The skin is the first major barrier to injury and harm in everyday life. In areas where clothes or hats fail to protect us, our skin protects us from the sun’s harsh UV rays. If we trip and fall, we might receive mere scrapes to the skin while our muscles and bones will remain unscathed. […]
Category Archives: Immune System
October
31
The Double-Edged Sword of Cellular Senescence
posted by Anna McTigue
Why do some cells age gracefully and others lead to disease? Cellular senescence is a hot topic in aging and disease research, but it is a bit of a double-edged sword. This fascinating process can be both a friend and a foe to our health, playing both benefitial and detrimental roles.
August
01
Glued to Your Bed
posted by Donovan Cronkhite
As we know, sleep is essential for the proper functioning of our brain. Although sleep deprivation has never been found to be fatal in humans, a lack of sleep has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, as well as delirium and hallucinations (1). This is why a lot of research delves into how […]
December
02
Breastmilk for baby brains
posted by JC Gorman
For such a natural part of being a human, breastfeeding has had a controversial past whether in private or in public- in fact, it only became legal to breastfeed in public in all 50 states in 2018, when Utah and Idaho were the last to legalize it. While this trend of normalizing breastfeeding seems recent, […]
September
03
Microglia as Architects and Designers for Your New Brain
posted by Jess Du
[En español] While neurons tend to get the spotlight in the brain, there’re tons of other cell types working in the background to support brain health and function. Microglia are one such cell type, often described as the immune cells of the brain, patrolling and gobbling things up like white blood cells do in the […]
April
09
Why do many pandemics start with bats?
posted by Susan Lubejko
We are in the midst of an unprecedented global health crisis. The new disease COVID-19 has changed many aspects of how we can lead safe and healthy lives. COVID-19 is caused by the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus previously unknown to humans. As health scientists race to find the best testing and preventative strategies, […]
August
29
The Neuroscience of the Breath
posted by BrittanydFair
The Neuroscience of the Breath Scientists search to uncover the mind-body connection Mind-body practices, which stem from traditions originating in countries such as India, China, and Tibet, have become increasingly popular in Western society. These practices, which include yoga, meditation and tai chi, revolve around breathing techniques or pranayama- learning to control the breath […]
June
28
Zika: Predicting the long-term effects of an unrelenting virus
posted by Samantha Jones, PhD
Summer is upon us, and with that comes much-anticipated vacation travel. As you pack your bag with sunblock, clothes that haven’t seen the light of day since your trip last year, and that sci-fi novel that has been sitting on your nightstand since February, don’t forget what might be the most important item: bug spray. […]
March
29
The animals snakes have nightmares about
posted by Seraphina Solders
The Box Jellyfish has venom so powerful that its human victims go straight into shock. The bite of a king cobra can result in the death of a healthy human adult within fifteen minutes. One drop of venom from a cone snail is capable of killing more than twenty humans. We live in fear of […]
March
03
Battling A Brain Tumor The Loki Way
posted by egeyalcinbas
Recently a friend of mine took on the duty of bringing me up to speed on the Marvel cinematic universe. When we got around to watching the first installment in the Thor series, I was expecting more levelheadedness on the part of Thor, the soon-to-be crowned king of Asgard. Shortly after the opening sequence however, […]
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