Archive
To The Rhythm of Your Brain
MADELEINE YU | ONLINE REPORTER | SQ ONLINE 17-18 We’ve all been there: one minute, you are completely absorbed in lecture and then the next minute, you’re wondering if you have all of the ingredients at home to make that one really tasty-looking stew that appeared on your Facebook feed, and oh yeah, did…
A Tale of Two Cities: Accumulation of Rare Eye Cancer Cases Under Investigation
BY LAUREN BRUMAGE | SQ ONLINE WRITER | SQ ONLINE (2017-18) Public health officials are investigating a medical mystery that has spanned nearly two decades in Auburn, Alabama and Huntersville, North Carolina. Over 50 people in the two cities have been diagnosed with ocular melanoma, a rare form of eye cancer, since 1999 [1, 2]. Most…
Solving The Microbe Mystery: An Interview With UCSD Researcher Cliff Kapono
MADELEINE YU | ONLINE REPORTER | SQ ONLINE 17-18 They surround us by the billions in every nook and cranny imaginable, even hitching a ride with us throughout our daily routines. All the while, we are oblivious to their presence. Microbes. Despite their ubiquity in our world, little is known about these microorganisms. But,…
Evolution in Action: An Interview with Dr. Justin Meyer and Dr. Katie Petrie
BY LAUREN BRUMAGE | SQ ONLINE WRITER | SQ ONLINE (2017-18) Evolutionary biologist Theodosius Dobzhansky once said that “nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.” That being said, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms through which evolution operates is still incomplete. One UC San Diego lab, headed by Dr. Justin Meyer, is…
Alzheimer’s Research: The Need to Succeed
MADELEINE YU | ONLINE REPORTER | SQ ONLINE 17-18 Nearly everyone knows someone affected by Alzheimer’s disease; it has become a leading medical issue and is often at the forefront of pharmaceutical research. Every year, more and more drugs are introduced for testing, but despite this abundance, not one has managed to succeed in…
HELP! Anxiety Disorders, Treatment, and Stigma
BY LAUREN BRUMAGE | SQ ONLINE WRITER | SQ ONLINE (2017-18) Imagine the following scenario: you are in a crowded lecture hall, hunched over a tiny desk and staring blankly at an exam. Your heart races and you feel a gnawing headache take hold as you struggle to gather your thoughts to focus on the task…
Demystifying Toxic Shock Syndrome
BY LAUREN BRUMAGE | SQ ONLINE WRITER | SQ ONLINE (2017-18) In 2012, supermodel Lauren Wasser lost her right leg and the toes on her left foot. She had been physically active and, at the young age of 24, seemed the picture of health. However, a rapid onset of symptoms including a 107°F fever and a…
Losing Ground: The Thawing of Alaska’s Permafrost
MADELEINE YU | ONLINE REPORTER | SQ ONLINE 17-18 When people consider the effects of climate change, the catastrophic outcomes of the rapid melting of glaciers and ice sheets may immediately come to mind. This anxiety is understandable: just a 200mm increase in sea levels could displace thousands who live in coastal regions and…
Extending Beyond: A UCSD Alumnus Treats Phantom Limb Pain Abroad
MADELEINE YU | ONLINE REPORTER | SQ ONLINE 17-18 It is strange to think that our sense of body is not confined to the limits of our physical being; yet, this has been proven true in a vast number of scientific studies. The body can extend beyond its physical limitations; for instance, a study…