Issue No. 5
Fall 2017
Editorial Semestrial- Fall 2017
Letter from the
Editor
Executive Board Editor-in-Chief: Ariana Saroufim Managing Editor: Kristen Doucette Secretary: Brooke Lucier Treasurer: Alex Kemna SGA Representative: Sierra McCaffrey Communications Manager: Sophie Streimer Copy Editor: Angelica Coleman Graphic Designer: Madison Florence Faculty Advisor: Dr. Bruce Gray
Writers Nina Forziati Natalie Finn Allie Krystofik Madeline Uretsky Ally Jarvis Mehbooba Tamanna Kolby Shaw Asia Sheehab Kimanna Nguyen Roxanne Lee Natalie Paicopolis Lena Syed Sophie Lawsure Contributing Copy Editors Iris Zhao Christina Sun Annie Chen Hannah Green Nusrat Africawala Kelly Harrison Lilia Hall Printing
Copy/Mail Center, Simmons College 300 Fenway Boston MA 02115
Webhead Photography
MindScope
Simmons Science Magazine
Dear Mindscope-ers! Mindscope magazine is thrilled to present our fall edition, inspired by Simmons’ invigorating dedication to biology. I believe that everyone can find at least one area of interest when it comes to biology, as we are all living biological organisms fascinated by the world around us. Whether our interest lies in cellular biology, genetics, zoology, biochemistry, environmental sciences, the effects of exercise and diet, or neuroscience, Simmons offers a plethora of courses that provide students with vast knowledge of the different fields within biology. What really stands out about this edition is the variety of topics. This edition of Mindscope has several alumnae interviews involving different career paths that our students can go into after receiving a biology degree, such as veterinary school, graduate schools, PhD programs, and even law school. Professors Ismail, Aguilera and Pojednic also gratefully shared their research with us and discussed their educational journey and time at Simmons. This issue also highlights the Simmons experience; our students share their personal stories, documentary and book reviews, and even all the excitement from the March for Science! If you think that biology is the right major for you and you want to hear more about ways to get involved on campus, be sure to check out the articles about the Biology Liaison and Tri-Beta National Biological Honor Society. I would also like to thank the executive board, writers, editors, faculty advisors, and graphic designer for their work on Issue Five of Mindscope. Without all of their hard work and consistency, Mindscope could not be the success that it is today. I am so excited that so many students have joined the team, and that Mindscope is continuing to thrive. I am graduating this semester and I will no longer be a part of the Mindscope team, but I will always be supporting Mindscope and Simmons, no matter where my journey takes me. I am so excited to attend future launches and bear witness to the continued growth of this glorious organization.
Sincerely, Ariana Saroufim, Editor-in-Chief
Table of Contents Biology
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Nutrition
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STEMinism
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SIMScenes
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Biology Liaison Sepsis Awareness Month More Than Just Child's Play At-Home Genetic Testing Conexiones Endevours in Science Communications Love the Way You Age The Evolution of Intelligence "Bones" in Real Life: DNA Profiling
04 05 06 08 11 12 14 16
Are GMOs Actually Bad For Us? Fibroblast Growth Factor 21, Ethanol and Liver Injury Cell Agriculture: The Future of Meat Global Warming and Nutrition
18 19 22 24
Simmons Overseas 25 Green Chemist: Laura Muollo 26 Standing Up For Science 27 Radium Girls: 28 The Dark Story of America's Shining Women The Gene: An Intimate History 29 Losing Sight of Shore 30
Tri-Beta National Biological Honor Society 32 Interview with Professor Aguilera 33 Back to School Scare 34 A Step Inside Research with Professor Mariam Ismail 36 Meet Professor Pojednic 38 Alumnae Page 39 Spring 2017 Launch 41 Meet the E-Board 42
Biology Liaison
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Nina Forziati
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The Biology Liaison aims to connect students of all majors who have an interest in biology. Our favorite way to do this is by going to the science museums that Boston has to offer, including the New England Aquarium, the Franklin Park Zoo and the Museum of Science. Back on campus, we enjoy holding events that engage many students in the Simmons community. Last year, we had a popular tote bag decorating event organized to raise awareness about reducing plastic bag usage. Our table in the Student Activities Center was busy all day, while students used stencils to create unique designs to take home with them! One of the best things about the Liaison is the informal mentorships that develop between students. This aspect of mentorship in the group becomes especially useful when it is time for class registration. Students always have input about classes and professors, and it is really beneficial to have that insight in advance. Juniors and seniors are also able to share their experiences at jobs and internships in biology-related fields. In addition, knowing someone in a program or internship can give you an advantage when applying. We would love to see you at our meetings, whether you are majoring in biology, or you just have a casual interest. We are a relaxed organization that seeks to have as much fun as possible, so if you have any ideas for fun events you would like to see on campus, do not hesitate to contact us at biology-liaison@simmons.edu. •
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Sepsis Awareness Month Natalie Finn
Sepsis can be easily misdiagnosed, as it presents widespread effects in an untimely manner for the patient. Due to the lack of a confirmatory diagnostic test, the diagnosis of sepsis is based on clinical judgement of suspected infection (CDC). In some instances, providers restrain from administering antibiotics proactively because of increasing antibiotic resistance seen in bacterial pathogens. However, it is the early detection and treatment of such infections that can save lives. When cells have a low oxygen supply, they conduct cellular respiration anaerobically. A byproduct of this metabolic pathway is lactic acid. If
Providers need to be educated on the protocols for treating sepsis. Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) in Boston, Massachusetts is leading the way in sepsis awareness for both patients and their healthcare providers. As a student intern in the Department of Quality and Safety at BWH, one of the projects I worked on was Sepsis Awareness Day, led by Amy Bulger. Bulger is the co-chair of the Brigham Health Sepsis Task Force. “Hosting Sepsis Awareness Day at Brigham and Women's Hospital was about broadening our message to all staff, students, patients and visitors,” said Bulger. When asked why this day is important to the hospital, Bulger reiterated the need for awareness. “We know that early detection and rapid treatment improve patient outcomes, therefore we feel it is critical to raise awareness and educate the Brigham Health community about prevention, symptoms and how to act quickly if sepsis is suspected,” said Bulger.
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In a hospital setting, patients are susceptible to an array of hospital-acquired infections. Pathogenic Streptococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are known to cause this inflammatory response. The overwhelming distress on the body is due to the infiltration of the infection into the bloodstream. Once in circulation, the pathogenic microbe has the potential to come in contact with any organ. As the body initiates an inflammatory response, the infected areas are flooded with excess blood to bring forth leukocytic macrophages to fight the infection. This reaction subsequently causes blood clots. The interruption in blood flow depletes the tissues of their oxygen supply, which may lead to cell death. Signs of multi-organ failure include difficulty breathing, low urine output and altered mental state (Sepsis Alliance). The fatal point for a patient with sepsis is when the blood clots prevent a sufficient volume of blood flow. This results in inadequate perfusion to the heart and brain. The term, “septic shock,” is used to describe the condition of a patient that has reached an extremely low blood pressure. The mortality rate of patients with septic shock is over 50 percent (Auchet).
there is a high concentration of lactate in the blood, a healthcare provider can deduce that their patient may have sepsis and can begin the appropriate care.
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Multi-system organ failure is the immune system’s response to a full body infection. This response is known in the medical field as sepsis. Sepsis begins with an infection that invades through a portal of entry that could be the size of a paper cut or a surgical incision. With access to the body’s nutrients, pathogens multiply and trigger the body’s immune system to act. In some instances, the body’s own reaction to infection causes more harm than healing. Organ system failure can best be attributed to hypo-perfusion, an initiation of the immune system that leads to cell tissue death (National Institute of Health). This deterioration is rapid, and healthcare providers often diagnose the patient once it is too late. Every two minutes, someone dies from sepsis in the U.S. - it kills more than prostate cancer, breast cancer and AIDS combined (Sepsis Alliance Facts).
Natalie Finn and Amy Bulger in Brigham and Women’s Boston sitting at the Sepsis Awareness Day table.
Throughout the day, people approached our table to share their sepsis stories. Survivors, as well as those who had lost loved ones, felt compelled to tell us how sepsis had affected their lives. These positive responses from the community of both patients and providers during Sepsis Awareness Day shows that our work with awareness of this illness has only just begun. • References 1. Auchet, Thomas. National Institute of Health. Outcome of patients with septic shock and high-dose vasopressor therapy. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5397393/. 2. National Institute of Health. Clinical Pathology of shock syndromes. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3132364/ 3. Sepsis Alliance. Sepsis Alliance Fact Sheet. http://www.sepsis.org/downloads/2016_sepsis_facts_media.pdf 4. Sepsis Alliance. Symptoms of Sepsis. https://www.sepsis.org/sepsis/ symptoms/
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More Than Just Child's Play Allie Krystofik
Shutterstock
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“Play,” and, “children,” are two words that go together seamlessly. Children play - it’s what they do. The action of playing promotes healthy bodies and minds. However, what happens when children become increasingly sedentary, in a society where their toys often take the form of iPads, video games and other sedentary activities? What happens when schools value a child's test scores and academia over incorporating active play? Less play may make children less happy, which can result in detrimental effects on their mental health. However, is this decline in play affecting children’s physical health, physiologies, and cognition? Play as a Way to Encourage Physical Fitness It is important to acknowledge that the action of playing is more than just fun it is a child’s stepping stone in learning to interact with the world around them. According to Pellegrini et al., in the journal Child Development, play is suggested to have, “deferred benefits,” meaning that the skills and concepts that children gain
from playing throughout their childhood may affect how they behave as adults. Now, imagine a child whose school does not value the importance of unstructured recess time outside. This child may live in an area where playing and developing gross motor skills outside the home is unsafe, and resort to spending their free time watching TV or playing video games. Unfortunately, this is just one example of the plethora of reasons why children may not get outside to play and exercise. So, this child may grow up without learning the importance of exercising and being fit. As such, they potentially do not gain the strength and skills to do so later in life. Children who do not exercise have the potential to become obese, and according to Boling et al., in The Cumulative Index to Nursing Guide and Allied Health Literature Nursing Guide, obesity has been shown to have a variety of severe comorbid health conditions such as, “diabetes mellitus type 2, hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux
This is Your Brain on Play From a neuroscientific standpoint, play can affect the levels of oxytocin, a hormone that can positively affect a child’s relationship to others. Additionally, mirror neurons, which are considered to be, “the building blocks of empathy,” can be activated while children play (Stewert). This contributes to the ideology that a child’s neurobiology can be changed for the better through the simple act of playing. It can be said that a child who spends less time with other children may have a more difficult time exhibiting skills of
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Play May Aid in Immunity Development Playing is important not only for physical fitness, but also for children’s immune systems, especially when they play outside with other children. Outside, children have a higher risk of exposure to a variety of bacteria and pathogens, which allows the immune system to develop a response. David J Dowling of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School explains that, “building a personalized microbiome early in life is important in developing a robust immune system as we age.” The type of cells that help this immune response process are dendritic cells, or antigenpresenting cells that scan their environment for microorganisms. When pathogens are presented to dendritic cells, they express, “potent cell-surface signalling receptors,” which, “enhance their ability to activate/ order an immune response,” (Dowling). While these dendritic cells may be present in children, they may not be activated as much in a child who spends most of their playtime indoors, especially indoors doing more sedentary activities and/or doing activities by themselves. Thus, a child who does not play outdoors is at risk for developing a worse immune system than a child who does spend time outside.
empathy, but this may not stem from social factors alone. Their brains might not have had the chance to produce the oxytocin and develop the mirror neurons that aid in empathy and social skills. In a TED Talk, Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play, explains that upon observation via an electroencephalogram of the brain, play also activates the cerebellum. Furthermore, Brown explains that play activates the frontal lobe, which can help contextual memory development. Brown also admits that more research needs to be done on the neuroscience of play, and research institutions aren’t jumping at the idea of funding these studies. However, the research conducted thus far has given some insight into why children’s gross and fine motor skills are developed via play. •
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disease, dyslipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, asthma, and orthopedic impairments.” Does this mean that iPads and video games themselves are the only things to blame for obese children? The answer to this question is not certain if you take other factors, such as inadequate diet, into consideration. Today, time in front of screens often outweighs time spent developing gross motor skills by playing physical games and participating in physical activity. This lifestyle change in children within the past 30 years has contributed to the childhood obesity epidemic and the potential development of chronic disease.
References: Boling B, Church L. Obesity in Children and Adolescents. CINAHL Nursing Guide [serial online]. May 12, 2017;Available from: Nursing Reference Center Plus, Ipswich, MA. Brown S. Play is More Than Just Fun [video]. TED Talks. 2008. Dowling D. Early life immune ontogeny - understanding how we build and sustain immunity to infection. Perspectives In Public Health [serial online]. July 2016;136(4):205-207. Available from: CINAHL Complete, Ipswich, MA. Stewart A, Field T, Echterling L. Neuroscience and the magic of play therapy. International Journal Of Play Therapy [serial online]. January 2016;25(1):4-13. Available from: PsycINFO, Ipswich, MA.
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At-Home Genetic Testing Madeline Uretsky
Recently, television commercials have aired across the nation about people who are actually Scottish, but thought they were German their entire lives. Our DNA can tell us an incredible amount of information regarding our risk for certain diseases and where our families came from. There is a booming business capitalizing on these promised discoveries, with many major companies launching products within the last five years (Hernandez). With an aging population, a higher life expectancy, an increase in the incidence of certain diseases, and many advances in medical research, more and more Americans are looking to uncover their own genetic mysteries.
