Research Stories
Tiny Worms, Big Discoveries: C. Elegans as a Powerful Model for Parkinson’s Disease
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…
Lessons From Seychelles: How Birds Can Help Us Live Healthier Lives
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…
Printing Possibilities: How Bioprinting Can Transform Drug Development
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…
Using Fruit Fly Models to Study Memory Disorders
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…
Smokejumpers: Heroes in an Emerging Public Health Emergency
On August 5, 1949, Eldon E.Diettert was celebrating his 19th birthday with his family when he got the call. Diettert was part of the Missoula, Montana, smokejumper force. As a student in the Forestry department at the University of Montana, Diettert was passionate about protecting the environment and…
Schools of Fish Change Schools of Thought: How Zebrafish Can Help Scientists Treat Genetic Diseases
For many years, rodents have been the core of biological experiments to understand living systems and disease. We might picture mice running around, caged in rooms illuminated only by fluorescent lights. This is the image that comes into many of our minds when we hear the words “scientific…
A Boy’s Best Friend: Dogs are Helping Researchers Dig Up a Cure to Muscular Disorders
Among the extensive assortment of household pets—from furry guinea pigs and vocal parakeets to scaly bearded dragons—dogs are the most popular pet around the world. Commonly known as ‘man’s best friend,’ dogs not only offer valuable companionship, but also have remarkable capabilities. Throughout history, humans have trained canines…
How Virtual Reality is Helping Autism Patients
Imagine stepping into your favorite movie, show, or video game—surrounded by a fantasy world. That is the power of virtual reality (VR): to immerse someone in an experience they can’t get in real life. But what if we were able to use that power to reflect reality and…
The rise of disease-causing bacteria: How climate change may impact your health
You may want to think twice before you eat a raw oyster or dive into the ocean to escape a hot day. While microscopic, a collection of disease-causing bacteria known as Vibrio are becoming more and more abundant as climate change creates the ideal conditions for their spread…
Seeing the Future: How Retinal Organoids Might Hold the Key to Curing Blindness
We use cameras every day. They’re on our phones, in buildings, and even inside us. Yes, you heard that right. Our eyes, those uniquely intricate organs that we use to perceive the world around us, are more similar to a camera than you might think. Although one is…