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.
2016-17, Sociology

Gender Role Congruence and Attractiveness in Online Dating

By Megan Tan ’19 Online dating platforms are becoming more commonly used to meet and start a romantic relationship. A previous study has indicated that more than one-third of marriages in America began online. However, little research has been done on the effect of gender roles and attractiveness in the online dating scenario. Kelsey C. Chappeta and Dr. Joan M. Barth from the Institute for … Continue reading Gender Role Congruence and Attractiveness in Online Dating

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2016-17, Health, Psychology

Using Positive Image Training to Regain Happiness

By Rideeta Raquib ’19 Emotion-related imagery training is a powerful tool for psychotherapy. Mental imagery can stimulate behavioral and physiological systems more effectively than verbal or informative stimulations. Imagery is less effective on patients diagnosed with generalized anxiety (GAD) because of the tendency to associate bright images with negative occurrences rather than generating positive images. Dr. Svetla Velikova and her team of researchers conducted a … Continue reading Using Positive Image Training to Regain Happiness

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Figure 1. Warming in places like Mount Kenya is steeper than current climate models predict.
2016-17, Environment

High-Elevation Warming is Steeper than Previously Expected

By Megan Tan ’19 The Earth is warming at about two degrees annually at sea level. Though it is estimated that high-elevation warming occurs more steeply, it is difficult to measure due to environmental factors such as radiation and humidity which have made it challenging to accurately quantify past temperature changes. Shannon E. Loomis, a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary … Continue reading High-Elevation Warming is Steeper than Previously Expected

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Figure 1. Asthma’s exaggerated contraction of airways is due to a lack of smooth muscle relaxant.
2016-17, Biology

Airway Smooth Muscle Relaxant Finally Identified

By Patrick Yang ’20 Asthma, characterized by its iconic inhalers and abrupt episodes of coughing and wheezing, affects approximately 334 million people worldwide. The inflammatory disease is caused by the prolonged contraction of airway smooth muscles, which triggers difficulty with breathing. Despite our understanding of asthma’s symptoms, the mechanism behind asthma is still a mystery. Scientists speculate that normal airway epithelium, or cells composing the … Continue reading Airway Smooth Muscle Relaxant Finally Identified

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Figure 1. Human skin cells can be converted into homing neural stem cells that deliver treatment directly to brain tumors.
2016-17, Neuroscience

Homing Neural Stem Cells Deliver Direct Cancer Treatment

By Patrick Yang ’20 With average survival for glioblastoma patients at approximately 12-15 months, speed is of essence for glioblastoma cancer treatment. Currently, promising stem cell research has found that neural stem cells naturally migrate towards the chemical signals released by glioblastoma cells. If these neural stem cells are engineered to contain cytotoxic agents, they can deliver cancer treatment directly to cancer cells. However, the … Continue reading Homing Neural Stem Cells Deliver Direct Cancer Treatment

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Figure 1. Hospital patients who are connected to medical devices are at risk for bacterial sepsis.
2016-17, Biology

Hospital Sepsis Is Dependent on Toxins for Survival

By Patrick Yang ’20 The hospital is considered a place of treatment, but hospitalization also runs the risk of bacterial sepsis – an often fatal immune response to bacterial infection. Bacterial sepsis frequents patients who are connected to medical devices like needles and catheters, which can easily launch the bacteria into the bloodstream. That infection, compounded with an already compromised immune system, can prove to … Continue reading Hospital Sepsis Is Dependent on Toxins for Survival

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2016-17, Medicine and Physiology, Neuroscience

Blunted Neural Response to Rewards as a Prospective Predictor of the Development of Depression in Adolescent Girls

    By Ericka Berman Previous studies have shown that during adolescence, rates of depression increase markedly, and girls tend to have rates of depression twice as high as boys. Depressed adults were also shown to exhibit a decreased behavioral response to a reward and less brain activity in regions associated with reward processing in comparison to healthy adults. Dr. Brady Nelson and his team … Continue reading Blunted Neural Response to Rewards as a Prospective Predictor of the Development of Depression in Adolescent Girls

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2016-17, Health, Neuroscience

Efficacy of Quetiapine Monotherapy in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

          Ericka Berman Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating illness affecting approximately 7.8% of people in the U.S. over the course of their lifetime. As of now, two medications are approved in the U.S. to treat PTSD, but both treatments have limited success. Characteristics of the antipsychotic medication quetiapine suggest it may be helpful in treating PTSD symptoms of re-experiencing … Continue reading Efficacy of Quetiapine Monotherapy in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

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2016-17, Genetics, Medicine and Physiology

Norepinephrine Transporter in Major Depressive Disorder: A PET Study

    Ericka Berman Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating illness characterized by low mood and loss of interest in activities. In MDD, the neurotransmitter norepinephrine is believed to be dysregulated, contributing to the depressive symptoms. The goal of this study was to test norepinephrine transporter availability in patients with MDD in attempt to identify potential associations with clinical symptoms. Previous studies have looked … Continue reading Norepinephrine Transporter in Major Depressive Disorder: A PET Study

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2016-17, Interview

Interview with Student Researcher Josh Farr

Interviewer: Benjamin Kerner Interviewed: Josh Farr   B: For the record, what is your name, major, and department? J: Joshua Farr, Chemistry major, and chemistry department B: And what is the name of your research lab? J: I work in the Laughlin group under Dr. Scott Laughlin. B: So how did you get into research and what inspired you to do so? J: It was … Continue reading Interview with Student Researcher Josh Farr

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2016-17, Medicine and Physiology

Medicinal Properties Discovered in Certain Toad Species

By Rideeta Raquib ’19 Traditional medicinal compounds utilized to treat various diseases, ranging from stomach disorders to some types of cancers, are common in toads, specifically the Bufonidae family.  Scientists at the University of Panama, Panama’s government research center INDICASAT AIP, Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, and Acharya Nagarjuna University in Guntur, India, came together to identify several chemical components of the traditional medicines acquired from … Continue reading Medicinal Properties Discovered in Certain Toad Species

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Figure 1. Children from the age of six already think that men are smarter than women
2016-17, Psychology

Are Men Smarter than Women?

By Megan Tan ‘19 Gender stereotypes commonly associate intellectual brilliance with men. These stereotypes explain the gender imbalances in fields typically associated with brilliance, like physics and mathematics. Lin Bian, a graduate student from the University of Illinois, set out to find the origin of this stereotype. It was found that by the age of six, girls are less likely to associate their gender with … Continue reading Are Men Smarter than Women?

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