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Overview of Genetics Our bodies are constructed of cells, small, functional units that need directions to work properly. The New York Mid-Atlantic Consortium for Genetic and Newborn Screening Services & Genetic Alliance (NYMAC) states that these instructions are contained within blueprints known as DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) in all of our cells. DNA is composed of chemical bases, sugar groups, and phosphate groups; when they are all packaged together, proteins are also included to form the larger structure known as a chromosome (NYMAC). Each human cell contains twenty-three
pairs of chromosomes, one pair of which are the sex chromosomes (XX or XY). Of the 46 total chromosomes, 23 of them are passed down from the father, and the other 23 are from the mother. The total genetic material within a cell, or a genome, is contained within the chromosomes, all of which contain many genes (National Institutes of Health). Each gene has a unique sequence of chemical bases that encode specific proteins, which in part helps determine the structure, appearance and function of each person (NYMAC). There are more than twenty thousand genes in the human genome and the difference in the combinations, sequences, and expressions of these genes among individuals allows for the diversity that we see and experience every day (National Institutes of Health). Lifestyle factors, environmental factors, and family history also contribute to gene expression, which further leads to the assumption that many diseases are a result of gene-environment interactions. According to the NYMAC, one way of categorizing genetic disorders is based on the way they become present in the genome, meaning the disorder is either single-gene, chromosomal, or multifactorial. Mutations, or abnormal changes in the DNA sequence, result in irregular protein products coded by those genes; the impact that a mutation has on an individual depends on how the protein is altered, and how important that protein is for survival (NYMAC). Single-gene disorders are typically thought of when studying the patterns of inheritance. Depending on which chromosome the gene is located on and how many normal copies of the gene are required, a single-gene disorder can be inherited in one of five basic ways: autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, X-linked dominant, X-linked recessive, and mitochondrial (National Institutes of Health). Chromosomal disorders can result from an abnormality in the number of chromosomes or differences in the chromosomes’ physical structure. NYMAC states that aneuploidy is an abnormal number of chromosomes due to an extra or missing chromosome, with the most common example being Down syndrome, a condition that occurs due to an extra copy of chromosome 21. Structural abnormalities can include deletions, duplications, insertions, inversions, or translocations of a particular segment of a chromosome. On the other hand, multifactorial disorders result from genes
At-Home DNA Kits While these direct-to-consumer genetic testing products are all slightly different in their price, conditions and traits tested, and information that can be obtained, the process is generally the same. In this process of direct-to-consumer genetic testing, a customer purchases a kit, registers a profile on the product website, receives the kit directly in the mail, obtains a DNA sample via saliva or cheek swab, ships the sample to a specific lab, and waits for their results online (Green). With these results, some companies even allow customers to search for DNA matches and connect with family members around the world (Bell). According to The Huffington Post, the companies listed here in Table 1 have the majority of the business in the global direct-to-consumer genetic testing market: This year has been full of surprises for customers of one direct-to-consumer genetic testing business, 23andMe. In February, Forbes revealed that 23andMe has been creating a database of
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What Is Genetic Testing? Genetic tests are medical tests, typically ordered by healthcare providers, that can help determine a person’s chance of developing or passing on a particular condition. These tests can confirm or rule out particular conditions, and can also reveal ancestry (Green). According to the National Institutes of Health, there are seven main categories of genetic tests: newborn screening, diagnostic testing, carrier testing, prenatal testing, preimplantation testing, predictive and presymptomatic testing, and forensic testing. Overall, there are tests for more than two thousand health conditions (National Institutes of Health). Healthcare providers perform these tests by utilizing samples from various parts of the body, including saliva, blood, amniotic fluid, hair, and skin, among others. Once the sample is collected, it is sent to a laboratory for analysis, and a written report with the results is sent back to the ordering provider. Genetic tests ordered through healthcare providers can cost anywhere from under $100 to upwards of $5,000 depending on the insurance status of the patient (Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications).
At-home genetic testing, also known as direct-toconsumer testing, does not necessarily involve a doctor, insurance company, or genetic counselor. Rather, a patient is able to purchase a kit online and have it mailed directly to their home (Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications). These kits are marketed to people via advertisements, and are thought of as an easy way to learn an extensive amount of information.
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that are heavily influenced by the interaction of lifestyle and environmental factors (NYMAC). These mutations can be acquired throughout one’s lifetime, and/or can run in families.
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results from DNA samples to send to a partnering laboratory; however, that database was not created for the sole purpose of organizing the test results. Instead, 23andMe sold access to the database to more than thirteen pharmaceutical companies for millions of dollars. For instance, Genentech requested the results of people who had Parkinson’s disease. This serves as an example of how these companies are now using their data for medical research purposes (Pitts). However, are these databases important to the future of medical research? Should our genetic information be used in this way?
history all play a role as well. Consumers should research the desired product, read reviews, and analyze the company’s website before purchasing to ensure adequate knowledge of benefits, risks, and credibility. While there are many positives and drawbacks of both direct-to-consumer genetic testing and conventional genetic testing, it is a technology to be mindful of when making healthrelated decisions. •
In April, 10 tests currently offered by 23andMe were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be marketed as genetic health risk tests. These are the first direct-to-consumer genetic tests that the FDA has accepted as accurate and acceptable for marketing to the public (Keim). The tests that they offer include Parkinson’s disease, late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, Celiac disease, early-onset primary dystonia, Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, Factor XI deficiency, Gaucher disease type 1, G6PD deficiency, hereditary hemochromatosis, and hereditary thrombophilia (Keim).
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Putting It All Together A debate still remains as to whether or not it is ethical to advertise such products, especially because television commercials do not come with sufficient warnings. There is an entire field dedicated to genetic counseling, and users of these at-home kits do not receive the same knowledge basis as they could receive from professionals (ORIG3N). The information that these tests can reveal may be life changing, and often the results are given without an analysis, leaving people confused, upset, concerned, or regretful, with nobody to give them answers. Will I die early because of this condition? Should I have children? Is this disease contagious? What does the word “recessive” mean? Are my children carriers too? How will I tell my family? Is this accurate? These are just a few examples of the questions that may arise. On the positive side, these tests may also be able to provide a sense of control over one’s health, and provide relief, comfort, gratitude and valuable knowledge for planning purposes. In other words, a relatively cheap test may save someone’s life. The recent growing market for direct-to-consumer genetic testing may promote awareness of certain genetic disorders, allow consumers to take a more proactive role in their health, and offer a means for people to learn about their ancestral origins. However, genetic testing is only one piece of the puzzle in terms of determining the health and health risks of an individual. Lifestyle choices, environmental factors and family medical
References Bell, D. (Ed.). (2017). Our story. Retrieved October 10, 2017, from Ancestry. com website: https://www.ancestry.com/corporate/about-ancestry/ourstory Green, E. D. (Ed.). (2017, July 5). Frequently asked questions about genetic testing [Fact sheet]. Retrieved October 10, 2017, from National Human Genome Research Institute website: https://www.genome. gov/19516567/ Hernandez, D. (2015, April 6). Ancestry.Com is quietly transforming itself into A medical research juggernaut. Retrieved October 10, 2017, from Huffingtonpost.com website: http://www. huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/06/ancestrycom-medical-researchjuggernaut_n_7008446.html Keim, T. (Ed.). (2017, April). About us. Retrieved October 10, 2017, from 23andMe website: https://mediacenter.23andme.com/about-us/ Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications (Ed.). (2017, August 2). What is direct-to-consumer genetic testing? Retrieved October 10, 2017, from Genetics Home Reference website: https://ghr.nlm.nih. gov/primer/testing/directtoconsumer National Institutes of Health (Ed.). (2013, March 29). Genes: What we knew, know, and hope to learn [Fact sheet]. Retrieved October 10, 2017, from Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT) website: https:// report.nih.gov/NIHfactsheets/ViewFactSheet.aspx?csid=91&key=G#G The New York – Mid-Atlantic Consortium for Genetic and Newborn Screening Services, & Genetic Alliance. (2009). Genetics 101. In Understanding genetics: A New York, mid- Atlantic guide for patients and health professionals (pp. 1-10). Washington, DC: Genetic Alliance. ORIG3N Staff (Ed.). (2016, August 30). How it works. Retrieved October 10, 2017, from ORIG3N website: https://orig3n.com Pitts, P. (2017, February 15). The privacy delusions of genetic testing. Retrieved October 10, 2017, from Forbes Medicine website: https://www. forbes.com/sites/realspin/2017/02/15/the-privacy-delusions-of-genetictesting/#5750d2031bba Wilding, R. (Ed.). (2017). MyHeritage DNA explained. Retrieved October 10, 2017, from MyHeritage DNA website: https://www.myheritage.com/ dna
Conexiones: Endeavours in Science Communications I became familiar with this program while interning at La Haus Communications Firm in Quito. La Haus was involved in the media production of Conexiones, and upon hearing them discuss the content, I was immediately intrigued and felt compelled to know more about their mission. The word, “Conexiones,” translates to, “Connections,” in English, which aptly describes the aim of the platform. Coordinated by and based out of the Universidad de San Francisco Quito (USFQ), Conexiones was established in April 2015. Over the course of a year, they produced multimedia content on six topics per month, culminating in a total of 108 topics. The content was distributed via their website, however, they also utilized the USFQ Facebook page to feature content and enhance their digital presence.
Communicating scientific research to the general public is a multifaceted and challenging task that is often underappreciatedbyresearchinstitutions.Itrequiresskilledcontent development and careful attention to the task of engaging and holding an audience’s attention. The Conexiones team at USFQ approached this task by assembling a network of experts in biology, chemistry, engineering and other fields, to contribute content. In addition, they hired a team of media producers, including communications specialists from La Haus, who had prior experience in communicating scientific topics to the general public. Hugo Burgos, co-director of the Conexiones program, explained, “The two main producers at Conexiones, Maria Eulalia Silva and Valeria Vasquez,used to produce a TV show called, “Mitos y Verdades,” that debunked popular myths with scientific explanations. In the show, they illustrated and translated scientific explanations for a general audience, while preserving the core of the idea.” With a properly equipped team to supply scientific expertise and media production quality, the Conexiones team also strategically identified the reasons why a certain scientific topic should be important to the general public. This approach makes it easier to craft content that convinces an audience what they are reading about or seeing is truly impactful. According to
Burgos, “There are certain topics that are locally and globally relevant, such as environmental issues and gender issues, to name a few… It´s a matter of closeness, about finding an angle to the topic that genuinely resonates with the audience.” In addition, the team behind Conexiones felt that a crucial influencer of audience engagement was clear and concise audio-visual aids. Each topic was addressed in multiple formats, including videos, podcasts, images and articles, thereby increasing the potential scope of the and comprehension level of the audience. Students at USFQ were not involved in the creation of materials for Conexiones because, while it would be an interesting way to engage more people in the research and production of this content, such involvement would present its own series of challenges. “The production schedule was always very tight and dependent on the availability of faculty for interviews. It would’ve been difficult for students to keep up with this pace, and not have it affect their studies,” explained Burgos. However, students were able to involve themselves by consuming the material, and were often very engaged in discussions within the comment section of videos or Facebook posts. In this way, Conexiones was successful in fostering conversation about research within the university community. Conexiones occasionally featured topics not related to science or technology, but instead related to art, film or history. The mission of the program was mostly centered around promoting scientific research, but incorporating a liberal arts approach was also logical for a number of reasons. First of all, the USFQ is a liberal arts institution, which is not common in Ecuador, so it is important for the university to promote this style of education in every outlet possible, including Conexiones. Burgos elaborated on this idea, saying, “The best student in our sculpture studio studies medicine…one of our top researchers in physics is an accomplished painter… and so, the faculty embody a vision where science, technology, and creative disciplines are not seen as separate fields, but rather part of a greater education based on freedom and the pursuit of different forms of knowledge.” This revere for interdisciplinary approaches to academia enhances the effectiveness of Conexiones. USFQ is pioneering this method of direct communication of scientific research within Ecuador, and these efforts may be expanded in the future on an international scale. For more information, as well as access to the content produced by the Conexiones program, go to: http:// conexiones.usfq.edu.ec. •
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In Quito, Ecuador, one university is making great strides in communicating scientific discoveries to the general public through a multimedia platform called Conexiones.
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Love the Way You Age Ally Jarvis
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The surface of our skin shows some of the very first signs of aging. Aging is an inevitable process and unfortunately, it puts the most visible signs of our increasing age in plain sight. Until the Fountain of Youth is discovered, simple steps can be taken every day to reduce signs of aging and ensure healthy and supple skin. The epidermis, or the top layer of skin, reflects not only age, but also health. Before we can dive into the concepts of skin aging, prevention and care, it is important to understand some of the fundamental concepts of the skin.
