Category: Medicine and Physiology

2016-17, Biology, Medicine and Physiology

Exploring A Safer Steroid Therapy

by Aaron Gochman (’18) Most pharmacological approaches in the study of congenital adrenal hyperplasia involve the administration of corticosteroids, potent drugs that quickly affect the body. Extended use of corticosteroids, however, typically yields unpleasant metabolic side effects. Despite this weakness, corticosteroids have been the mainstream treatment in attempting to suppress adrenal androgen. However, scientists from the United Kingdom have discovered a novel approach: corticosterone, a … Continue reading Exploring A Safer Steroid Therapy

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2016-17, Biology, Engineering, Medicine and Physiology

Hippo Biology: The Next Step in Tissue Regeneration

by Aaron Gochman (’18) Traditional studies of tissue regeneration and repair have focused on delivering cells and biomaterials, compounds that will presumably grow when placed in a biologically friendly environment. A new avenue for research, however, has been revealed by a Chinese group that has chosen to focus on drug-based therapeutics instead. The study detailed a discovery in which the team found a drug, XMU-MP-1, … Continue reading Hippo Biology: The Next Step in Tissue Regeneration

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2016-17, Medicine and Physiology, Pharmacology

The Effect of Acetaminophen on Pregnant Women

by Sahil Rawal (’19) Acetaminophen is a painkiller that is often used by pregnant women as an analgesic, as it is readily available over-the-counter. The CDC had previously deemed this drug safe, and it was shown to cause no major birth defects. However, there have been recent studies that have shown that acetaminophen may play a role in causing autism-like symptoms in children. As a … Continue reading The Effect of Acetaminophen on Pregnant Women

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2016-17, Medicine and Physiology, Psychology

Neurocognitive Development in Children with Epilepsy

by Lillian Pao (’18) Epilepsy affecting children is associated with neurophysiological and neurocognitive mechanisms. These children grow up with a weakened and less organized network structure in comparison to children without epilepsy. Prior studies have attempted to understand the neurocognitive functions in child epilepsy through eye movements. Unlike those that conducted previous studies, Professor Judith Lunn from Lancaster University in the United Kingdom, aimed to … Continue reading Neurocognitive Development in Children with Epilepsy

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2016-17, Medicine and Physiology

The Disadvantages of Opioids as Painkillers

by Sahil Rawal (’19) Opioids are one of the most commonly used painkillers in the United States. They have been shown to bind to opioid receptors and reduce the feeling of pain. However, there have been very few, if any, studies conducted that prove the negative aspects of opioids and how they may not actually relieve pain as well as we once believed. Dr. Grace … Continue reading The Disadvantages of Opioids as Painkillers

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2016-17, Medicine and Physiology

Aloe Vera May Be Beneficial For Diabetic Patients

by Sahil Rawal (’19) Diabetes mellitus is an epidemic that leads to many deaths every year. It is caused when a person’s blood sugars are too high, and can eventually lead to organ failure and death if left untreated. Billions of dollars each year are spent trying to find potential cures for this disease, but unfortunately most are to no avail. However, recent studies have … Continue reading Aloe Vera May Be Beneficial For Diabetic Patients

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2016-17, Health, Medicine and Physiology

A New Approach For Treating Retinal Pathologies

by Aaron Gochman (’18) Though visual signaling and processing is detected in the eye, information must still make its way to the brain. Photoreceptors in the retina function as transducers of these signals. However, damage to photoreceptor cells can cause not only blindness but also several types of retinal diseases. Designing therapies that target photoreceptor cells has proven to be challenging given the many G-protein … Continue reading A New Approach For Treating Retinal Pathologies

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2016-17, Health, Medicine and Physiology, Psychology

Mindfulness: A New Treatment For Multiple Sclerosis Patients

by Jenna Mallon (’18) Along with the disabilities caused by damage to the Central Nervous System (CNS), stress, depression, and anxiety are common occurrences for patients who suffer from Multiple Sclerosis (MS). In many cases, these mental illnesses will exacerbate the physical side effects of MS. In order to combat this, psychological treatments like Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) have been used in conjunction with traditional forms … Continue reading Mindfulness: A New Treatment For Multiple Sclerosis Patients

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2016-17, Health, Medicine and Physiology

A New Vaccine For Alzheimer’s Disease

by Sahil Rawal (’19) Alzheimer’s disease is a debilitating disease that most often affects people of older age. A common trait within patients with Alzheimer’s disease is the accumulation of beta-amyloid proteins. These proteins eventually form plaques in the brain, which block nerve signaling and cause cell death. Although this is widely known, there have been very few successful treatments created within the last few … Continue reading A New Vaccine For Alzheimer’s Disease

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2016-17, Health, Medicine and Physiology, Psychology

The Influence of Religion on the Sexuality of Women

by Lillian Pao (’18) Religion and spiritual beliefs may influence pregnant and postpartum women’s sexuality. Professor Sagrario Gomez Cantarino, from the University of Castilla la Mancha in Toledo, Spain, and his team of researchers wanted to understand a woman’s perspective on this issue as a result of her interactions with others as well as influential cultural and historical ideals. To further learn about women’s thoughts, … Continue reading The Influence of Religion on the Sexuality of Women

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2016-17, Health, Medicine and Physiology

Low-Density Lipoproteins May Affect Cognitive Function

by Sahil Rawal (’19) Cholesterol is a lipid in our body that is necessary for proper functioning. However, low-density lipoproteins, also known as LDLs, are a type of harmful cholesterol that can build up and cause problems in arteries, which can lead to heart attacks or strokes. Although there is an abundance of information about the harmful effects of LDLs, there is an ambiguity of … Continue reading Low-Density Lipoproteins May Affect Cognitive Function

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2016-17, Health, Medicine and Physiology

The Environmental Effect of the U.S. Health System

by Lillian Pao (’19) In 2013, the United States spent $3 trillion dollars on its health care system. Hospitals are highly dependent on heating and cooling energy systems, medical and laboratory equipment, sterilization, and more. Due to this dependency on technology, hospitals emit greenhouse gases (GHGs) which can greatly damage public health. Despite this, there has been little effort to try to quantify the consumption-based … Continue reading The Environmental Effect of the U.S. Health System

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