Imagine you’re a kid with pain in your fingers and toes. But it's different from the usual scrapes and bruises from horseplay—it’s an aching, dull pain, rather than a sharp, throbbing pain. You tell your parents, and they take you to a doctor. Eventually, you get an X-ray…

Imagine you are a 13-year-old who has recently been diagnosed with a rare genetic condition. Apart from the understandable confusion and fear this causes, you now have countless questions flurrying about in your mind as to the treatment of your condition. Naturally, you turn to the internet for…

While treating patients with Hyperimmunoglobulin E syndrome (hyper IgE syndrome), a condition caused by a genetic mutation that weakens the immune system. Dr. Alexandra Freeman noticed an interesting link to the symptoms of Covid-19. Freeman, who is a senior clinician in the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious…

“With fronds like these, who needs anemones?” Marlin, the main antagonist in Pixar’s beloved animated movie Finding Nemo, was just making a joke when he said this memorable line, yet, the talking clownfish brings up a good point: why do we need anemones? Though anemones frequently appear in…

There are always new viruses emerging, and, like SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, they are constantly evolving into different variants or strains. Researchers are racing to find vaccines and therapies that can improve outcomes for patients worldwide, using methods ranging from traditional lab work to computational biology (bioinformatics), and…

In the field of neurodegenerative diseases, Parkinson's disease poses a significant challenge to both affected patients and scientists. In addition to the motor-related symptoms of the disease, such as tremors, stiffness and balance problems, people with Parkinson’s can experience depression, anxiety, and hallucinations. While scientists and doctors know…

What does aging gracefully mean to you? To me, it means keeping your body healthy in such a way that you can live your life to the fullest. For many senior citizens, aging gracefully is not a reality. From complex ailments to the day to day aches, many…

You’re a scientist in a lab, and you’ve worked tirelessly to develop a treatment for a disease. After a decade’s worth of research, your drug has finally passed animal screening and is on its way to a clinical trial. While you may be towards the end of the…

Dementia is currently one of the leading causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide, and Alzheimer’s disease is one of the key causes of dementia. Alzheimer’s causes loss of memory and other important mental functions such as behavioral and social skills. Alzheimer’s is thought to be…