Largest Organ of the Human Body The epidermis is the largest and fastest growing organ of the human body (American Academy of Dermatology). It is involved in regulatory processes in the body, such as temperature control and the balance of fluid and electrolytes (MedlinePlus: Medical Encyclopedia). In addition, the epidermis contains nerve receptors, which give us the power of touch and the perception of pain and pressure (MedlinePlus: Medical Encyclopedia). However, the most important role of our skin is to protect our insides from the external environment. While the skin is made up of many complex layers, the basic physiology of skin includes the epidermis, the dermis and the subcutaneous layers. The epidermis has the power to selfrenew by a process known as differentiation. During this process, a single epidermal basal cell will progress from the lower basal layer, undergo keratinization, become a keratinocyte, and end up at the outermost layer of the skin as a corneocyte (Aesthetic Science Institute). Layers of the epidermis work collectively to constantly repair, protect and maintain composition. These
extremely advanced processes are conducted by communication from the epidermis to the dermal layer underneath, which contains fibroblast cells, collagen and elastin (Aesthetic Science Institute). Factors of Change Based on this overview of skin, it seems like we have a built-in skin care system. If the layers of skin are continuously working together to generate new skin cells and protect older ones, why does our skin become visibly dull, thin, and wrinkled as we age? Changes in the skin are related to a myriad of factors. Some of the biggest contributors include an individual’s genetic makeup, environmental factors and lifestyle habits (MedlinePlus: Medical Encyclopedia). Above all, the greatest factor contributing to skin change is sun exposure. According to American esthetician Lydia Sarfati, “almost 90 percent of the visible skin changes commonly attributed to aging are caused by radiation from the sun and can be seen as early as in one’s 20s.” Inside the Skin Aging Factory Depending on age, health and environmental influences, it takes the average skin cell 28 days to surface and slough off (Aesthetic Science Institute). In our late 20s, the natural process of differentiation begins to decline. During this time, the amounts of collagen and elastin begin to decrease, resulting in a gradual loss of firmness and elasticity. Specifically speaking, the dermis and epidermis begin producing one percent less collagen each year (Leal). As the aging process continues, the epidermis thins, melanocytes decrease and the remaining melanocytes increase in size. As a result, the skin appears thinner, paler and almost translucent (MedlinePlus: Medical Encyclopedia). In sunexposed areas, pigmented spots will become noticeable, such as age and liver spots. The connective tissue also changes, reducing the skin’s strength. This change is known as elastosis, and is often more noticeable in sun-exposed areas (MedlinePlus: Medical Encyclopedia). How the Sun Affects Skin As you tan, your skin quietly plots against you. Every moment we spend in the sun adds up like credit card payments. Even though the hours spent basking in the sun are gratifying, it is never worth the consequence. When ultraviolet (UV) rays
Conclusion When dealing with health issues, it is recommended to visit a licensed physician, even though the internet provides a lot of information on skin care and skin health. When picking out a skincare regimen, make sure to include a sunscreen that is at least 35 SPF. Read reviews and do research so you know what to expect when trying new skin products. We all have different skin, so it is important to choose the right products that work best for you. Keep in mind that aging is a natural process, and proper skin care, both professional and at home, is the secret to maintaining healthy, youthful skin. •
Protecting and Prepping Your Skin for Change Depending on age and existing damage, everyone will have a slightly different recommended skin care routine. However, keeping the epidermis looking smooth and radiant means taking care of
References: "About Skin: Your Body's Largest Organ." American Academy of Dermatology. American Academy of Dermatology, n.d. Web. "Aging Changes in Skin." MedlinePlus: Medical Encyclopedia. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d. Web. "Dermal and Epidermal Aging." Aesthetic Science Institute. Aesthetic Science Institute, n.d. Web. "Difference Between UVA & UVB." COOLA. COOLA Suncare, n.d. Web. Edward. "What Are Free Radicals?" Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles. Global Healing Center, Inc, 06 Feb. 2017. Web. Leal, Angelica C. "Why Does Your Skin Age?" Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science. DUJS Online, 28 Jan. 2013. Web. Obagi, Suzan. "Why Does Skin Wrinkle with Age? What Is the Best Way to Slow or Prevent This Process?" Scientific American. Nature American, Inc., 26 Sept. 2005. Web. Sarfati, L. (2017). STOPPING THE CLOCK: Anti Aging treatments and care for clients of every age. Skin Deep, 16(4), 48-53.
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When UV rays strike the skin, they can either be reflected, scattered, or absorbed. UV and visible light absorption occur because of melanin granules in the epidermal cells. The main role of melanin is to protect the skin from the damaging effects of sunlight. When the skin is exposed to high UVA and UVB radiation, melanin production from melanocytes is stimulated, which results in an increase in pigmentation. UVA differs from UVB because it can penetrate deep into the dermis and play a direct role in skin aging and wrinkle production (COOLA Suncare). Although equally as harmful, UVB usually burns the superficial layers of skin, which plays a key role in the development of skin cancer (COOLA Suncare). The hyperproliferation of melanocytes, where melanin is produced at abnormally high rates, causes age spots on the epidermis. This increase of melanin is called melanogenesis, and it is induced by damage from UVB radiation (Sarfati).
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the skin regardless of age. Suzan Obagi, assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Pittsburgh, and director of the Cosmetic Surgery and Skin Care Center offers her advice in a short article for the Scientific American. In general, everyone should be applying a sunscreen of at least SPF 35 everyday. Obagi recommends using one that contains zinc or titanium. Once a patient reaches the age of 25, Obagi believes in using Retin-A, which is a vitamin A derivative generically known as tretinoin. The purpose of this cream is to prevent aging. Lastly, Obagi states that, if tretinoin is insufficient, enzyme peel treatments and laser surgery can help rebuild collagen and improve skin’s overall appearance.
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penetrate the epidermis, the rays generate free radicals that harm the cellular material (Sarfati). Free radicals include atoms, ions, or molecules that contain an unpaired electron, which makes them highly reactive. When oxidation occurs, free radicals steal electrons from other molecules that make up body fats, proteins, cell membranes and DNA. Free radicals are also generated by air pollution and cigarette smoke (Edward). According to Lydia Sarfati, increased accumulation of UV radiation with age causes damage to the the dermal matrix, leaving it disorganized. UV radiation causes a decrease in collagen, which leaves the skin with less elasticity; this is one of the main causes of wrinkles. Keep in mind that natural aging already causes a decrease in collagen. Therefore, UV radiation simply speeds up this process.
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The Evolution of Intelligence Mehbooba Tamanna
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For years, one of the most controversial questions in science has been, “What constitutes intelligence?” The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines intelligence as, “the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations,” and, “the ability to apply knowledge to manipulate one's environment or to think abstractly as measured by objective criteria,” (Merriam-Webster). From an evolutionary point of view, intelligence is essentially rooted in being adept in three areas: searching for food, escaping predators, and adapting to new surroundings. Intelligence is a reactive phenomenon; it is about formulating solutions to the problems that are a product of nature. With the rise of industrialization, globalization, and modernization, intelligence has evolved, and it is becoming more proactive. In modern terms, intelligence is about being ahead of a situation, and speed has become a crucial aspect of intelligence. In a classroom setting, the smartest student is perceived by others as being the person who best understands the information and is most capable of applying that knowledge to answer any given question.
It is strange to think that we have reached a point where we can categorize, “abstract thoughts,” as intelligence. Intelligence is a polygenetic trait. European and American scientists teamed up and announced in the mid-May issue of the Natural Genetics Journal that they were able to identify 52 genes - 12 of which were identified before this particular research - which are linked to evidence of intelligence in 78,308 people. However, these 52 genes are not the sole determining factors of intelligence (LiveScience). Their combined influence is diminutive, suggesting that thousands upon thousands of genes are involved in intelligence; in fact, these 52 genes are said to account for only five percent of variation in IQ scores. The researchers conducted a Genome-wide association study (GWAS) in order to assess the connections between a person’s intelligence and their DNA markers of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs). SNPs are, “the most common type of genetic variation among people,” (NIH). They are very specific and can determine a person’s likelihood of developing a particular trait,
After comparing the physical properties of the brains of people who scored high on tests with their low-scoring counterparts, neuroscientists were able to definitively distinguish little to no differences. This quickly debunked the idea that people with bigger brains are more intelligent. The idea that genes are involved in determining one’s intelligence was further cemented by a study conducted by Dr. Danielle Posthuma, a geneticist from Amsterdam. Dr. Posthuma studied identical twins and found that they scored more similarly in intelligence tests than fraternal twins. Identical twins share the same genetic makeup, whereas fraternal twins do not. This suggests that, even taking into consideration other factors like environment, genes are shown to play a significant role in driving intelligence. Interest in connections between genes and intelligence has risen with the emerging field of biotechnology. Many scientists are looking forward to the identification of the remaining 95% of the the genes associated with intelligence because it could be used as a tool to help children develop
At first glance, the idea of tinkering with the genetic makeup of a child to help them succeed in the long run may sound enticing; every parent or guardian wants the very best for their child. Parents and guardians have an intrinsic desire to do everything in their power to make certain their children are wellequipped to navigate life, and what better way to do this than by giving them the gift of intelligence? However, this idea is also quite dangerous, and has the right makings for a 21st century reboot of the movie, Gattaca. The analogy of nearsightedness that Ritchie utilizes describes a very divisive idea. It would be impetuous to think about altering intelligence using biotechnology without taking ethics into consideration. The cost of undergoing such procedure would inevitably be high. This would create a harsher divide between the social classes that make up the hierarchy of wealth in our country. The rich would not only have the pecuniary means to thrive, but their offspring would also be intellectually superior to their impecunious counterparts - all because their parents had the means to access this biotechnology. Going back to Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest, the rich would be the ones who benefit the most, leading to the perpetuation of social immobility. Science is at a very critical point in regard to the study of intelligence. Even though scientific inquiry itself is imperative, the most important aspect is what is done with the information and answers yielded. Science is evolving, and so should the social constructs that are associated with it. As we are finding that intelligence is much more than the product of relationships between brain cells and chemical reactions, as well as genetic and environmental factors, the social constructs associated with research should also change. • References: Benson, Etienne. “Intelligent Intelligence Testing.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, Feb. 2003, www.apa.org/monitor/feb03/intelligent.aspx. “Definition of Intelligence.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www. merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intelligence. Ferrar, Raffaele. "Large Study Uncovers Genes Linked to Intelligence." Phys. org: News and Articles on Science and Technology. Science X Network, 23 May 2017. Web. <https://phys.org/news/2017-05-large-uncovers-geneslinked-intelligence.html>. "Is Intelligence Determined by Genetics? - Genetics Home Reference." U.S. National Library of Medicine. National Institutes of Health, May 2015. Web. <https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/traits/intelligence>. Pappas, Stephanie. "Your Intelligence Genes: 52 and Counting." LiveScience. Purch, 24 May 2017. Web. <https://www.livescience. com/59252-intelligence-linked-to-52-genes.html>. Zimmer, Carl. “In ‘Enormous Success,’ Scientists Tie 52 Genes to Human Intelligence.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 22 May 2017, www. nytimes.com/2017/05/22/science/52-genes-human-intelligence.html.
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For more than a century, psychologists have conducted similar studies of intelligence. The first of these tests involved asking people questions and, over time, this approach has evolved into a plethora of tests. Each of these tests was designed to stimulate particular mental abilities that can be factored together to quantify intelligence - including, but not limited to, reasoning and memorization. For the GWAS, researchers used a variety of tests on the participants. An average test could include identifying different shapes that complete a figure, or pressing a button really fast upon spotting a particular word. Each of the participant's scores might have fluctuated based on their own abilities. However, a strong positive correlation was established between people scoring low in one test also scoring low in another test. This is what psychologists refer to as, “general intelligence.”
intellectually. A well-known geneticist at the University of Edinburgh, Stuart J. Ritchie, used the analogy that if nearsightedness - a condition that is strongly influenced by genes - can be improved with glasses, the same concept could be applied to intelligence.
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such as intelligence. The most significant SNP was found in the FOXO3 gene, which is involved in the signaling of insulin, and could lead to the triggering of apoptosis in cells. The strongest associated gene identified was the CSE1L gene, which is involved in both apoptosis and cell proliferation. These associations show that intelligence is rooted in cell production and functioning, as well as cell signaling efficiency. These researchers also complemented their research with Genome-Wide Gene Association Analysis (GWGAS). Conducting GWGAS allowed the researchers to calculate the effects of multiple SNPs, so they could verify these genes. Both GWAS and GWGAS together strengthened the researchers’ confidence in naming genes associated with intelligence.
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“Bones” in Real Life: DNA Profiling
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http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/ videos/missing-romanov-family/
Kolby Shaw
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In 1917, Russia’s economy was in ruins, causing turmoil within the state. The monarchy, led by patriarch Tsar Nicholas II, was overthrown by Marxist leaders in October of 1917 (Hammer). The Tsar and his family, including Tsarina Alexandra, their young son Alexei, and their four daughters Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, were placed under house arrest by the Bolsheviks, and were executed nine months later (Ziętkiewicz, et al.). In 1994, after decades of searching, the remains of Tsar Nicholas and his wife were finally recovered (Hammer). To positively identify these remains, geneticists at the University of Massachusetts took mitochondrial DNA from the female skeleton and compared it to a living DNA donor - Prince Philip of Britain. Scientists and archaeologists were in agreement that these remains most likely belonged to the missing Tsarina. They used Prince Philip’s DNA for comparison because Prince Phillip and the Tsarina share a maternal ancestor, Queen Victoria (Ziętkiewicz, et al.). Mitochondrial DNA is passed down exclusively from mother to child, so a maternal ancestor could be used to accurately determine the lineage of remains (The Tech Museum of Innovation). A positive match confirmed that the remains of Tsarina Alexandra, her husband and three daughters had been found.
The remains of the two youngest children, Anastasia and Alexei, were still missing at that time. But in 2007, almost 100 years after their deaths, the remains of Alexei and Anastasia were found about 230 feet from their parents’ grave, and identified using the same techniques. To identify Anastasia, they took mitochondrial DNA from her skeleton, and compared it to the mitochondrial DNA test results received from the positive identification of the Tsarina (Ziętkiewicz, et al.). To identify Alexei, they used nuclear DNA to determine sex, and compared his mitochondrial DNA to that of his mother and sisters to positively confirm his relation to the rest of the Romanov family (Ziętkiewicz, et al.). There is a debate over the identity of Anastasia, as some scientists and archaeologists believe that the missing skeleton was actually that of her older sister, Maria, but the entire Romanov family has been found and identified, thanks to gene mapping technology (Hammer). In recent months, there have been a number of natural disasters in the United States and around the world. Unfortunately, a number of people have gone missing as a result of these catastrophes. Thanks to recent developments in DNA profiling, when the bodies are finally found, they can be identified and returned to their families. As a result of these natural
DNA profiling has become a crucial component in identifying human remains, bringing peace to families of the missing and resolving the circumstances of the victim’s death. With continued improvement and technological advances, DNA profiling will become an efficient and cost-effective way of positively identifying unknown remains. •
DNA profiling was used to solve this centuryold mystery, and continues to improve in efficacy of identification. From the missing Tsars of the early 20th century to the recent disaster victims of Texas’ hurricane Harvey,
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Any type of tissue can be used in DNA profiling; in corpses, osseous tissue (bone) is the most reliable. Bone tissue is often the most abundant type of tissue found in remains (The Tech Museum of Innovation). When compared to reference DNA, which can be DNA from a living relative or a personal item, DNA profile results can be used to confirm the identity of remains. Technological advances in forensic identification have made DNA profiling of victims easier than before. Modern methods of DNA profiling include hybridization to Oligonucleotide Arrays, which involves preparing synthetic nucleotides that match with the DNA template retrieved from a victim and select for certain alleles in the genome, and Next-Generation sequencing, which allows for the entire genome to be mapped based on the DNA retrieved (The Tech Museum of Innovation). Other methods include the use of federal databases to match DNA that has already been entered, and population variation technology, which allows scientists to determine race and population specific phenotypes (The Tech Museum of Innovation).
