by: Ming Pei People often have great difficulty choosing the best healthcare plan and treatment because of the limited healthcare price transparency and the energy cost to find a better healthcare plan. Professor Ben Handel at UC Berkeley used the data from the large employer-sponsored insurance system and conducted research to find that consumer inertia […]
A Closer Look into the HIV Life Cycle: Hijacking the Host Cell
by: Sherry Wu Around every 9.5 minutes, one person in the United States alone is newly infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (Center of Disease Control and Prevention). This rapid rate at which HIV propagates is extremely alarming, hinting at the significant role that this virus plays on a larger scale. In fact globally, an […]
Mental Health Neglect and Associated Stigmas in University Settings
by: Alina Das Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting over 300 million people across the globe. One in four people between the ages of 18 and 24 have a diagnosable mental illness (World Health Organization, 2018). Despite its immense contribution to the overall global burden of disease, mental illness remains largely circumvented […]
CasX enzymes comprise a distinct family of RNA-guided genome editors
by: Ken Hinh Advancements in genetic engineering have skyrocketed in the past seven years as the emerging genome editing tool—CRISPR-Cas9—has been utilized on bacteria, animals, and plants to edit DNA, which has the potential for curing a variety of genetic diseases. More specifically, the CRISPR system has the potential to cut DNA of any genome […]
Does our Eye Tell the Truth: Mathematical computation to account for 3-D Error
by: Sasha Nikitinska The human eye is deceiving, everything we see is not how it necessarily is. We’ve all seen one too many optical illusions to prove this. This is a known fact, but what does that entail? In the past, researchers have diverted their focus to 2-D eye error, creating mathematical models to explain […]
Genetically Engineered T-Cells: The Challenges and Possibilities of Treating Brain Tumors
by: Vimathi Gummalla Immunotherapy is a rising field in which treatment boosts the body’s own natural defenses to fight diseases like cancer. However, one specific area that continues to complicate the innovative treatment is the brain. To simplify the problem, scientists created T-cell therapy, where scientists genetically alter a patient’s T-cells to work in a […]
Who am I?: The Neural Mechanisms Underlying Gender Dysphoria
by: Niharika Desaraju In recent years, the world’s perception of transgender people has significantly transformed, with celebrities such as Caitlyn Jenner and Laverne Cox gaining popularity as the faces of this minority. Although society has begun to understand and accept the transgender community, scientists have yet to understand any underlying similarities and differences between the […]
Nicotine, Carcinogen, and Toxin Exposure in Long-Term E-Cigarette and Nicotine Replacement Therapy Users: A Cross-sectional Study
by: Kelvin Ngo “Ay bro can I hit your Juul please bro? Can I hit your Juul dude? Come on dude!” The last few years have seen a rapid spike in the popularity of e-cigarettes, with the Juul device being the most prominent on the market. Self-proclaimed “Juul fiends”, seen campuswide vaping away at their […]
Modeling Influenza Spread on College Campuses
by: Ankita Chatterjee “Gesundheit!” What’s in a sneeze? If you’re in a cramped college campus during flu season, the answer could be thousands of tiny droplets full of active viral particles. Potentially deadly diseases like influenza can spread quickly across a college campus, where large numbers of people packed into small environments can increase the […]
Using Technology to Prevent Injuries
by: Suhitha Kosuri For decades, long-distance running has been advocated for its fruitful health benefits. However, the injuries that arise from this strenuous activity are often overlooked. According to the research conducted by the EECS department at UC Berkeley, approximately 79% of long-distance runners are predicted to bear debilitating knee injuries (such as PFPS – […]