Latest Articles
The Potential of a Poem
As a student in one of the nation’s most rigorous STEM high schools, 16-year-old Eileen Huang never expected to write poetry, let alone have it change her life. In this funny, surprising, and moving talk, she tells the unexpected story of how her passion for writing and storytelling took her to the White House, got her to meet the First Lady, and, ultimately, revealed her true potential and self-confidence.
Way to Go, Katie!
Our cSw Chief Editor, Katie McCreedy, has been selected by the New Jersey Council of Teachers of English (NJCTE) as their 2016 Personal Essay Bronze Medalist. Katie wrote about her experiences as a young student taking NJ Transit. She noted that passengers are less willing to engage in conversation, making it even more important to value personal relationships.
Every SIDS Death a Tragedy: New Research Offers Hope
SIDS is the unexplained death, usually during sleep, of a seemingly healthy baby less than a year old. Diagnosed by a process of elimination, often after an autopsy, SIDS shows no apparent pattern between victims. Dr. Neubauer has dedicated the better part of her professional life to researching the neurobiology of respiratory control, particularly as it relates to SIDS. Her team has focused on the ability of the rat nervous system to regulate hypoxia, or the lack of oxygen in body tissues, which is one possible cause of SIDS.
Giving Youth a Voice in Congress
Bret Silverstein, one of our staff writers and a junior at the Academy of Allied Health and Science in Neptune, NJ, has been selected to serve on the Youth Advisory Council to Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. The Council was created to gain important insights from the students of…
From “Fireworks” to Polymers: An Interview With Dr. Kathryn Uhrich
Dr. Uhrich’s passion for science is contagious. She inspires her students, colleagues and especially young women considering becoming scientists. Her research with PolyAspirin is a “wacky” idea come to life that promises to improve delivery systems for pain-relieving drugs as well as the lives of a countless number of patients.
Could New Vaccine Block Cocaine from the Brain?
Cocaine is a small molecule used commonly as a recreational drug. It prevents the brain from removing “feel-good” chemicals so that the user experiences a drug high. A new vaccine could stop cocaine before it reaches the brain. The vaccine could offer an alternative approach to block the “euphoria” associated with drug intake.
Can You Focus on the Future of Vision Therapy?
Convergence insufficiency is an eye condition that causes headaches and/or double vision when the patient focuses on a nearby object. Dr. Tara Alvarez and her students designed a video game based on the game “Galactica” that functions as vision therapy while still creating an engaging environment. Dr. Alvarez believes that this is truly the future of vision therapy for convergence insufficiency and possibly other ocular disorders.
RNA: Catching Cancer Red-Handed
RNA is an intermediate molecule found between double-stranded DNA and the production of protein. It is essential in the genetic instructions for life and development in living organisms. Taking its flexibility and reactivity into account, Dr. Jonathan Ouellet is focusing on RNA in his preliminary research to develop a potential cure for cancer.
Tiffany Goes to Trenton
cSw staffer Tiffany Zhou has been accepted as an intern for NJ Assemblyman Dan Benson. He serves as the Vice Chair of the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee, has a STEM education in physics, and has sponsored several STEM-related bills. Her work will mostly focus on reviewing STEM policy to help the Assemblyman work on new bills.
Rest Easy: NJ Professor Makes Sleep Apnea Breakthroughs
In order to gain more information about sleep apnea, Dr. Neubauer uses mice as animal models, controlling the amount of oxygen they intake to induce localized hypoxia, or areas of low oxygen. Through this process, she found that the enzyme heme oxygenase, which can sense and alert the body of low oxygen areas, is induced by hypoxia only in the pacemaker areas. This enzyme will help scientists understand the effects of sleep apnea, because it can be specifically targeted to identify how key signals change during hypoxic conditions.