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http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/science/forensics/
disasters, human remains are often fragmented and decomposed. But with modern DNA profiling methods, the remains can be identified regardless of their condition. There are three common methods for correctly identifying victims: comparison of DNA profiles from the remains to a reference sample, association of body parts in fragmented remains, and detection of trace chemicals. These three methods are used in tandem, and are the basis for the forensic identification of unknown remains (The Tech Museum of Innovation).
References: Ziętkiewicz, E., Witt, M., Daca, P., Żebracka-Gala, J., Goniewicz, M., Jarząb, B., & Witt, M. (2011). Current genetic methodologies in the identification of disaster victims and in forensic analysis. Journal of Applied Genetics, 53(1), 41-60. doi:10.1007/s13353-011-0068-7 Finding the Tsar and his Family. (n.d.). Retrieved October 29, 2017, from http://genetics.thetech.org/original_news/news108 Hammer, J. (2010, November 01). Resurrecting the Czar. Retrieved October 29, 2017 from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/ resurrecting-the-czar-64545030/
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Are GMOs Actually Bad For Us? Kimanna Nguyen
The term GMO, short for genetically modified organisms, often evokes negative connotations. Popular mediums are full of health gurus shaming GMOs. You see headlines about how GMOs may cause cancer, allergies, autism - and the list goes on. However, these negative headlines may not be scientifically proven. With this in mind, it makes sense that people assume GMOs are bad. The term itself is questionable, especially because it concerns the food that we eat. However, there is not sufficient research proving that GMOs are definitively bad or good.
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What exactly is a GMO? GMOs are plants and animals whose genes have been changed by scientists. Many common foods are genetically modified. For example, watermelons are not magically seedless - they are genetically modified to not have seeds. Most crops are genetically modified so frequently that it is nearly impossible to find nonGMO versions. Also, because of significant cross pollination between farms, GMO contamination is becoming unavoidable.
ition How are GMOs made? Scientists genetically modify the seed of the crop to alter a particular aspect of the plant. They accomplish this by altering certain genes of a plant. They either alter the native gene, or take a gene from a foreign plant and insert it into the genome of the subject plant.
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Why bother? Mixing plant species is how we obtain corn plants that survive drought, soybeans that stand up to weed-killer, potatoes that do not bruise, and crops that yield more and cost less. In addition, genetic modification can help prevent certain health issues. In 2000, scientists created a strain of golden rice with a surplus of betaCarotene, an antioxidant that is good for your eyes and heart. Golden rice aids in preventing blindness in underdeveloped countries. It has vitamin A, which is
important for eye and immune system health. Golden rice was intended to be grown and consumed in areas with a shortage of dietary vitamin A. Each year, vitamin A deficiency is estimated to kill 670,000 children under the age of five. This GMO plant has had a huge positive impact in undernourished communities. So, are they safe? There is controversy surrounding the issue of whether GMOs are safe to consume. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, 9 out of 10 scientists from the American Association for the Advancement of Science say GMOs are, “generally safe to eat.” There have been thousands of studies to determine if GMOs are harmful, and it has been concluded that there are no significant health hazards tied directly to this genetic engineering innovation. Can GMOs change your DNA? Many people fear that GMOs might be able to change our DNA. They are afraid that the added gene in the GMO is going to attach to our DNA when we consume the product. However, this is an unfounded concern. According to the Genetic Literacy Project, we have bacteria-fighting enzymes and processes in our bodies that are designed to prevent genetic invasion. Even if an outside germ somehow survived digestion and got into your gut bacteria, it would have to be similar to your own DNA and in the right place at the right time in order to get into one of your genes and change it. GMOs are not as terrifying as some of the headlines make them out to be. I am not implying that GMOs are good for our health, but there is no research definitively proving that they are bad. It is important to keep this in mind while scientists continue to research GMOs and develop a better understanding of their effects. •
References 10 studies proving GMOs are harmful? Not if science matters. (2017, October 02). Retrieved October 25, 2017, from https:// geneticliteracyproject.org/2015/11/13/10-studies-proving-gmosare-harmful-not-if-science-matters/ What You Need to Know About GMOs. (n.d.). Retrieved September 16, 2017, from http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/truthabout-gmos#1 Clendaniel, M. (2017, April 26). The Genetically Modified Food You Eat Every Day.Retrieved October 25, 2017, from https://www. fastcompany.com/1676104/the-genetically-modified-food-you-eatevery-day GMO Facts. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2017, from https://www.nongmoproject.org/gmo-facts/ Courtesy www.openwebdesign.org / Modified: Jorge Mayer. (n.d.). Golden Rice Project. Retrieved October 25, 2017, from http://www. goldenrice.org/
Fibroblast Growth Factor 21, Ethanol and Liver Injury Ariana Saroufim
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 (FGF21) is Robustly Induced by Ethanol and has a Protective Role in Ethanol Associated Liver Injury.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D;published in Molecular Metabolism
This past year, I have been fortunate enough to work in the Maratos-Flier lab at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, affiliated with Harvard Medical School. The researchers in the lab have been working on a molecule that is able to protect the liver from both acute alcoholic liver injury and long term exposure to alcohol. Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a key metabolic regulator. The hormone is synthesized by multiple tissues including the liver, pancreas, fat and muscle; it exerts its effects on several target tissues. Previously, the Maratos-Flier lab has shown that FGF21 protects mice against diet-related toxicities in the liver. In this study, researchers show that both binge and chronic alcohol consumption
It is already known that both binge and chronic consumption of alcohol can lead to liver injury, toxicity and progressive alcoholic liver disease. To assess the protective effects of FGF21 on heavy alcohol use, researchers simulated a binge drinking paradigm in humans and mice, and a chronic drinking paradigm in mice. This study shows that people who binged on alcohol over a one-hour period exhibited a significant increase in FGF21 in their blood six hours later. Similar results were seen in mice. For mice that do not have FGF21, binging on alcohol lead to more liver damage than it did in wild-type mice that have FGF21, along with an increased expression of genes involved in inflammation and scarring in the liver. As a result, this discovery has led to a potential way to treat these hepatic injuries induced by alcohol consumption.
Further investigation into the practical application of this study is still needed, as not all stimuli that induce FGF21 in mice will necessarily have the same results in humans. The advantage of using mice models is that you can look at the entire liver. The researchers hope to continue their research into FGF21, in order to develop pharmacological methods to treat liver damage and analyze any aversive effects it may have on alcohol use. To learn more about this study, go to: http://www.molmetab.com/article/S2212-8778(17)30552-5/pdf
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induces FGF21 as a protective response in the liver, which reduces the degree of alcohol-induced damage.
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According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse, approximately 16 million adult Americans were diagnosed with alcohol abuse disorder in 2015, based on the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, binge drinking and chronic alcohol abuse occur at a higher frequency on college campuses. Of college students between the ages of 18 and 22, 37.9 percent reported binge drinking, and 12.5 percent reported heavy alcohol use within the past month. This is compared to the reported 32.6 percent of young adults binge drinking and 8.5 percent heavy alcohol use among non-college students within the same age range. In order to increase public awareness of developing discoveries concerning the effects that binge drinking can have on the human body, it is important to share research on alcoholism within the Simmons community and with college students in general.
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Interview with Dr. Desai and Dr. Singhal
Bhavna Desai, Ph.D. Post Doctoral Fellow Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Department of Medicine Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
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What made you interested in Endocrinology?
What made you interested in Endocrinology?
Desai: During the course of my undergraduate and masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s training, I developed a keen interest in learning about how the brain sends key signals to the body to control various functions. Some of these signals are triggered by hormones. This led to my interest in neuroendocrinology. In particular, I am fascinated by how hormones act through the brain to control body weight and body fat.
Singhal: In the beginning years of my research career, I was very much fascinated by molecular biology. My first real research encounter happened in a protein chemistry lab, where I learned many different sophisticated techniques. Then, in my second semester I worked in a toxicology lab, which again helped broaden my research experience. I really did not plan to enter into Endocrinology research. However, before taking up endocrinology in my career, I always knew that I liked it. Of course, certain aspects I liked more than others, but I knew that I would be working in a very good lab and would get to work with amazing mentors, like Dr. Maratos-Flier.
What made you interested in researching FGF21? Desai: For several years, my research has focused on the neuroendocrine control of metabolic diseases. I was introduced to the hormone FGF21 when I joined the Maratos-Flier Laboratory as a Postdoctoral Fellow in 2015. At the time, it was already established that FGF21 is a metabolic regulator. However, little was known about how FGF21 acts in the brain. I was drawn towards this gap in the FGF21 field and it motivated me to pursue FGF21 research. What is the most rewarding part of your research? Desai: The process of being able to, â&#x20AC;&#x153;create new knowledge,â&#x20AC;? is the most rewarding part about a career in research. Pursuing research is like solving a very complex puzzle - the answer to every question results in another question - and in the end you have part of the picture. I enjoy the process of getting to that.
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Garima Singhal, Ph.D. Post Doctoral Fellow Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Department of Medicine Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
What made you interested in researching FGF21? Singhal: FGF21 is a really interesting molecule. The field of endocrinology is relatively old, and the most researched molecules, such as Insulin, were discovered in early 1900s. Since then, several new discoveries have been made, and some of them did translate into medicines, but most did not. If we study the biology of FGF21, we will realize how much potential this molecule has in biological systems. It is expressed in several different organs, such as the liver, fat, pancreas, muscles, etc., and has different functions in all the tissues, depending on the stimuli - and all of these functions are beneficial. There is no known toxicity in mice so far, even if they are treated with very high concentrations of FGF21. So I feel that it is a perfect molecule to work on - almost like a wonder molecule.
Singhal: As I said earlier, a sense of satisfaction comes from the feeling that we can make some direct or indirect significant contributions to society which can benefit human life. We also get to learn different things on a daily basis. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a constant learning process, which I really enjoy. Although sometimes it is frustrating when our experiments are not working, we are endlessly troubleshooting something. There is no such thing in the world which doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t include pros and cons.
Singhal: I think my inspiration for pursuing research as a career came from my seniors. We did not have integrated masters or PhD programs in most Indian universities, so I had no idea if I was even remotely interested in pursuing research when I started my masters degree. During the course of two years in my masters program, I witnessed the life of the research scholars and future scientists, which had a huge impact on me in terms of selecting research as a career option. I was really impressed by the way those PhD students and postdoctoral fellows worked tirelessly to solve interesting biological questions. Their enthusiasm and problem-solving attitude towards each experiment was very impressive. When I started working on summer projects to get some real first hand experience, I realized that I enjoyed it. The fact that I enjoy science and find it interesting has helped enormously in decision making. Lastly, it also gives me huge satisfaction that we, as researchers, can make some significant contributions to society that can affect human life to make it better. â&#x20AC;˘
What are your future plans and goals in your career? Singhal: Of course, I will stay in research. There are various career options after postdoctoral fellowship, which is my current position. Most people either go into pharma/biotech industries, or remain in academic institutions and become professors later on. I have not really started looking for jobs yet, but I would most like to move into pharmaceutical and biotech companies in future. There, you can either work on bench, away from bench, or something in between. I think I would try to find something in between that requires my technical expertise, and also gives me the opportunity to learn new skills.
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What or who inspired you to pursue research?
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What is the most rewarding part of your research?
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Cell Agriculture: The Future of Meat
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http://www.new-harvest.org/faq
Asia Sheehab
According to the Global Report on Food Crises 2017, around 108 million people in the world suffered from food insecurity in 2016. Lack of substantial, nutritious food is a major problem for 700 million people suffering from hunger today. The Sustainable Food Programme at Forum for the Future is an international non-profit organization that is working to solve sustainability and food security issues. The organization is trying to answer questions such as, â&#x20AC;&#x153;How can we provide enough food for the future world population of nine billion people?â&#x20AC;? This dilemma is made even more challenging due to our societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reliance on resource-draining and environmentally-damaging animal agricultural practices. Currently, over half of the quality plant protein grown in the world is used to feed animals for agriculture. This is a problem because plant protein food items, such as wheat and soy products, could nourish the 700 million people suffering from hunger. The environment is also facing extreme effects to the current food system, including greenhouse gases - predominantly from methane gas produced by cows - and deforestation. Isha Datar, the CEO of New Harvest, a research institute pioneering the field of cellular agriculture, highlights the processes of producing an eight ounce piece of steak in her TED Talk, Re-Thinking Meat. According to Datar, approximately three
and a half pounds of feed is consumed and about 10 pounds of carbon dioxide is released into the air when a single eight ounce piece of steak is produced. The environmental consequences of this are equivalent to the harmful emissions produced by the amount of gasoline needed to drive 16 miles. It is no wonder livestock is responsible for approximately 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, with two-thirds attributed to beef production. The international bestselling book How Not To Die by Dr. Michael Gregor, and the award-winning documentary What The Health showcase scientific data that display the effects of animal products on human health. Scientists and doctors connect beef, chicken, egg, and milk consumption to the most prevalent diseases in the country today: obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Many scientist believe that staying away from farmed animal products will not only save the environment and improve our food security dilemma, but also reverse overprescription of drugs. This claim is based on the assumption that avoiding hormoneinjected and antibiotic-filled meats and dairy can lead to better health. Unfortunately, changing human behavioral patterns and cultural dietary practices is not an easy task. Many people are unwilling to transition to a plant-based diet, despite the known benefits of consuming plant protein.
