In NASA’s most comprehensive study ever on the physiological and molecular consequences of living in space for a prolonged period of time, scientists from across the country collaborated to investigate various aspects of human biology using samples from famous twin astronauts, Scott and Mark Kelly. Though a handful of astronauts had previously lived in space(...)
Perspectives in Research
Cancer and the Mutation Paradox
Posted by | Perspectives in ResearchIt has long been known — thanks largely to work by Johns Hopkins’ own Bert Vogelstein — that cancer is a disease generally caused by an accumulation of genetic mutations. This is sometimes referred to as the somatic mutation theory.1 This hypothesis states that each time a cell divides and grows, there are opportunities for(...)
An Evolving Situation: Measles and the 21st Century Vaccination Crisis
Posted by | Perspectives in ResearchOn the Johns Hopkins “Measles: What You Should Know” page, the last Q&A states: Q: What should I do to protect myself and my family? A: Get vaccinated. It seems like such a simple solution to a global problem. Yet so many children, about 7% in the United States, remain unvaccinated well into elementary school.(...)
Johns Hopkins Police Bill Signed into Law, Despite Student and Community Objections
Posted by | Perspectives in ResearchFor years, a fence stood between the Johns Hopkins medical campus and the East Baltimore community. While the physical barrier has been torn down, Johns Hopkins is now pursuing a new way to insulate itself from the surrounding community: a private police force. The police department swelled into a contentious issue over the last year(...)
Persistent Parasite Proteins: How Protein Clearance in Malaria Infection Can Impact Diagnostics
Posted by | Perspectives in ResearchFinding new treatments for infectious diseases is often the focus of clinical research, but recent research has demonstrated the importance of both developing and improving diagnostic tools in the fight against malaria. Malaria is a disease caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, and mosquitoes spread it. In 2017, there were over 219 million cases of(...)
Plan S: How Open Access Publishing Could Be Changing Academia
Posted by | Perspectives in ResearchI started working in academia as an undergraduate laboratory technician in 2009. After a decade of experience and four years as a graduate student, I thought I would have run out of things that would surprise my family about academia. However, there is one side of academia I haven’t had a lot of experience with(...)
When the Consequences of Sweeteners Are Not Sweet
Posted by | Perspectives in ResearchCoke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Sunkist, Mountain Dew, Sunny D, Brisk, Fanta, Kuat, Capri Sun and others — what do these drinks have in common? They’re all sugar-sweetened beverages. Sugar-sweetened beverages, or sugary drinks, are composed of any liquid sweetened with one or more forms of sugars, and they are the main source of added(...)
Are Vaccines the Next Step in Controlling the Opioid Epidemic?
Posted by | Perspectives in ResearchFlu season is still going strong, meaning that almost every primary care visit concludes by ensuring that the patient has gotten their flu shot. There is no cure for the flu, but a simple shot greatly decreases an individual’s chances of contracting the virus and keeps epidemics from spreading in the population. What if we(...)
Grad Grooves: The Soundtrack of Our Science
Posted by | A Day in the Life, Perspectives in ResearchBackground music is everywhere. It plays quietly in malls and grocery stores, and loudly at sports events. It is almost ever-present in the TV shows we watch. In addition to all of this, many graduate students listen to music all day in lab. Because we work so much, this means we could have music streaming(...)
Is Cough Syrup an Antidepressant?
Posted by | Perspectives in ResearchEverything from shrooms and weed to molly and ketamine — once known mainly as party drugs — is finding a place in clinical trials for depression and other mental health conditions. Precisely how they work on the brain, however, strays wildly from prescription antidepressants. In doing so, these drugs are challenging traditional ideas of how(...)