherosclerosis in mice. Hematopoiesis is the process of forming blood cellular components from stem cells. Research … Continue reading Sleep Modulates Hematopoiesis and Protects Against Atherosclerosis

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Psychology

The link between symptoms of depression in children and involvement in sports

By Kavindra Sahabir ‘21 Depression is an issue that is rapidly becoming more and more common in modern day society, even among preadolescents. Many studies have been conducted that show a correlation between a dip in depressive symptoms with an increase in physical activity, yet such an effect had not been measured in those below the ages of 9 to 11. In this study conducted … Continue reading The link between symptoms of depression in children and involvement in sports

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