The advantages of an IMPS are promising, and scientists are interested in investigating how cultured meat and other cultured animal products, such as leather, can be produced and sold on a large scale. Biologists specializing in biomaterials and tissue engineering are studying various methods to create a sustainable, ethical and affordable method for growing muscle tissue in the lab. One method carried out by Mark Post at Maastricht University in the Netherlands utilizes myosatellite cells, or stem cells that repair muscle, from a cow. Scientists place these stem cells on agarose gel in petri dishes, with fetal calf serum serving as a medium for cell growth. However, the calf serum does not supply the myosatellite cells with enough
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https://foodtechconnect.com/2016/04/11/cellular-agriculture-isthe-next-revolution-in-food/
Cellular agriculture, a term coined by New Harvest, is at the crossroads of medical science and food science. This process uses tissue engineering and cell culturing to produce meat, eggs, milk and other products, without animals. The goal of cellular agriculture research is to one day create sustainable and affordable products through an in vitro meat production system (IMPS). Use of in vitro meat, otherwise known as synthetic meat, could increase food security, provide a healthier alternative without sacrificing taste, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions from the animal agriculture industry. In vitro meat, is created solely from muscle tissue, eliminating the saturated fat and cholesterol that are naturally prevalent in a cow’s body. Furthermore, cultured meat eliminates the need to inject animals with antibiotics and hormones that are dangerous for human consumption.
nutrients to grow, causing them to differentiate and split into individual muscle cells. These individual muscle cells join to form muscle fibers that can synthesize proteins. This is just one technique that cellular agriculture scientists are exploring to cultivate muscle tissue. Scientists are also working on an alternative to calf serum as a medium for cell growth, which would make the practice of culturing meat completely animal-free. Meanwhile, others are investigating the use of a bioreactor to make the mass production of cultured meat possible. Finding proper scaffolding is another key area of research in cellular agriculture, because muscle cells need to latch onto a surface in order to grow. Although there is still much research to be done in the up-and-coming field of cellular agriculture, scientists and consumers alike are getting involved in the conversation about finding alternatives to our problematic food system. •
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Therefore, the future of cellular agriculture relies on working with people to gradually change their diets, rather than trying to change food patterns all at once.
Read More Here: New global report on food crisis-benchmark for action needed to avoid future disasters. (n.d.). Retrieved October 1, 2017, from https://phys.org/ news/2017-03-global-food-crisisbenchmark-action-future.html#jCp Protein Challenge 2040: How can we feed 9 billion people? - CNN.com. (n.d.). Retrieved October 1, 2017, from http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/01/ opinions/protein-challenge-2040-driscoll/index.html Schwartz, Ariel. “The $325,000 Lab-Grown Hamburger Now Costs Less Than $12.” Fast Company, 1 Apr. 2015, www.fastcompany.com/3044572/ the-325000-lab-grown-hamburger-now-costs-less-than-12. Datar, I., & Betti, M. (2010). Possibilities for an in vitro meat production system. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies, 11(1), 13-22. doi:10.1016/j.ifset.2009.10.007
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Global Warming and Nurition Roxanne Lee
Shutterstock
emissions by 2050. The researchers constructed a database of the foods eaten and the nutrient content of each food, and predicted dietetic changes regarding protein and iron in the future (Columbus). The study found that the populations of 18 countries could lose more than five percent of their dietary protein by the tested date (Myers). An additional study, coauthored by Myers, found that the reduction of iron in staple crops would exacerbate iron deficiency worldwide (Smith). The crops are losing nutrients because of their new growth rate. When they grow quicker, they do not have the time to process and store nutrients, such as iron and zinc (Scheer).
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Global warming is a human-created disaster, the ramifications of which are becoming more apparent every year. The year 2016 was recorded as the hottest year on record for the third consecutive time, surpassing 137 years of temperature records (Potter). In September 2017, there were two Category 5 hurricanes and one Category 4, resulting in this being the most active Atlantic hurricane season on record (Donegan). The signs of global warming are increasingly prevalent and dangerous. Another effect of global warming was recently discovered, and it is just as dangerous as altered weather and temperatures, though not so easily noticed. It is a commonly held belief that plants will uniformly benefit from global warming, as the increase in carbon dioxide (CO2), a gas that plants convert to sugars and oxygen, will lead to faster plant growth and thus, healthier plants. In some cases this is true, but the total effect is more complicated and differs depending on the plant. In the 1990s, several studies showed that concentrations of important nutrients in several key crops decreased with increased CO2 concentration levels, but these results could not be replicated (De la Puente). A study carried out by Samuel Myers, senior research scientist in the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard University, looked at 143 comparisons of six common food crops: rice, wheat, maize, soybeans, field peas, and sorghum. The crops were each grown at different CO2 levels (Myers). This study, published in Nature in 2014, found that C3 grains, which are grains with an optimum temperature range of 65 to 75 degrees that do not have special photosynthetic adaptations to reduce respiration, had lower concentrations of zinc and iron when grown under field conditions that mimicked the predicted CO2 level for the middle of the 21st century. Another finding marked protein loss and a rise in carbohydrates in some of the crops.Two of the affected crops in this study, rice and wheat, are important sources of protein in many countries. AstudycarriedoutbySamuelMyers,DanielleMedekandJoel Schwartz, published online on August 2nd, 2017, set out to estimate the global risks of protein loss due to increased CO2
The potential consequences of common and essential crops becoming nutrient deficient are concerning. Deficiencies of zinc and iron lead to a myriad of health issues, including anemia,stunted growth and impaired blood sugar regulation (Cafasso). According to Myers, two billion people already suffer from iron and zinc deficiencies.With the loss of nutrients from increased CO2 levels, vulnerable populations, such as children and pregnant women, will be put at risk (Carrington). Each year, zinc deficiency is responsible for 800,000 deaths of children under five years old (Scheer). The ramifications of protein deficiency are unclear, though it could cause an increase in the rate of metabolic syndrome, risk factors for heart disease, and diabetes or stroke (NIH). However, there are possible solutions to the loss of nutrients in crops.All of the studies mentioned suggest the importance of mitigating CO2 emissions. Myers’ study also recommends possibly breeding crops to be less CO2 sensitive. The Smith paper recommends promoting awareness in areas where nutrient-depleted crops pose the most threat to the way of life. Since the problem is not a matter of yield, it will not be immediately obvious to the public. The issue of global warming is not impossible to solve, but it needs to be acknowledged and addressed sooner rather than later. • References: Cafasso, J., & Nall, R. (2017, July 17). Iron Deficiency Anemia: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment. Retrieved October 28, 2017, from https://www.healthline.com/health/irondeficiency-anemia Carrington, D. (2014, May 07). Climate change making food crops less nutritious, research finds. Retrieved October 03, 2017 Columbus, C. (2017, August 02). Carbon Dioxide May Rob Crops Of Nutrition, Leaving Millions At Risk. Retrieved October 03, 2017 De la Puente, L. S., Pérez, P. P., Martinez-Carrasco, R., Morcuende, R. M. & Del Molino, I. M. M.Action of elevated CO2 and high temperatures on the mineral chemical composition of two varieties of wheat. Agrochimica 44, 221–230 (2000) Donegan, B., & Erdman, J. (2017, September 25). September 2017 Was the Most Active Month on Record for Atlantic Hurricanes. Retrieved October 02, 2017 Myers, S. S., Schwartz, J., & Medek, D. E. (2017, August). Estimated Effects of Future Atmospheric CO2 Concentrations on Protein Intake and the Risk of Protein Deficiency by Country and Region. Retrieved October 01, 2017 Myers, S. S., Zenobetti, A., Kloog, I., & et. al (2014, May 7). Increasing CO2 threatens human nutrition. Retrieved September 30, 2017, NIH. (2016, June 22). What Is Metabolic Syndrome? Retrieved October 03, 2017, Potter, S., Cabbage, M., & McCarthy, L. (2017, January 18). NASA, NOAA Data Show 2016 Warmest Year on Record Globally. Retrieved October 02, 2017 Scheer, R., & Moss, D. (n.d.). Does Global Warming Make Food Less Nutritious? Retrieved October 01, 2017 Smith, M. R., C. D. Golden, and S. S. Myers (2017), Potential rise in iron deficiency due to future anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, GeoHealth, 1, 248–257
Simmons Overseas Natalie Paicopolis
When I first arrived to University College Dublin, I was scared and thought that I could not spend an entire semester so far away from home. However, after a month in Dublin, I knew that I made the right decision. Dublin is a friendly city that reminds me of home in many ways. The River Liffey runs right through the middle of the city, similar to the Charles in Boston. Visiting small cities and villages along the coast reminds me of cities in New England, like Portland and Portsmouth. Living and studying in Dublin has been an incredible experience, because I finally have the opportunity to meet relatives that I otherwise would have never connected with, and
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The thought of leaving to study abroad at the end of August was daunting. How could I leave a city and friends that I had come to love so much over the past two years, without feeling sad about all of the things that I would miss over the next semester? Despite feeling melancholy over leaving Boston, I knew that studying abroad was something that I needed to do for myself, as it had been a dream of mine since I started college. After spending my high school career in Beverly, Massachusetts, only 15 miles outside of Boston, and then going to college at Simmons, my comfort zone was relatively small. Expanding my worldview was something that I felt I needed to do in order to break out of my shell and grow as a student.
Going to a large university is another aspect of study abroad that I am glad I did not pass up. Coming from Simmons, a small women’s centered college, it is both challenging and exciting attending a large co-ed University. It was tough to find classes throughout the first week of school, because of the vastness of the campus and the bustle of so many people. When I finally arrived at class, trying to understand my professor’s accent was another challenge. However, with time, I got the hang of it. This semester, I am taking classes on human nutrition, food safety, the social history of Irish healthcare, and nutrition research. It has been a pleasure to take my nutrition classes in Ireland because I have the unique opportunity to learn about another country’s healthcare system and history. This has widened my perspective, because I have learned about new ideas and methods I might not have otherwise.
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not to mention all of the new friends that I have made while living on campus at UCD.
So far, my journey in Europe has been indescribable. Since I am already abroad, I want to make sure I take full advantage of opportunities to visit other countries. I have traveled to Padova, Italy, and I plan to go to London, Prague, Brussels and Amsterdam within the coming months. I encourage everyone reading this - if you have the opportunity to study abroad, take it. Do not hesitate, because you will not regret it. It might seem like a cliché, but you will have the time of your life and become a different person by the time you return home. Even if you are a science major like me, you can make it happen, and I assure you it will be well worth it. •
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Green Chemist: Laura Muollo Kristen Doucette
This past summer, I had the opportunity to intern at the Warner Babcock Institute (WBI) for Green Chemistry in Wilmington, MA. I worked in a lab under the guidance of Laura Muollo, who is currently the director of Life Sciences Research and Development. She has been with WBI since 2008, using green chemistry to make products that are safer for the environment and the human population. In this Q&A, Muollo shares her thoughts of her career and gives advice to aspiring scientists. What school did you go to for your undergraduate degree and what did you major in? IwenttoStonehillCollege inEaston,MA.Imajoredin Chemistry and minored in Environmental Studies.
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Were you always passionateaboutscience? Oddly, no. When I signed up for Chemistry in my junior year of high school, I thought it would be the last science class I’d ever take. However, I had a phenomenal teacher who presented the subject in such a creative, informative manner that I wound up falling in love with it. My chemistry teacher was also the advisor of a school club, Earth Save, which was dedicated to promoting environmental awareness on campus. I wound up joining this club as well, so I found my passion for both chemistry and environmental studies inthesameyear. Did you go to graduate school immediately after completing your undergraduate program? How did you make your decision? I went to graduate school immediately after undergrad. At the time, I felt somewhat pressured to do so. It seemed to be what was expected for the top chemistry or biochemistry students at Stonehill. I felt very uncertain when I began looking at grad schools and their respective research programs, as I didn’t feel that I fit into a particular niche, such as organic, analytical or physical chemistry. But when I found a program in green chemistry, it seemed like the perfect fit, and I felt confident then that I had made the right choice.
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What advice do you have for students pursuing a STEM degree? Number one: stick with it. Pursuing a degree in STEM is hard, let’s face it. I remember being in lab until 6 pm on Fridays in college - by the time I got out, the dining hall was closed and most of the other students had been in, “weekend mode,”
for hours. My classes were so early, and when I came back to my dorm after my first two classes of the day, my roommate would still be asleep. It was discouraging, but I’m so glad I stuck with it. The harder something is, the greater the sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. I’m proud of my degree, and I am thrilled to make a career out of something I am truly passionate about. Number two: be collaborative, not competitive. A significant reason why I was able to stick with STEM in college was the support my classmates, who also became some of my closest friends. It was hard, but we were in it together. We understood each other. We studied together, worked out NMR spectra together, and wrote lab reports together. We learned a lot from one another, and we supported each other. I am so happy to have been a part of that collaborative environment,rather than an overly-competitive environment. How has being a woman in a mostly male-dominated profession influenced your career so far? There are definitely challenges associated with being a woman in a male-dominated field. Fortunately, I have encountered little blatant sexism, but I’ve certainly been in situations where it was subtly insinuated that I am inferior to my male colleagues. Clients have assumed that ideas I generated on a project came instead from a male on the team. I’ve bitten my tongue when I’ve been, “informed,” of facts I already know. I have been referred to as an, “emotional woman,” in an instance where a male colleague even commented that, if he responded the same way, he’d be praised for his passion. While all of this is frustrating, it actually makes me more determined – I use it as motivation to prove that women in science are capable of amazing things. When all else fails, I go for a run – physical exertion has always been my escape for when my frustration gets too high. What is your favorite project that you have worked on while at WBI? I am proud to have led research teams that generated two different products now on the market. The products are Hairprint, a non-toxic hair color restoration product, and Delta S, an environmentally benign asphalt rejuvenator. I’m also proud of accomplishments that are not in the public eye – for example, my research team and I re-designed the product recovery process for porous beads manufactured for chromatography products by a particular company. The process resulted in a 50 percent reduction in solvent and energy use over the pre-existing process. The company implemented the process and is still using it today. It’s incredibly satisfying to know that we have helped to dramatically reduce the solvent and energy waste associated with the process.•
Standing Up For Science Lena Syed
There was a wide range of prominent speakers at the event, including former EPA administrator, Gina McCarthy, the president of the Boston Professional chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, Chiderah Okoye, chief resident in the Partners HealthCare neurology residency program, Altaf Saadi, former US Marine and teacher, Graciela Mohamedi, and several more (March for Science 2017). These speakers discussed difficulties faced by women, people of color and people with disabilities working in STEM. There was also a kids’ event prior to the speeches, where performers sang songs about science, and children engaged in STEAM-themed activities.
