Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
December 3, 2024

Science & Technology

HARRISON KEELY / CC BY 4.0 Henrietta Lacks's story brings to light the intersection of medical ethics, race and the treatment of marginalized communities in research and healthcare. 

2024 Henrietta Lacks memorial lecture: Addressing disparities in research and healthcare

By ADITYA SHIVASWAMY | October 9, 2024

The Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical & Translational Research hosted the 14th annual Henrietta Lacks Memorial Lecture on Oct. 5 to honor the lasting legacy of Henrietta Lacks. Her cells, taken without her consent in 1951 became one of the most important tools in biomedical research, leading to countless breakthroughs in science. However, her story also brings to light the intersection of medical ethics, race and the treatment of marginalized communities in research.

BANGO RENDERS / CC0 1.0 Oh highlights the progress in the field of gene therapy, including the emergence of nanotechnology. 

Current progress and innovation for gene therapy delivery systems

By GRACE OH | October 9, 2024

As of October 2024, there are more than thirty FDA-approved gene therapies, spanning a diverse array of diseases such as certain cancers, hereditary disorders and chronic diseases. There are multiple ways that new genetic material can have therapeutic value. One of the most direct ways is through the replacement of a gene. 

NASA WORLDVIEW / PUBLIC DOMAIN Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact highlights a larger trend in the increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters. 

Hurricane Helene’s devastating effects call current policy into question

By ALEX PAN | October 8, 2024

From Sept. 24 through Sept. 29, Hurricane Helene ravaged the Southeast, causing over 200 casualties and a staggering $250 billion in damages. Millions of Americans were left without power, and the devastation in states like Florida and Georgia was clear — thousands of buildings were flooded or destroyed, and the land the storm ripped through looked like a wasteland.

COURTESY OF SHREYA TIWARI Stanford University professor Michael Bernstein discussed new research in the field of human-computer interaction (HCI) in a talk held by the Center for Language and Speech Processing. 

A "more human" AI: enhancing human-computer interaction

By SHREYA TIWARI | October 7, 2024

On Sept. 30th, Michael Bernstein, an associate professor of computer science at Stanford University, presented a talk at the Center for Language and Speech Processing about current efforts to improve behavioral simulations. His talk was titled “Generative Agents: Interactive Simulacra of Human Behavior“ and spotlighted the simulated town, Smallville, which his team worked on.

Ernesto del Aguila III / CC BY-NC 2.0 CRISPR editing is a technique that allows scientists to make precise changes to the genome by cutting DNA at specific locations.

Science news in review: Oct. 7

By ANNIE HUANG | October 7, 2024

Here are some of the most groundbreaking developments in science this week, ranging from a novel approach to rejuvenating brain cells using CRISPR, new insights to understand the link between the TET2 gene and cancer, the global impact of species loss and the discovery of single-electron covalent bonds in carbon atoms.

COURTESY OF MIHIR RELAN Chen discusses a new class of microrobots and their applications. 

Taking flight with robots the size of bees

By MIHIR RELAN | October 3, 2024

The Laboratory for Computation Sensing and Robotics hosted Kevin Chen, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Wednesday, Sept. 25. In his talk, titled “Insect-scale Micro-Aerial-Robots Powered by Soft Artificial Muscles,” Chen explores the development of robots, the size of insects and their potential applications in our world. 

SCIENTIFIC ANIMATIONS / CC BY-SA 4.0 A woman underwent stem cell therapy for type 1 diabetes which was recently confirmed to fully reverse her disease. 

Science News in Review: Sept. 30

By SHREYA TIWARI | September 30, 2024

This week’s Science News in Review is filled with new discoveries. From advances in therapeutics for schizophrenia treatment to fish that can taste with their legs, news this week focuses on groundbreaking innovations but also provides a reminder to stay cautious when reading scientific literature.

COURTESY OF TOM WANG Tom Wang, Andy Shi, Lily Ru and Harry Jiang competed in Hop Hacks 2024 on the philanthropy track. 

36 hours: innovating for inclusion at HopHacks 2024

By SHREYA TIWARI | September 25, 2024

A coding project that aims to challenge undergraduates to come up with creative solutions and present them to a panel of specialized judges. HopHacks — a competition that brings students passionate about computer science and engineering together — embodies all this. The competition fosters broad-scale innovation through its many tracks, from the open-ended general track to more specialized tracks such as the Patient Safety Technology Challenge and the Philanthropy Track. 

mikemacmarketing / CC BY 2.0 A research team at University of Limerick’s Bernal Institute has published a new study in Nature that proved the feasibility of designing molecules that could revolutionize computing.

Science News in Review: Sept. 23

By ANNIE HUANG | September 24, 2024

The field of artificial intelligence (AI) has seen significant advancements, and this week’s review showcases some of the most groundbreaking developments in AI foundation models and their interdisciplinary applications. These highlights include a breakthrough in neuromorphic hardware that could improve energy efficiency in AI, AI surpassing humans in predicting odor, Google’s progress in detecting AI-manipulated images and promising uses of large language models (LLMs) for debunking conspiracy theories. 

JUDY GALLAGHER / CC BY 2.0 Cigarette butts, in number, are the most common form of litter found in beach clean-ups. 

Thomas E. Novotny calls for awareness and action surrounding cigarette filter pollution

By GRACE OH | September 24, 2024

On Monday, Sept. 16, the Institute for Global Tobacco Control at the Bloomberg School of Public Health hosted Thomas E. Novotny, professor emeritus of epidemiology and biostatistics at the San Diego State University School of Public Health. In a talk titled “Paddling Upstream to Prevent Tobacco Pollution,” Novotny discussed the type of waste produced from tobacco as well as to regulatory actions that may prevent the continuation of mass pollution from tobacco products. 

