Prolonged Functional Hyperemia Found in Early Stage AD in mouse models
By Asher Agarwal, Class of 2027 When a region of our brain is active, blood vessels dilate to increase blood flow and meet the increased metabolic demand of the area. This is known as functional hyperemia, or neurovascular coupling, and it is critical for maintaining metabolic homeostasis in the brain. Previous research has shown that, in response to novel environments, hippocampal inhibitory interneurons are stimulated … Continue reading Prolonged Functional Hyperemia Found in Early Stage AD in mouse models
Do violent video games desensitize us to real-world violence?
By Asher Agarwal, Class of 2027 Recently, many media sources have been spreading concern that violent video games desensitize players to violence and damage their sense of empathy. Researchers at the University of Vienna and Karolinska Institute in Sweden attempted to test this hypothesis by utilizing fMRI technology. fMRI is a machine that allows one to indirectly measure the activity of the brain as it … Continue reading Do violent video games desensitize us to real-world violence?
Taking A Glimpse into A VR Headset: The Connection Between the Mind and Vision
By Sajia Athai, Class of 2026 For the past decade, homes have transformed into vibrant arenas of gaming with sounds of clicking controllers and the colors of OLED screens. Parents often feel concerned about the spike in new video games as companies release new accessories and skins for players to customize. Worried about the possibility of addiction, many forget the positive outcomes that games offer, … Continue reading Taking A Glimpse into A VR Headset: The Connection Between the Mind and Vision
Climbing Up The Rock To The Top: Building Endurance through Video Games
By Sajia Athai, Class of 2026 While parents often worry about curbing their children’s exposure to video games, there is an increasing demand for combining innovation and fitness, as seen in the application of active video games. As adults grow older, difficulties in physical activity become the focus of their lives. Many adults don’t have the time or money to pursue activities such as muay … Continue reading Climbing Up The Rock To The Top: Building Endurance through Video Games
Virtual Reality as a Means of Neuroplasticity
Tiffany Ang, Class of 2025 Neuroplasticity is defined as the brain’s ability to create and reorganize neural connections in response to learning and or following injury. This reorganization can be structural or functional, resulting from learning or brain damage respectively. Virtual reality (VR) offers an integrative approach to enhance neuroplasticity by producing controlled yet engaging environments that imitate real-life experiences and promote realistic patterns of … Continue reading Virtual Reality as a Means of Neuroplasticity
Age Affects Lethality of Powassan Virus
Tiffany Ang, Class of 2025 The Powassan virus (POWV) is a member of the Flavivirus genus, an enveloped, positive-strand RNA virus transmitted by arthropod vectors, such as ticks. POWS is present in tick saliva and initially causes an asymptomatic infection. However, it can progress to cause encephalitis, brain inflammation, and neuronal cell depletion, among other central nervous system (CNS) damage. The study aims to examine … Continue reading Age Affects Lethality of Powassan Virus
Battlefront: The Nano DLC
By Farzad Hoque, Class of 2028 On the battlefield, the adjacent role of nanocarriers is logistical. They provide munitions support and focused attention to the battlefield. In the body, the focus is on how these nanocarriers can improve the fight against cancer–specificity, reduce toxicity, and sustain the efficacy of immunological agents–all by modulating the antitumor immune response. In prior wars with cancer, the body’s arsenal … Continue reading Battlefront: The Nano DLC
The Neural Network Memory Update
By Farzad Hoque, Class of 2028 Understanding how the brain balances learning and memory is one of neuroscience’s biggest challenges. New research uncovers how synaptic plasticity and metastable dynamics in cortical circuits work together in neural networks, shedding light on the brain’s remarkable ability to adapt and reorganize. Dr.Yang and Dr.La Camera at Stony Brook University discovered synaptic weights stabilize near a critical threshold, enabling … Continue reading The Neural Network Memory Update
EEG Research in Maternal Health – Implications and Resolutions of Racial Disparities
Author: Luis Caseñas, Class of 2026 Figure 1: EEG cap and electrodes placed on the head of a participant; the blunt nature of these electrodes works better with hair types from a white population rather than black. Maternal health refers to mothers’ physical and mental well-being during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. In the study of maternal health, electroencephalography (EEG), which generates event-related potentials (ERPs), is … Continue reading EEG Research in Maternal Health – Implications and Resolutions of Racial Disparities
Telemedicine Visits: Alternative Approach to Healthcare?
Author: Amal Bilal, Class of 2028 Figure 1: Doctor and patient using telemedicine. Telemedicine has become increasingly popular because of its ability to increase savings for patients and providers, reduce hospital readmissions, and enhance patient quality of care. The COVID-19 pandemic saw an 80% decline in in-person health visits and a 683% increase in telemedicine visits between March 2 and April 14, 2020 (1). Teleophthalmology, … Continue reading Telemedicine Visits: Alternative Approach to Healthcare?
Harnessing the Attention-Grabbing Power of Video Games for Scientific Progress
Author: Sean Krivitsky, Class of 2026 Figure 1. Oil painting visualization of a video game player. Citizen science is a common strategy employed by researchers across many specializations to harness the input of the public to further scientific research. The billions of video game players worldwide posed an opportunity for scientists using citizen science and, from there, emerged Citizen Science Games (CSGs). However, converting scientific … Continue reading Harnessing the Attention-Grabbing Power of Video Games for Scientific Progress
Understanding the Mechanisms of the Leading Cause of Death in Cancer Patients
Author: Sean Krivitsky, Class of 2026 Figure 1. Animated representation of the release of cytokines in the extracellular environment. Cancer is a disease that wreaks devastation on the bodies of the patients it afflicts. Cancerous tumor cells lead to the sickness observed in cancer patients in a variety of ways, but one of the primary causes of cancer-related sickness and death is referred to as … Continue reading Understanding the Mechanisms of the Leading Cause of Death in Cancer Patients
Young Investigators Review 