At the march, I joined a group that my former pediatrician, Norm Tanguay, coordinated. He organized medical professionals, social workers and stay-at-home moms to attend the march together. Similar to the makeup of his group, not everybody at the event had occupations in fields relating to STEM. I asked Tanguay why he organized a group of science and non-science professionals. His response was that there is an ongoing battle about what constitutes evidence and truth, but the scientific community has not been very vocal about it. As a pediatrician, Tanguay has strong opinions regarding the importance of transparency in science. As a college student holding a makeshift cardboard sign, there was something empowering about being surrounded by so many like-minded people from unique backgrounds. Some people at the march were many years - and many degrees - more mature than I am, but we all shared a common concern. On that day, thousands of people from different cultures, religions and levels of education stood together with the same sentiment that science is important. •
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By Dara Syed (Instagram: @shotbydara)
However, on April 22nd, thousands of citizens concerned about the fate of science in America gathered in the Boston Commons. Despite the cold and rainy weather, people came together to proclaim one shared message - that science is real, and science is important. While one of the main focuses of the rally was climate change, other causes consisted of funding for research and promotion of vaccinations.
According to WBUR’s Bob Shaffer, the organizers of the march intended for the event to be nonpartisan, but participants were still allowed to bring up political issues (Shaffer 2017). The event was not created to protest the current government directly, but rather to take a stand for knowledge, inquiry, free speech and the right for science to have a role in policy making.
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On January 21st, I attended the Women’s March, proudly holding a NASA sign, upset that not enough people were advocating a shared concern about the future of science. Science is something that people should care about, but it is often ignored by the public - even by activists of other social issues, such as women’s rights.
References March for Science (2017). https://www.marchforscienceboston. com/speakers. Shaffer, Bob (2017, April 22). Supporters Crowd Boston Common for ‘March for Science’. http://www.wbur.org/news/2017/04/22/ boston-science-march.
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Radium Girls:
The Dark Side of America's Shining Women Kristen Doucette
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Moore brings history to life using the accounts of women who worked at those factories to expose the tragedies that resulted from ingesting radium. Years after they started working in the factories, many of these young women experienced weakness and pain in their joints. Others developed cancer throughout the body, and some experienced jaw bones rotting out of their mouths. The book features photos of the ailments and deformities that occurred from ingestion of radium, as well as pictures of the young women at company functions. This imagery helps the reader understand that these were real women - not fictional characters - who were misguided by their employers. Moore describes the trials these women faced in getting both their employers and the Department of Labor to believe that their symptoms were due to radium exposure. These hardships leave the reader in disbelief at the ignorance of people who were trying to discredit these tragic stories. In the end, the women who sued their employers In Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women, Kate Moore tells the story of young women who were employed by companies, like the Radium Luminous Material Corporation in New Jersey, to manufacture radium watch-dials. The pay was competitive, and the working atmosphere was fun and inviting; what else could a young woman want out of a job leading up to the first world war? In a time when female empowerment was growing and the ability to provide for a family was an emerging ideal, it seemed there was nothing wrong with getting a job as a, “radium girl.” What these women weren’t told about was the hazardous material that made the numbers on the watch-dials glow. Radium, which had been discovered only 20 years earlier by Marie Curie, was at the time thought of as a, “cure-all,” in small amounts. Radium was added to drinking water to improve health and to cosmetics for a, “glowing,” effect. A common practice in the watch-dial factories was to follow the saying “lip, dip, paint.” This meant the women would sharpen the paintbrush tip with their mouths, dip the brush in the radium-laced paint, and then decorate the watch dial. Often, they would not clean the brush in between repetitions to save material, as radium was the most expensive substance on earth at that time.
won compensation for their medical and legal expenses, and contributed to the establishment of occupational disease and health labor laws. Although their case was one of the first successful trials that forced employers to be responsible for workers’ health, it was unfortunately too late for the Radium Girls to have a happy ending to their story. When I first read this book, I was surprised I had never come across the stories of these women before. Moore held my interest throughout the book by retelling history, important scientific conclusions, and social justice outcomes. The recognition of radium as a hazardous substance has saved countless lives, though sadly not the lives of the Radium Girls themselves. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in science and history, or who wants to read a true story filled with tragedy and triumph. •
The Gene: An Intimate History
The Gene: An Intimate History, by Siddhartha Mukherjee, explores the origins of genetics, the future of genome editing and everything in between. Mukherjee provides clear and concise background knowledge that allows any reader to comprehend the content, no matter their prior knowledge of genetics. In 600 B.C., Pythagoras hypothesized that men provided all the genetic material, while women only provided a place of development for the embryo. In the following two thousand years, not much else was discovered, other than the fact that it was likely women also carried a child’s likeness. Charles Darwin was the first to theorize heredity when he published “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection” in 1859. Gregor Mendel, a monk, turned to pea plants to gain insight on heredity through selective breeding of different pea phenotypes soon after Darwin published this work. At the turn of the 20th century, more scientists were becoming interested in creating a “perfect” society. This turned into the eugenics movement, which emphasized controlled breeding to increase the chances of producing a race with desired heritable traits. Throughout the
rest of the 1900’s, scientists continued to make strides in this newfound area of biology. The most important discoveries were the chemical composition of a gene, the three-dimensional structure of a gene, and how to sequence an entire human genome.
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Kristen Doucette
Mukherjee writes in an expressive style to keep the reader engaged throughout his book, describing events that took place more than a hundred years ago with care and detail, as if he was present in the room where it happened. He also uses narratives to convey the importance of genetics in the lives of everyday people, including his own family’s experiences. He speaks openly about his family’s struggle with mental illness, including bipolar disorder. After reading this book, I felt more passionate about learning how genetics plays a role in disease, both from inheritance and from mutations. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking to learn more about the past, present and future of genetics, as well as the implications that new gene editing tools could have on future generations. •
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Losing Sight of Shore Ariana Saroufim
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Losing Sight of Shore is a breathtaking exploration into the tragedies and triumphs of four women from Great Britain, named the Coxless Crew, as they embark on a journey to row across the Pacific Ocean. Inspired by a close friend’s struggles with breast cancer, these women decided to find a unique and empowering way to help raise awareness of the horrible disease, and to help raise money to fund research in improving treatment. The crew began their nine month journey in California and ended it in Australia. While watching this documentary, viewers are able to see what these women went through, both mentally and physically, during this journey. Most importantly, their journey did not end in Australia. These women will carry the lessons and the strength they gained during their travels for a lifetime. Many challenges and unexpected situations arose throughout their time at sea - things they couldn’t have possibly planned for. To see the crew face adversity without giving up, and their vulnerability while being filmed during this adventure, results in a truly inspirational work of art. They come out of this odyssey as better women, and they have inspired viewers like me to become better people as a testament to their achievements. This documentary has shown me that women can overcome any mental and physical challenges if they work hard and never lose sight of their dreams. Everyone has their own Pacific to cross. Let the Coxless Crew inspire you to cross yours.
Interview with Sarah Moshman, Director The director, Sarah Moshman, was able to capture highs and lows of this incredible journey. Moshman has also worked on other documentaries that highlight women's empowerment, and she is a huge advocate for gender equality, which only adds to the elegance of the strong heroes she displays on screen. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to interview her. What made you want to direct this film? I never thought I would direct a, “sports,” film but to me, this story was never about a sport. It has always been and continues to be about the power of the human spirit. When I first heard about the story of the Coxless Crew, I was so taken aback by their courage and bravery, it washed away any fears I had and made me want to help them tell their story in whatever way I could. And I'm so glad I did, this has truly been one of the biggest adventures of my life! What inspired you the most about working on this film? Making a film is always a tough process, but every time I struggled, all I had to do was think about the fact that this team of women were out there in the middle of the Pacific Ocean rowing 24 hours a day, and suddenly my situation didn't seem so bad! I think what inspired me the most is that I will never row an ocean - most of us will never see what they saw out there - but their journey is truly a symbol for all the metaphorical, “Pacifics,”
What inspired you most about these women? It's important to know that the Coxless Crew were not professional athletes or very experienced ocean rowers when embarking on this trip. That inspired me the most, and it is one of the reasons I took on this project. They are just like you and me. Somehow that made it more impressive that they hadn't been training for this their whole lives. It makes me want to take on some kind physical and mental challenge and see if I can do it. What advice do you have to women out there who want to, "cross their own Pacific," but are hesitant? I would say crossing your own Pacific and leaving your comfort zone is perhaps one of the most valuable things you can do in your life. You learn so much about yourself and what you are capable of by stretching your boundaries. I can safely say after making two feature documentaries that I've crossed two, “Pacifics”. I have learned more than I ever thought I could, met incredible people, and gone to places I never thought I would go. And the best part is that I never could have planned any of it; I simply set off on a journey, open and excited for all that would come my way. Push yourself even if it's scary, take a few small steps each day toward your goal, and one day you'll look back and be able to see how far you've come. Do you plan on working on more documentaries that represent women as heroes? YES. I am dedicated to telling stories that shine a light on strong female characters, as well as telling stories that uplift, inform and empower women. It is so important that we see ourselves reflected back to us in the media. We need diverse perspectives in order to create a more equal world and I hope to make many more documentaries in my career that help serve that mission.
Being a woman in STEM can certainly have its disadvantages, as sexism still persists in the field. However, being in STEM at a women’s centered college has been one of the most empowering experiences of my life, especially being a part of Mindscope. My journey of continuing my education, while dealing with a medical illness is my, “Pacific.” I have had times where I have failed, been overwhelmed and struggled, but this December, I will finally be getting my undergraduate diploma. Attending Simmons and being a part of women’s organizations within my college has helped me become a stronger woman. My classmates have lifted me up and supported me, and the faculty continues to encourage the young women enrolled here to succeed each and every day. Even though I did not row across the actual Pacific Ocean, I could relate so much to both Sarah and the women in this documentary. They have reaffirmed that I can set whatever goals I want for myself and succeed, as long as I work hard enough. My next Pacific will be applying to medical school! Thank you, Sarah and the Coxless Crew, for inspiring me and everyone whose lives you have touched, and for reminding us all that we don’t need to cross our, “Pacific,” alone; sometimes, it takes a team of strong women holding each other up. • I recommend you watch the film yourself! The vulnerability and passion that these women show is remarkable, and the scenic views of the journey are surreal.
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What do you think was the most challenging part of this journey for these women? I think the mental strength they had to have to complete this journey was perhaps the most challenging part. The journey was set to take about six months and ending up taking nine months in total. The amount of mental strength one has to have in order to overcome those mental and physical obstacles is nothing short of heroic. They leaned on each other, they looked to their own inner voices, and they just kept rowing. I still can't even imagine what that was like, and I watched all nine months of footage from the trip! It is truly extraordinary.
Do you have any films that you are working on now? Yes, I am starting up a new documentary project that examines sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the workplace. I have certainly experienced harassment working in television and film, and I'm working to create a space where we can have a conversation about this issue and how to change it. Stay tuned!
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we cross in our lives, and their perseverance can inspire anyone to take on a challenge that may seem insurmountable. I knew this was a once in a lifetime story. That feeling will stay with me, and I hope it stays with the audience as well.
You can purchase this documentary on iTunes, Amazon or Netflix. To learn more, check out: http:// losingsightofshore.com/ Be sure to also check out Sarah Moshman’s riveting TED Talk entitled, “Where are all the female heroes?” #mypacific
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Tri-Beta National Biological Honor Society Madeline Uretsky
Tri-Beta Membership Membership is determined based on achievement, interest and dedication to the biological sciences through choice of major, GPA, and extracurricular activities. Applicants must complete at least three semesters of biology classes, in addition to other requirements stated by the national organization and the Simmons College Nu Omicron Chapter. Students can apply during the spring semester by filling out an application made available in the Biology Department.
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What Is The Beta Beta Beta (Tri-Beta) National Biological Honor Society? Tri-Beta is a national organization dedicated to supporting scientific knowledge through quality research, particularly regarding the biological and life sciences, and promoting the understanding and value of these topics. This honor society for students in the biological sciences emphasizes the continued achievement, discovery and distribution of scientific information through various activities and opportunities. Members can publish in the TriBeta journal, BIOS, apply for research funding, and attend the annual Tri-Beta conference. Additionally, the society gives awards for research, presentations, chapter activity and faculty mentoring each year. History Of Tri-Beta Dr. Frank G. Brooks founded Tri-Beta in 1922 at Oklahoma City University, and the national organization formed in 1925. Since then, over 600 chapters have been established across the country. The quarterly journal, BIOS, has been in publication since 1930.
Nu Omicron Chapter Simmons College established the Nu Omicron Chapter in 2008, and named Dr. Jane Lopilato, PhD, associate professor and chair of the Biology Department, as the advisor. The inaugural ceremony inducted 28 students, all of whom achieved high scholarship in biology. This year, on March 29, 2017, 13 Simmons students were inducted, and officers for the 2017-2018 academic year took their pledges. At the ceremony, Nu Omicron members had the opportunity to listen to an incredible keynote presentation, “From Bench to Bed: Developing Novel Therapeutics for Parkinson’s Disease,” by Dr. Shuchi Mittal, PhD, an adjunct lab instructor at Simmons and a Senior Research Fellow in the Laboratory for Neurogenomics at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Be sure to look for Tri-Beta members at Commencement in May, as they will be wearing cords in the official colors of the society, red and green! • Reference: https://www.tribeta.org
Interview with Professor Aguilera Alex Kemna
How did you get started at Simmons? I grew up in the area, and it was really in a lot of ways a dream job, so I applied and was thrilled when I was able to come to Simmons. It was the right job at the right time. What are some of the most interesting research opportunities you have participated in? The most interesting research opportunities have definitely been with Simmons students, because each year, there’s a new person with new ideas and curiosities. I have been able to study topics here that range from how invasive species influence decomposition rate to how invasive species remediate and tolerate heavy metals in soil. Do you have any advice for students that want to be activists for the environment? Absolutely. With this political atmosphere, I'm getting more involved in how students can become active. I’m now the director for the Colleges of the Fenway Center for Sustainability and the Environment. I’m definitely planning events around how students can become more active locally. I think a way we can all feel empowered is to act locally on global problems. We’re hosting teach-ins on how to make change in
Do you have any advice for people that want to go into the fields of biology and environmental science? Do it. Jump in! Don't be intimidated by anything, just get in there and try it. Keep working at it. Don't be put off by prerequisites, just jump in and get it done. And always keep your sense of humor! What is your favorite memory at Simmons? I went out in the field with one of my students, and I had to bring my children along for some reason. I had a fiveyear-old on my shoulders and a two-year-old strapped to my back, walking through the weeds. I turned to the student and said, “See? You can do it all, I have the family and the research job!” That afternoon, I had one of the small children strapped to me and I got tangled up in this thorn bush. I had to have the student come untangle me, and it was a really funny situation. It ended up being a great opportunity to have a real bonding experience with one of my students, and for them to see the reality behind trying to balance everything.