NIH Image Gallery / CC BY-SA 2.0 Researchers at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center identified a subset of macrophages that interact closely with breast cancer cells responsible for metastasis. 

Harnessing the immune system: Exploring macrophage interactions in breast cancer metastasis

By SHREYA TIWARI | September 18, 2024

Immunotherapy holds great promise for the future of cancer treatment. By harnessing a patient’s own immune system to target cancerous cells, cancer treatment can be tailored to an individual’s specific cancer type — allowing for more personalized treatment. One key avenue of current research involves studying cellular organization within tumors to understand the role of tumor-associated macrophages: white blood cells closely associated with the tumor microenvironment (TME) and are thought to support tumor growth and invasiveness.  

COURTESY OF MIHIR RELAN  Mahoney described that the new Interpolating Information Criterion metric is a useful tool for evaluating models with more parameters than data points and has several applications.  

Beyond the data: Uncovering how modern machine models learn best

By MIHIR RELAN | September 18, 2024

On Thursday, September 12 the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics hosted Michael Mahoney of the Department of Statistics at UC Berkeley and the International Computer Science Institute. In his talk titled “Model Selection and Ensembling When There Are More Parameters Than Data,” Mahoney addressed why modern machine learning models work so well in practice, despite even mathematical theories being unable to fully explain them. 

COURTESY OF ADNAN MUNAWAR Munawar shared his progress on the open-source AMBF simulator and several applications in surgical robotics.

Adnan Munawar on open simulation platform for surgical robotics research

By ANNIE HUANG | September 17, 2024

Adnan Munawar, an assistant research scientist at the Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics (LCSR), shared his progress on the open-source Asynchronous Multi-Body Framework (AMBF) simulator used for several applications in surgical robotics on Sept. 11. The talk shed light on the use of reactive digital twins for surgical environments. His paper on AMBF was published in the Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) program. 

COURTESY OF NEHA SKANDAN Neha Skandan accepting the certificate of her Astronaut Scholarship at the 2024 Astronaut Scholarship Foundation’s Innovators Symposium & Gala.

Senior Neha Skandan's journey to becoming an Astronaut Scholar

By GRACE OH | September 17, 2024

Every year, around 60 undergraduate researchers are awarded the Astronaut Scholarship by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF). The ASF is a nonprofit organization created by the Mercury 7 astronauts, and its mission is to support scholars in STEM fields as well as honor the legacy of American astronauts. One of these scholars, Neha Skandan, is a senior double-majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Public Health. In an interview with The News-Letter, she spoke about her research journey as well as her time at the ASF’s Innovators Symposium & Gala, which honors the 2024 Class of Astronaut Scholars.

NICK YOUNGSON / CC BY-SA 3.0 Researchers from the University of Cambridge found that high cholesterol levels in youth significantly accelerated the development of atherosclerosis later in life.

Science News in Review: Sept. 15

By ANNIE HUANG | September 15, 2024

As the fall semester progresses, exciting discoveries continue to emerge across academia. This week’s highlights include a dye that renders mouse skin “transparent,“ a super precise nuclear-powered clock, new insights into cholesterol's role in heart disease and robots controlled by mushrooms.

RAYNE ZAAYMAN-GALLANT / CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 Tiwari argues that improving the inclusivity of clinical trial research is integral to providing adequate treatment access to all affected demographics.

Transforming clinical research: the need for inclusivity in clinical trials

By SHREYA TIWARI | September 12, 2024

The mistreatment and persistent exclusion of ethnic minorities, women, and other underrepresented groups from drug trials is a well-documented issue. In 2020, of the 32,000 individuals who participated in new American drug trials, key demographic groups were persistently underrepresented: only 8% were Black, 6% were Asian, and 11% were Hispanic. 

NIAID / CC BY 2.0 New discoveries in HIV research have renewed hope for the development of an HIV vaccine. 

Science news in review: Sept. 8

By ANNIE HUANG | September 8, 2024

As the new academic year begins, let's dive into the latest breakthroughs and discoveries by scientists and engineers around the globe. This week’s highlights include promising developments in HIV vaccine research, insights into the human microbiome, legislative strides in AI and Deepfake regulation, and the discovery of new free-floating planetary bodies.

MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL AND DRAPER LABS / PUBLIC DOMAIN Mahto argues that the evidence against humans’ free will is only applicable to trivial tasks and not to important decisions. 

Science supports the existence of free will

By NEIL MAHTO | April 24, 2024

The idea of free will permeates nearly every institution. We reprimand those who commit crimes because we assume that they have a choice to act in that crime. We award honors for academic or athletic excellence assuming that the winner had some agency that allowed them to achieve their talent. 

NIH IMAGE GALLERY / CC BY-NC 2.0 Senior Saahith Potluri discusses his research with the Calabresi Lab in an interview with The News-Letter.

Just grateful: Saahith Potluri reflects on two years of research

By ZACHARY BAHAR | April 24, 2024

For the past two-and-a-half years, Potluri has worked in the Calabresi Lab which studies possible treatments for Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MS is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, and as it progresses, it can result in extreme fatigue, muscle weakness, loss of motor skills, loss of vision and numbness, among other symptoms. It is the most common disabling neurological disease for adults ages 20–40, and there is currently no known cure.

NICK YOUNGSON / CC BY-SA 3.0 Tiwari argues that open-access publishing holds a myriad of benefits for both researchers and the general public. 

Breaking knowledge barriers: The need for open-access in science

By SHREYA TIWARI | April 22, 2024

The internet serves as a haven of scientific information, representing an era where the knowledge of anything we wish to know is available at our fingertips. Yet in many ways, accurate, firsthand accessibility to scientific research and comprehensibility of scientific knowledge is severely limited. A substantial overhaul is needed in the way that the general populace accesses scientific knowledge.

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