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.
Figure 1. Researchers from Arizona State University found conductive properties in human integrin protein using Scanning Tunnel Microscopy. The image depicts this technique with a single strand of DNA.
2017-18

Finding Conductive Proteins Using Scanning Tunnel Microscopy

By Meghan Bialt-DeCelie ’19 Single molecule detection techniques are used to understand the behaviors of a specific biological molecule and have applications in medical and pharmacological research. This can be critical for understanding how an individual biological molecule, such as a specific protein, functions, as well as its role in a biological pathway. Researchers led by Stuart Lindsay, PhD from Arizona State University found high … Continue reading Finding Conductive Proteins Using Scanning Tunnel Microscopy

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Figure 1. Researchers from the Brookhaven National Laboratory developed a scalable process to reduce glare on typically reflective glass surfaces.
2017-18

Using Nanotechnology to Reduce Glare on Screens

By Meghan Bialt-DeCelie ‘19 Displays of all commonly used electronics such as smartphones, televisions, and laptops all suffer from glare on their glass surfaces. Glass and clear plastics are transparent, but they are still visible due to a small amount of reflection of light caused by the difference between the refractive index of the surface and the rest of the material. Antireflective coating and screens … Continue reading Using Nanotechnology to Reduce Glare on Screens

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Figure 1. Researchers from University of California Los Angeles found that microstimulation of the right entorhinal region of the brain improved memory specificity of epileptic subjects.
2017-18

Electrical Stimulation Improves Memory in Epileptic Patients

By Meghan Bialt-DeCelie ‘19 For many animals and humans, a major region of the brain involved in memory formation is the hippocampus. Learning and memory is done through a neural process called long-term potentiation (LTP), and past research has shown that electric stimulation to the hippocampus can promote this process. Researchers led by Ali Titiz, PhD from The University of California Los Angeles found a … Continue reading Electrical Stimulation Improves Memory in Epileptic Patients

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Figure 1. Recent study suggests that daydreaming may denote superior brain efficiency and capacity.
2017-18

Daydreaming – A Possible Sign of Brain Efficiency

By Nita Wong ’21 In today’s fast-paced society, daydreaming carries a negative connotation. Whether it be in class or during a work meeting, a wandering mind is not considered a positive trait. Recent research, however, suggests that daydreaming may denote superior brain efficiency and capacity. A study led by Christine Godwin and Eric Schumacher of the Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Psychology examined the … Continue reading Daydreaming – A Possible Sign of Brain Efficiency

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Figure 1. Human brain is the most metabolically demanding organ in the body.
2017-18

The Selfish Brain: A Trade-off Between Cognitive And Physical Performance in Humans

By Maryna Mullerman ’20 The brain metabolizes more glucose — a simple and widely accessible sugar — than any other organ in the human body. Daniel Longman and researchers from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom explored the trade-off involving the brain and muscles, or physical performance, in people. The study investigated how mental and physical activities are affected when they are performed … Continue reading The Selfish Brain: A Trade-off Between Cognitive And Physical Performance in Humans

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Figure 1. Caffeine affects heart rate variability in the first five minutes of recovery after physical exercise.
2017-18

Running on Caffeine

By Maryna Mullerman ’20 Caffeine is a stimulant often found in coffee, energy drinks, and medicine. Many researchers have analyzed its physiological effects, but caffeine’s impact on post-exercise recovery is not widely understood.  Doctor Luana Almeida Gonzaga and researchers from São Paulo State University in Brazil conducted a study focusing on cardiovascular parameters, such as heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), respiratory rate (RR), and … Continue reading Running on Caffeine

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Figure 1. Sex-linked distinctions in light perception affect sleep and cognition in humans.
2017-18

Sex Differences Affect Light Perception And Sleep

By Maryna Mullerman ’20 Artificial light and technology have been known to affect human sleep patterns. Scientists think that the circadian clock — physiological 24-hour cycle — might shift in the future. Sarah L. Chellappa and researchers from Harvard Medical School aimed to understand how chronic exposure to light at night affects human health and behavior. They explored how differences in light sensitivity between sexes … Continue reading Sex Differences Affect Light Perception And Sleep

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Figure 1: The RNA Polymerase II molecule is an important enzyme involved in the transcription process of DNA to mRNA.
2017-18

Circular RNAs Have Protein Coding Potential

Gene Yang ‘19 Although the RNA molecules involved in protein synthesis have been extensively studied, other novel types of RNA are still relatively unknown and continue being researched. One such novel type of RNA is circular RNA (circRNA), an endogenous and diverse class of molecules that is present in most eukaryotic cells. Circular RNAs are created from the splicing of pre-mRNA molecules  as they form … Continue reading Circular RNAs Have Protein Coding Potential

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Figure 1. Downtown Manhattan, New York City, where high population density makes infectious disease spread easily.
2017-18

Predicting Flu With Mobility Behaviors

Gene Yang ‘19 In the mathematical modeling of infectious disease, determining the mobility of infectious diseases as well as the mobility patterns of individuals in a population is crucial to predicting the spatial and temporal diffusion of such illnesses. Researchers from the University of Trento gathered two types of data, mobility data and self-reported health data, to construct and validate a model that predicts the … Continue reading Predicting Flu With Mobility Behaviors

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2017-18

Shrinking Salt Lakes

Gene Yang ‘19 Representing nearly half of the volume and a quarter of the area of all lakes in the world, saline lakes are a significant part of the regional ecosystem. However, as a result of human consumptive water use from these lakes in recent decades, many large saline lakes have been desiccating at a significant rate. This dessication can eventually lead to the collapse … Continue reading Shrinking Salt Lakes

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Figure 1. Researchers explore the impact of a highly concentrated salt solution, mimicking liquid found on Mars, on the structure of water
2017-18

Investigating Water on Mars

By Meghan Bialt-DeCelie ’19 Since the discovery of perchlorates in soil acquired from Mars using the Pheonix Lander, researchers have been wondering how a liquid such as this can exist in the extreme cold temperatures found on the planet. A solution of perchlorate at 44% by weight can cause the freezing temperature of water to drop well below that of pure water. Researchers led by … Continue reading Investigating Water on Mars

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Figure 1. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania investigate the loci responsible for the wide variation of skin pigmentation by studying the genomes of African populations.
2017-18

Genetics of Skin Pigmentation

By Meghan Bialt-DeCelie ’19 Currently, our understanding of the genes behind skin pigmentation in humans is limited, especially for those of African heritage. Researchers led by Nicholas Crawford, PhD from the University of Pennsylvania investigated the genetic variants behind a wider range of skin colors provided from diverse African populations. Melanin is the pigment that provides the wide range of skin colors seen in the … Continue reading Genetics of Skin Pigmentation

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