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How did you become interested in the fields of biology and environmental science? I fell in love with biology when I took an intro course as a college student. I just found every nitty-gritty detail super exciting, so I knew I wanted to study it further. I have always been concerned with environmental health, so that’s how I got involved in the biological side of environmental science.
your organizations, and we’re offering mini grants to students that want to work on sustainability projects. I would encourage students to find a cause that’s important to them - there are people in this city working on that particular cause, I guarantee it. The more I dig around for service learning opportunities for students, the more I find. If you're sitting there thinking, “but what should I do?” think about what matters most to you. Water, waste, energy - there are people in the city working on that. I can help you find a volunteer opportunity, or I can help you address an issue here on campus through mini grants. I can also help in bringing people in to talk about how to make a change in your organization. It’s not immediately obvious, and it’s not easy, but there are people who know how to do it, and you just have to go out there and make the time for it.
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Professor Aguilera is an assistant professor of biology at Simmons College, as well as the director of the Colleges of the Fenway Center for Sustainability and the Environment. She is passionate about the environment and enjoys spending time outside with her family. Students love her classes and enjoy her enthusiasm about the courses she teaches.
Any fun facts or hobbies? I’m a crafter at heart. I don't craft anything useful, I knit little sculptures of fruit when I have free time. My husband and children love to fish and I like it, too. We go fly fishing and worm fishing, but we always catch and release! Any one message you want to share with the Simmons community? Work hard and be kind. Let’s take care of each other, and let’s take care of the world.•
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Back to School Scare Sierra McCaffrey
By the time September rolled around, my bags were packed, my textbooks were bought, and I was more than prepared to go back to school. Like most college students, I was counting down the days until I would be back at school and reunited with my best friends. However, what happened on September 4th was something for which I could not have prepared.
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Move-in day was the first time I experienced a noticeably concerning symptom. I started vomiting and feeling constantly fatigued. I had cramps and sharp stomach pains that came in waves throughout the day. After a long night of no rest, I went to the health center, and they diagnosed me with norovirus - the stomach bug. I went back to my dorm, drank Gatorade and ate saltine crackers for every meal. On the second day, I was still not beating this, “24hour virus,” and I felt severely dehydrated. When my second trip to the health center didn’t help my symptoms, my roommate accompanied me to Beth Israel Deaconess’ emergency room. While even the thought of going to the hospital made me anxious, I needed to feel better with classes approaching. I spent the night in the emergency room with my mom, who drove in from Connecticut with my grandmother. I assumed I would go into the hospital, get an IV, and be all set.
clearer images for processing the results. The process was brutal - just a whiff of the contrast material made me want to gag - so I hoped it wasn’t all for nothing. When the senior radiology staff looked at my CAT scan, they determined that my appendix was inflamed. I arrived at the hospital around 6:00 p.m. and the doctors were in and out of my room for hours to come. They explained what the procedure would involve - the options, the possible complications, and the recovery process. My surgery occurred at around 10:00 p.m. and I was discharged the next afternoon. After those long couple of days, I decided to rest and gain my energy back. I went home to East Lyme, Connecticut. A few days later, I visited my primary care doctor to get a second opinion, because I was still not feeling well. I never had a procedure or surgery before, so I didn’t really know how I was supposed to feel. Was my body healing, or was there still an undiagnosed issue?
After hours of waiting at the hospital, I was treated again for norovirus with multiple IV fluids. I was discharged from the emergency room at 4:30 in the morning. I retreated to my grandmother’s house in Mansfield, MA. That afternoon, the hospital called. The dispatcher said she had been trying to reach me all day, and that it was urgent that I returned to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy. An appendectomy is the surgical removal of the appendix, “a small, blindended tube that is attached to the large intestine,” (Health Library: Evidence-Based Information). This procedure is usually performed to cure appendicitis, or the inflammation of the appendix due to infection or obstruction. This diagnosis alarmed me - I’ve never had any health issues that surpassed strep throat or the common cold. Apparently, the overnight radiology staff failed to recognize my enlarged appendix when viewing the CAT scan results. A CAT scan is a painless, non-invasive and accurate x-ray machine that takes pictures of internal anatomy. The images help doctors quickly detect if there are any abnormalities within the body (Radiology Information For Patients). I had to drink a chalky, thick elixir called contrast material to provide
Luckily, nothing came back suspicious, and I was just told to rest. I finally returned to school, ready to put this behind me and start my school year off right. While still not feeling 100 percent myself, I was able to attend my classes. I was optimistic about recovering and persisting past these minor obstacles, until I
This was my final diagnosis. From there, I went back home until I felt well enough to try and make it to school. Since this medical limbo between the hospital and home, I am getting better each day and looking forward to the semester. I knew college was full of surprises, but I never anticipated this! The experience gave me a new appreciation for the phrase, “live each day to the fullest,” because you never know what tomorrow will bring. • References: Appendectomy—Laparoscopic Surgery. (2015). Health Library: Evidence- Based Information. Radiology Information. (2017, October 18). Retrieved October 16, 2017, from https://www.radiologyinfo.org Ren, A. M. (2017). Gastroenteritis. Magill’s Medical Guide (Online Edition)
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I was readmitted in the hospital that night. The first diagnosis the doctors gave me was that I had an ileus. This is a temporary hibernation of the digestive tract, due to trauma from being moved around in surgery. After consistent nausea, the doctors and nurses had to give me an NG (nasogastric intubation) tube. This is a tube placed in the nose that travels all the way down to the stomach. It drained my stomach of the excess bile my body had produced to break down the food in my stomach. When there is no food in your stomach to be broken down, stomach bile can cause nausea. Unable to eat for multiple days, the only substances in me were medicine, IV fluid, and ice chips. I think I was more upset that the thought of food disgusted me than about the physical pain I was in. I had nightmares that I would never want to eat Italian food in the North End again - talk about scary.
I stayed in the hospital a few more days, continuing to puzzle the doctors and nurses about what was wrong with me. The final diagnosis the hospital gave me was gastroenteritis. Gastroenteritis refers to the infection of the intestinal tract, usually by viruses. It affects the small bowel, causing fevers, abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, weakness and diarrhea (Magill’s Medical Guide).
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began to have some stomach aches again. One night, my friends were visiting my room, and I was so excited to be all together again. You can imagine my panic when I went to the bathroom and suddenly vomited. It was this horrible cycle all over again. I immediately called my mom, who read the discharge paperwork that stated what steps to take for certain symptoms. Of course, vomiting was a danger sign, and I needed to be immediately rushed back to Beth Israel.
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A Step Inside Research with Professor Mariam Ismail Sophie Lawsure
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A Different Flavor Professor Mariam Ismail, with a PhD in Chemical Engineering, did not begin her career on a small scale. She had many years of experience in the industry, beginning at a Massachusetts Institute of Technology start-up, 1366 Technologies, and later moving to a 3D printing company, Viridis 3D. It was later in her career that she came to realize her passion for making an impression in the chemistry department here at Simmons College. Her desire to collaborate with young students in a lab setting began with a part-time job she had as a chemistry lab instructor at both Simmons College and Wentworth Institute of Technology. It was this small step that made her confident that a full-time career as a professor at Simmons College was exactly what she wanted to pursue.
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Ismail did not hesitate to grab the opening as a full-time chemistry professor after her second year at Viridis 3D. It was not collaboration with students in the classroom that motivated her - what the professor hoped, and still hopes, to bring to this department is awareness of the gap in renewable
energy. Simmonsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; teaching and research track was her opportunity to put these ideas to the test in a lab, while informing others on her intentions in environmental remediation. Research Motive With her own chemistry research lab on the fourth floor of the science building, Professor Ismail is in the midst of a research projection. Ismailâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s focus is around semiconductor heterogeneous photocatalysis - a specific laboratory technique that utilizes solar energy as a means to provide an environmentally desirable alternative for converting organic contaminants to CO2 and H2O. This could potentially replace the past homogenous photocatalysis technique, activated only by UV light. Two factors that confirm the exposure of photonic light to semiconductors are bandgap energy, or the energy difference between valence band minimum and the conduction band minimum, and recombination rates within the photoexcited electron holes. Titanium dioxide has been a popular semiconductor for photocatalysis, but it commonly exhibits a large bandgap energy and electron hole recombination
rate. These are non-ideal crystal characteristics for use in photocatalysis. Ismail has been centering her lab around further photocatalytic research of a crystalline, large-pored synthetic material known as microporous vanadosilicate AM-6, which essentially serves as a replacement for titanium dioxide (Ismail et al). These crystals are more susceptible to the degradation of organic contaminants, specifically under visible light irradiation, which prompts attainable solar energy. Techniques Vanadosilicate AM-6 synthesis mimics synthesis of titanosilicate ETS-10, and uses metal nanoparticles of vanadium, instead of titanium, to increase porous degrading of organic photoexcited electrons and visible light absorption ability. However, pure synthesis of these vanadosilicate AM-6 crystals is not an easy process. It begins with a baseline formula hypothesized by Rocha et al. that consists of varying the molar compositions of compounds that were measured in order, assuming optimal pH and temperature levels for the solutions (Ismail et al.). The overall combined solution was based on differing molar compositions of the following compounds - Na2, K2O, SiO2, V2O5, TMA, H2O - with each playing a different role in the final product (Ismail et al.). A gel-like substance was formed with these compounds, and it was then transferred to two different autoclaves, or heatable metal containers useful in high temperature and high pressure environments. Both autoclaves were put
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Jordan Mattheisen and Eriko Hishiya at the 2017 Simmons Undergraduate Symposium.
Contributors Last year, photocatalysis was a major part of Jordan Mattheisen’s chemistry senior thesis project. Months of fine-tuning vanadosilicate AM-6 synthesis led this chemist to produce crystals and use hypothesized laboratory procedures to determine their various defects for further exploration of energy effects. As Jordan put it, her year was dedicated to, “engineering a photocatalyst that was able to degrade organic pollutants when activated by visible light, which makes up much more of the solar spectrum.” Current sophomores Eriko Hishiya, Sophie Lawsure and Ashley Ignatowski spent many hours in the lab perfecting synthesis reactions for photocatalysis. Eriko later took on the opportunity of working with Ismail on photocatalysis under visible light and UV light, using their recently added solar energy 500 Watt Xe arc lamp to develop her own thesis project this past summer. Ismail recently helped senior Joie Ann Mastandrea develop her own thesis, similar to Jordan’s previous research on effective vanadosilicate AM-6 synthesis and green synthetic routes for the production of desirable organic products.
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in a desirable temperature range of 430-453 K in an oven for a set amount of days to determine optimal crystallization times. A general filtration process was next performed to separate the crystals from the surrounding aqueous solution formed in the autoclave. The crystals were dried in a designated oven in preparation for x-ray diffraction (XRD) and the field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The XRD had the ability to provide an organized graph of high intensity peaks to ensure crystallization accuracy, while the FE-SEM photographs gave clear densities and dimensions of each sub-micron sized crystal. The crystals in their purest forms were then used for photocatalysis.
Conclusion Ismail has accomplished her goal of sharing what she is most passionate about in chemistry with the Simmons community. She is appreciative of all the students that have dedicated their time, both in the research lab and in the classroom. • References Mariam N. Ismail, Naftali D. Fraiman, Dennis M. Callahan Jr. Gamze Gursoy, Edward Viveiros, Onnaz Ozkanat, Zhaoexia Ji, Ronald J. Willey, Juliusz Warzywoda, Albert Sacco Jr.“First unseeded hyrdothermal sythesis of microporous vanadosilicate AM-6”. Department of Chemical Engineering. Northeastern University. Boston, MA, 02115. USA.
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Meet Professor Pojednic Madeline Uretsky
How did you decide to work in the nutrition field? My route was actually quite circuitous and began in exercise physiology. When I realized how intricately related physical activity and nutrition were, I knew I wanted to integrate both in my career.
How did you end up teaching nutrition classes at Simmons? I began teaching Anatomy and Physiology at Simmons, and really enjoyed the campus, students and faculty. When a position opened in the nutrition department, I was thrilled! Which courses do you teach, and do you have a favorite? I teach Introductory Nutrition (NUTR 111/112), Advanced Food Science (NUTR 201), Community Nutrition (NUTR 237), Lifestyle Medicine (NUTR 260), and Exercise Assessment and Prescription (NUTR 461). They are all so different, and I get to teach such a broad spectrum of students - from people just exploring an interest in nutrition to graduate students. I truly enjoy teaching all of my classes!
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What are your main research interests, and are you currently working on any projects? My research examines nutrition and physical activity interventions for the prevention and treatment of chronic disease. I also study education models to integrate nutrition and physical activity into the curriculum of healthcare professionals. I am a co-investigator on a clinical trial beginning this fall at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center comparing two diets, a USDA-approved healthy eating pattern and a vegan diet, for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes. I am also a co-investigator for a survey project trying to understand the best practices of physical activity integration in the education of clinical healthcare professionals. With the constant exposure to media, how can people educate themselves on various nutrition claims, diets, and the latest in food science? Do your homework and don’t rely on flash-in-the-pan headlines! Seek out a team of knowledgeable experts dietitians, scientists, and professors - and ask them for help when you are confused. While there may be conflicting headlines week to week, these professionals are always keeping an eye on the totality of the research, which tells the whole story. Stick to reputable and well-cited sources of information, and stay away from biased blogs, websites that are trying to sell you something, or anyone subscribing to extreme dogma.
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Besides nutrition, do you have other hobbies or interests? I love to, “walk the talk.” I am an indoor cycling instructor at Flywheel Sports in the Prudential Center, as well as an outdoor cycling ambassador for Specialized Bikes. In the winter, I love to ski!
