Current Events

Nondrug treatments for chronic pain associated with fewer negative results

April 6th, 2019 Alan Doan

There are many drug-based therapies prescribed for illnesses, but what if non-drug therapies were even more effective?

Medical Detection Dogs Help Diabetes Patients Regulate Blood Glucose Levels

December 2, 2019 Tianru Zhang

A study by researchers from the University of Bristol revealed the potential benefits that well-trained medical detection dogs can have on the lives of patients with type 1 diabetes.

Trump’s Ambitious Campaign to End HIV in Ten Years

May 31, 2019 Mei Linh Lao

As of 2014, 1.1 million people living in the United States are living with HIV- related infections and an alarming 18% are unaware. Even worse, close to 16,000 people are dying annually.

The Cost of Knowledge

May 12, 2019 Michelle Kinney

 Top-tier research universities generally have access to current, top-tier research - but that may be about to change. Elsevier, one of the world’s largest academic publishing companies, has recently increased its subscription costs, impacting thousands of scientists.

A Legal Addiction - How Sugary Drinks Slowly Kill Us

May 12, 2019 Sherry An

Admit it, modern life relies too much on the soda machines and cabinets found in convenience stores. Most of us think that healthy drinks and unhealthy drinks are easy to tell apart and that the consumption of unhealthy drinks is easy to restrict, but that isn’t true. Although our parents always tell us not to drink cola, we just can’t quit it. Or, to take a step back, we turn to diet soda, energy drinks, and juice drinks advertised to be more “healthy”. Recently, a study led by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health reminded us of the harm of sugary drinks, warning us about the link between sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and early deaths.

Immunotherapy, a landmark in fighting cancer and viral infection

April 7, 2019 Huijun Zhang

On October 1 this year, James P. Allison and Tasuku Honjo were awarded to share the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their remarkable efforts in cancer checkpoint blockade therapy by inhibiting negative immune regulation. Allison with his colleagues  identified cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) which was a receptor on T cells that prevent them from attacking tumors, while Honjo discovered another key brake on T cells called program death 1 (PD-1).

Antioxidants for Parkinson's Disease

February 17, 2019 Bashayer Althufa

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that affects 1-2% of the population over 60 years old. In rare cases, PD occurs earlier in life, often progressing unnoticed. Early-onset Parkinson's Disease famously affected the famous boxer, Muhammad Ali at age of 42, and actor Michael Fox at the age of 29. According to the American Parkinson's Disease Association, PD is becoming more and more common, with a new case of PD diagnosed every 9 minutes.

Amazon buys “PillPack,” Expanding Marketplace into Pharmaceuticals

February 13, 2019 Mei Linh Lao

As of late June 2018, Amazon purchased a small startup, “PillPack” allowing the extensive online marketplace to expand into the pharmaceutical business and thus breaking tradition for physical walk-ins to purchase medicines. In an age of technology, the idea of an online pharmacy is incredibly enticing and may be especially beneficial for millennials and future generations.

NYU Medical School Now Tuition-free: Why and What’s the Impact?

February 10, 2019 Sherry An

This year on August 16, New York University School of Medicine announced its decision to make tuition free for all students. According to the AAMC, 75% of medical students in the class of 2017 carry an average debt of $192,000, which plays a significant role in the students’ career choice. By eliminating tuition, NYU is hoping to encourage more students to enter the medical field and hopefully compensate for the current physician shortage in the U.S.

Reciprocal Effortless IVF Grants New Opportunities for Same-Sex Couples

January 13, 2019  Michelle Kinney

In October of 2018, history was made for the lesbian community. Ashleigh and Bliss Coulter each carried their son in their womb before Ashleigh successfully gave birth. The CARE Fertility Center in Bedford, Texas, was the first to attempt a technique called “reciprocal effortless In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF)” with same-sex couples.

Outrage Over Epipen Prices

November 23, 2016  Vineet Tummala

In late August, the pharmaceutical company Mylan increased the price of a pair of Epipens to over $600. This price increase outraged many customers because the price of a pair of Epipens has steadily increased from under $100 in 2007 to over $600 this year.

An Update on California's Right to Die Bill

March 28, 2016  Vineet Tummala

On October 5, 2015, California became the fifth state (after Oregon, Washington, Vermont, and Montana) to legalize euthanasia, also known as physician-assisted suicide. This law, called the "right to die bill", will go into effect on June 9 to allow physicians to prescribe lethal drugs to patients with terminal illness.

Gun Violence vs. Mental Illness

March 14, 2016  Vineet Tummala

Gun violence has been in the news frequently over the past few months. Some examples are recent mass shootings, including the attacks that killed fourteen people in San Bernardino, California; ten at Umpqua Community College in Oregon; and nine in Charleston, South Carolina. Many people, especially politicians, are quick to assume that the perpetrators of these events suffer from mental illness.