Do you have any advice for students pursuing a career in nutrition? Explore the entire field. Nutrition goes well beyond vitamins and minerals—there are so many opportunities to be pursued.You can work in basic science, in a hospital, counsel clients, run a non-profit, start your own business, work on food and farm policy, become a food journalist, teach at a university, develop life and planet saving technologies, or work on product development and communications for a big corporation. The opportunities are varied and endless. Can you share your most memorable experience while working here at Simmons? Honestly, the most profound experience that I’ve had at Simmons was following the election this past November. I had an Advanced Food Science class the following morning, and there were so many emotions that we literally put our books away and just discussed how we were feeling. Not only was this debrief exactly what we all needed at that moment, but Simmons as a community fully supported the faculty and students in processing the historic moment in the way we needed. In President Drinan’s words, it truly showed the college’s commitment to being, “a safe place where we value differences, listen with curiosity instead of hate, and take the time to learn about points of view that are different from our own.” Is there anything else you would like to share with the Simmons Community? After working at and attending several colleges and universities in the Boston area, I can truly say the Simmons College experience is unique and incredibly forwardthinking. My advice is to take advantage of the auspicious location, the opportunities to cross-pollinate with different departments and majors, and the generosity of the dedicated faculty and staff who are here to make sure both the students and their colleagues excel. •
Name: Megan Edwards Year of Graduation: 2017 Major: biology and English Fun fact: I went to Hawaii this summer and saw a bunch of beautiful plant life and wild sea turtles!
Name: Monica Alves Year of Graduation: 2016 Major: environmental science Fun fact: I make homemade ramen!
What have you been doing since graduation? I worked in an engineering firm for eight months, and now I am a law student at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University studying Environmental Law
What have you been doing since graduation? After graduation, I attended King's College London to pursue my masters in water science and governance. I am now pursuing a professional career as both an aquaculturist at Boston Children's Hospital and clinical research coordinator at Adam's Clinical in Watertown, MA.
What was your favorite class at Simmons? Why? My favorite class was Plant Biology. Plants are such important and essential organisms in all ecosystems and I really enjoyed learning about their physiology and biology! What inspired you the most at Simmons? The science students at Simmons inspired me the most. The science department hosts a group of very ambitious, passionate, and talented women who are doing incredible things in their fields- it made me want to live up to their level of achievement. What was your most memorable moment at Simmons? My most memorable moment at Simmons was during finals. My friend and I love Christmas, and we especially love the Kelly Clarkson Christmas song “Underneath the Tree.” We were at a point of delirium from studying, so we decided to blast our favorite Christmas tunes and dance around the room - an impromptu two person party. It was a small moment, lost amongst the dozens of exams and events, but it’s one of my favorite moments at Simmons. What is one piece of advice you would give to Simmons Students interested in pursuing a scientific career? For any student who wants to pursue a scientific career, my advice would be to explore your options and search introspectively. Spend time discovering what it is that you really want to do in the sciences. There are so many options - something that you love will be out there. Don’t commit to anything with a lukewarm heart. Science careers and further academic programs can be demanding and grueling, and if you don’t love what you are doing, you will burn out. Find something that’s worth your effort.
What was your favorite class at Simmons? Why? Environmental Economics. The principles of how environmental policy and economic activity affect the supply of our natural resources has been immensely applicable during my time in graduate school. Human consumption is driven by our economy, and understanding such behavior is crucial to being able to tame our overconsumption. What inspired you most about Simmons? Being surrounded by strong, sovereign women at Simmons was an unexpected gift. Reflecting back on my four years, I am now able to stand up for myself during times of gender inequality. Everyone's voice matters, and letting your opinion be heard benefits the world we live in.
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Ariana Saroufim
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Alumnae Page
What was your most memorable moment at Simmons? Celebrating the start of winter break at the Winter Wonderland Yule Ball! I'll never forget the candy trolley that roamed all night around Bartol Hall! What is one piece of advice you would give to Simmons Students interested in pursuing a scientific career? Apply to as many grants, scholarships, internships and jobs as you can! Much of my success during my academic and professional career has come from giving myself diverse options. Deadlines can be daunting, but pushing yourself through them and hitting that 'submit' button is better than never trying at all.
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Name: Jordan Mattheisen Year of Graduation: 2017 Major: Biochemistry Fun fact: I am on the hunt for the best slice of pizza in NYC! What have you been doing since graduation? Shortly after graduating, I moved to New York City to begin a Tri-Institutional PhD programinChemicalBiologythroughWeillCornellMedicine, Rockefeller University, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). My program is unique because in the first year, it allows students to do laboratory rotations across the three institutions in order to determine if you are a good fit with a particular advisor and their research. So far, I have rotated in a lab at MSKCC focused on understanding how post-translational modifications of histone proteins, which control packing of DNA in cells, can lead to cancer states.
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What was your favorite class at Simmons? Why? I loved so many of my classes at Simmons that it is difficult to choose a favorite. One that I didn't expect to like as much as I did was Thermodynamics. When I was taking the course I thought that it was very challenging and sometimes difficult to conceptualize. However, I have come to realize just how important a good foundation in thermodynamics and kinetics is for both chemistry and biology.Thermodynamics is integral in understanding why reactions can or cannot occur, predicting binding of substrates and ligands, designing better drugs, and developing more accurate models for complex biological systems. What inspired you the most at Simmons? The professors, especially those in the Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Mathematics Departments. During my time at Simmons, I turned to these faculty members countless times for assistance with classwork, troubleshooting experiments, setting up internships, and more. I attribute so much of my success in science thus far to their mentorship and sponsorship over the years. They are the reason that I am interested in pursuing a position in academia. What was your most memorable moment at Simmons? My senior year at Simmons, my thesis advisor Dr. Mariam Ismail encouraged me to apply for an exchange program between the German Chemical Society and the Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society. I was selected with 11 other people, both undergraduate and graduate students in the northeast, to fly to Mainz, Germany and present a poster. While in Germany we toured Merck, Max Planck, and Sanofi, and also networked with other young chemists from around the world. The experience was absolutely incredible, and I made lasting friendships with other people in my field.
What is one piece of advice you would give to Simmons students interested in pursuing a scientific career? Take risks! Use your time in undergrad to try many different types of things in order to determine what you find to be the most worthwhile. Take advantage of the opportunities to intern, present research, and network with people outside of Simmons, and definitely do not be afraid to ask those around you for advice! Name: Annika Gibbs Year of Graduation: 2017 Major: biochemistry Fun fact: I can’t burp. It’s weird, and I don’t understand it, but makes me appear very polite. What have you been doing since graduation? I am studying at the University of Minnesota Veterinary College, class of 2021! I am hoping to specialize in small animals and small exotics, but I am also interested in pathology. I have a part time job working in a clinical pathology lab servicing the small and large animal hospitals of the university. What was your favorite class at Simmons? Why? I really enjoy learning about how organisms function at a chemical and cellular level, which is why my favorite classes were immunology, biochemistry, and organic chemistry classes. Immunology was probably my favorite because the interaction between the immune system and pathogens is so complex and beautifully constructed. What inspired you the most at Simmons? My professors and my friends have always been my inspiration. I could never have pursued a thesis in polymer chemistry were it not for Dr. Richard Gurney and Dr. Nancy Lee’s patient support. I wouldn’t have been a biochemistry major in the first place were it not for Dr.Canfield pressuring me to switch majors as she gave me a ride back home. My incredibly smart friends have also pushed me to be the best person I can be, both academically and personally. What was your most memorable moment at Simmons? The first time I tried to run a sample alone for my thesis on our gel permeation chromatography instrument, it was maybe 9 p.m. on a Friday night. My first chromatogram came out of the machine as a horrendous black mess of noise. I thought I broke the instrument and that Dr. Lee would hate me forever. After some troubleshooting, I found a leak on the column, which was the source of the problem! What is one piece of advice you would give to Simmons students interested in pursuing a scientific career? Don’t give up! Things will inevitably go wrong. Sometimes, it is an embarrassing test grade; sometimes, it is a mishap in the lab. Failure is a part of life, and part of being a good researcher, veterinarian, or whatever you choose to do. •
Spring 2017 Launch Brooke Lucier
For the launch, Mindscope invited Dr. Phillip Jason White to come to Simmons and present his research. Mindscope asked White to be the guest speaker not only because he is a very accomplished scientist, but also because his research is being conducted right here in the Longwood Medical Area. Dr. White is a physicist who received his PhD in acoustics, and is now working on developing new medical devices that can be used for noninvasive brain surgery with focused ultrasound. Ultrasound can be used to measure intracranial pressure, detect intracranial hemorrhage, and to monitor brain shift during surgery. White discussed the importance of magnetic resonance imaging in ultrasound therapy. One of the barriers that White and his team faced while conducting research was the limitations of the skull bone. Every skull bone is different in size and shape and it can be very easy for the skull and the brain to become overheated during the medical procedure. Magnetic resonance imaging helps by providing a modality to plan, guide and evaluate the ultrasound treatment and monitor the thermal energy in the skull to prevent overheating.
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The spring 2017 launch marked another successful semester for Mindscope. Turnout was higher than ever before and everyone in attendance could see the amount of hard work and dedication it took to publish the magazine. It was Mindscope’s fourth launch since Fall 2015, except this semester it seemed as if Mindscope reached new heights. The focus of this magazine was neuroscience, but it featured a wide variety of science topics to interest people from all different disciplines. Some of the topics contained in this issue include: a personal account of life after a traumatic brain injury, what happens to your brain when you don't sleep, the health effects of a plant based diet, tracking sunspots, and green chemistry.
After his presentation, White extended an invitation to students who found his research interesting to visit his research lab. A fellow Mindscope E-board member and I took White up on his offer, and went to visit his lab, which was just a short walk from the Simmons academic campus. We got a behind-thescenes look at the work that goes into the research that he is conducting. Some important advice White gave us was that, “research takes a lot of time and hard work. You can’t expect to make a scientific discovery overnight.” This guidance is important to remember in both the field of science and in life. If we want to change the world, we have to work hard and expect that it will take a lot of time and dedication. As a future healthcare professional, and someone with a passion for science, I look forward to seeing where White’s research goes and the impact it will have in the medical world. •
References: White PJ. Transcranial focused ultrasound surgery. Top Magn Reson Imaging. 2006 Jun; 17(3):165-72.
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Meet the E-Board
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Name: Ariana Saroufim Major: neuroscience and premedical track Class of: fall 2017 E-board position: editor-in-chief Fun fact: I was out of school for several years suffering from a gastrointestinal disease and had three stomach surgeries. This experience has inspired me to become a gastroenterologist. This past year, I have had the opportunity to intern at a gastroenterology lab and shadow my supervisor with her patients and procedures. My supervisor has taught me so much, and I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to be like her one day. My favorite part about Mindscope, and why I think it is important for the Simmons community: It is so important for women in STEM to have their voice heard. Mindscope gives students the opportunity to be heard, express their interests beyond the classroom and feel empowered by publishing their work to share with others. I have been part of Mindscope from the beginning and I am in awe of how we have grown as individuals and as a team. We have had so many new students interested each semester, which is fantastic! We have also received so much support from professors, the Boston community, and alumnae. I will really miss being a member of Mindscope once I graduate.
s Name: Alex Kemna Major: public health Class of: 2019 E-board position: treasurer Fun fact: I hate cilantro. My favorite part about Mindscope, and why I think it is important for the Simmons community: My favorite part about Mindscope is meeting new people that are passionate about their majors. Mindscope is important to the Simmons community because it provides an opportunity for students to showcase their talents and passions.
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Name: Kristen Doucette Major: chemistry Class of: 2019 E-board position: managing editor Fun fact: I came into Simmons undecided in what I wanted to major in, and pretty confident that I wanted to do anything other than science. By taking a few general chemistry courses, my Boston course (Toxic Consumables), and having many opportunities to do research in my science classes, I eventually figured out that I wanted to major in Chemistry! My favorite part about Mindscope, and why I think it is important for the Simmons community: Mindscope has given many students (myself included) the opportunity to become more confident writers, all the while making new friendships and useful connections. The Mindscope team has gained so many great members since it started in 2015 and I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to see how the magazine will progress in the next few years! Name: Sierra McCaffrey Major: undecided Class of: 2020 E-board position: SGA representative Fun fact: I love to travel, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m planning on going on a trip to Israel this summer. My favorite part about Mindscope, and why I think it is important for the Simmons community: My favorite part about Mindscope is getting to know the people I work with. I love reading the articles we write and looking over the final product at the end. The pride and accomplishment I feel is not only for myself, but for everyone else that worked on our team to put this together. I think it's important for our community because we lift each other up and help one another succeed as a unit, not just individually.
Name: Madison Florence Major: graphic design and PR/marketing Class of: 2018 E-board position: graphic designer Fun fact: I have been a dancer since I was 2 years old. My favorite part about Mindscope, and why I think it is important for the Simmons community: My favorite part about Mindscope is working with people who are in different areas of study, and seeing the variety of work that is created each semester. Every article offers a unique perspective, and I think it is an amazing opportunity for Simmons students to have their work published.
Looking for head shots? Like the ones featured here? Visit www.webheadphotography.com for more information and to book a shoot today!
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Name: Sophie Streimer Major: chemistry Class of: 2019 E-board position: communications manager Fun fact: I went to high school on an island so I had to take a ferry to school every day! My favorite part about Mindscope, and why I think it is important for the Simmons community: I love Mindscope because it gives us an opportunity to engage with the community about issues in STEM we are passionate about. Meeting new people and learning what drives their passion in STEM is so inspiring, and it makes me proud to be both a Simmons student and Mindscope-er.
Name: Angelica Coleman Major: biology and Spanish double major Class of: 2018 E-board position: head copy editor Fun fact: I spent this past summer completing a communications internship in Quito, Ecuador! My favorite part about Mindscope, and why I think it is important for the Simmons community: I like that Mindscope offers an outlet to Simmons students interested in every aspect of science writing. The magazine is run by students, so it allows every individual involved to get a feel for just what it takes to create a science publication.
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Name: Brooke Lucier Major: nursing Class of: 2019 E-board position: secretary Fun fact: I'm a Gemini vegetarian. My favorite part about Mindscope, and why I think it is important for the Simmons community: My favorite part of Mindscope is how it brings together all different science disciplines. Anyone who has a passion for science can participate, and at the end of the semester, we have a physical product from our combined efforts.
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