Authored by: Carla Hu Art by: Julia Chen Who watches more TV, young adults or older adults? Surprisingly, older adults spend three times more of their waking time watching TV than young adults [1]. This is about an average of 6.4 hours a day spent watching television [2]. Despite the high consumer spending and media consumption of older adults on movies and television, older adults are often not well represented in media. A recent survey by AARP found that only 7% of responde

Authored by: Carissa Nair Art by: Fiona Reilly Commonly referred to as “The Great Imitator,” Lyme disease is a condition characterized by a history of medical chaos. Its mode of transmission appears straightforward: a bacterial infection caused by the bite of blacklegged ticks [1]. However, some of the highest rates of medical misattribution, especially with regard to neuropsychiatric symptoms, are associated with Lyme disease [2]. Moreover, a recent study by Shapiro et al. i

Authored by: Caitlin Wang Art by: Carol Zhang Have you ever heard someone say, "I'm so OCD!" when referring to the fact that they like to keep their bedroom organized, clothes color-coordinated, or schedule in order? While it may be easy to brush past these kinds of comments, it is crucial to understand that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is not a synonym for being organized or a perfectionist. The way in which OCD – and even other mental health disorders such as PTSD an

Authored by: Autumn Tienauchariya Art by: Chloe Lee In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the connection between creativity and mental health, particularly among children with developmental disabilities. Yet, despite mounting evidence of its benefits, art therapy remains underfunded and inconsistently integrated into special education. This discrepancy reflects a deeper inequality: the devaluation of creative therapies compared to traditional clinical interve

Authored by: Asha Gandreti Art by: Eileen Cho The end of life is a period of overwhelming uncertainty, where an abundance of unanswered questions may arise from patient, family, and provider perspectives; is there truly a correct course of action to take when a loved one is diagnosed with a terminal disease? While there may not be one straightforward answer to this question, it is undeniable that it carries a heavy weight on providers and families who must make pressing decis

Authored by: Armaan Vaswani Art by: Ava Shi Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), a complication of diabetes that poorly affects the light sensitive retina in the back of the eye, is one of the leading causes of vision loss worldwide [1]. Genetic eye diseases, which are genetically heterogeneous, affect 1 in 1,000 people [2]. The rapid progression and technical factors of both conditions once led researchers to believe they were incurable.  While inherited eye disorders and DR were both

Authored by: Anis Hadi Art by: Amy Em Climate change has been a growing global concern for decades, and its effects are becoming increasingly visible in communities around the world. Scientists project that Earth’s average global temperature could rise by an additional 4°C (7.2°F) during the 21st century if greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current rate [1]. Rising temperatures are already endangering millions, creating serious risks to public health and disproportio

Authored by: Allison Park Art by: Lindsey Li In 2023, South Korea’s fertility rate- the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime-  dropped to just 0.65, the lowest in the world and placing the country at risk of population collapse. Projections suggest that by 2044, South Korea could become a “hyper-aged” society with a median age of 56, confronting unprecedented challenges in sustaining its economy, diminishing workforce, and healthcare system [

Authored by: Vivian Xu Art by: Grace Liu Reproductive technologies, especially in vitro fertilization (IVF), are important to the aspiration of motherhood for millions of Americans. However, insurance coverage and access for fertility care in the U.S., particularly for reproductive services, has great disparities and varies by state, income, and race. Health insurance for IVF is key to reproductive freedom. Individuals and couples that experience infertility or require reprod

Authored by: Victoria Wroblewski Art by: Lindsey Li The United States government has changed the future of pharmaceutical drug purchasing forever. The President of the US, Donald J. Trump, has launched an official pharmacy for Americans: TrumpRX. The TrumpRX initiative formed a partnership with the pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and AstraZeneca in order to install a direct-to-customer (DTC) program through a website called TrumpRX.gov [1]. The drugs are discounted to match

Authored by: Mia Bakota Art by: Vanessa Chen Hsieh Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition. However, clinical recognition and diagnosis remain significantly skewed toward externally observable traits, leading to an invisibility problem in high-masking populations. This article reviews the evidence demonstrating that autistic masking creates a detrimental healthcare gap, resulting in profound and interconnected psychological burnout and p

Authored by: Mel Drossos Art by: Grace Liu Do some foods make you feel bloated and sluggish, while others give you an immediate boost of energy? This sensation means that your gut-brain axis is doing its job. This bi-directional communication network, in tandem with the gut lining, plays a major role in our body’s response to food. Together, they protect us from systemic inflammation by serving as strong barriers that limit toxins from overwhelming our bodies [1]. However, th

Authored by: Maya Gowda Art by: Caitlin Sweeney Our eyes can mislead us—we often view climate change as a global phenomenon affecting Earth’s biodiversity, but little is known about how climate change affects our mental health. Marginalized communities and outdoor workers face the brunt of climate change— farmers consistently experience stress due to the impacts of climate change on their physical health and agricultural productivity [1]. Climate change is one of the greatest

Authored by: Lauren Wilkes Art by: Eileen Cho As AI becomes further integrated into our society and, more specifically, into the healthcare industry, the question of how favorably AI will ultimately impact the medical field is imminent. When it comes to genome sequencing in the genetics and biomedical research fields, the latest AI software, AlphaGenome, shows extreme promise. AlphaGenome is the newest DNA sequence AI model that provides advanced functional predictions of gen

Authored by: Ariana Dahi Art by: Claire Ma What if a doctor, or even an app, could tell you exactly what to eat to become your healthiest self, all based on your biological information? The NIH is currently funding Nutrition for Precision Health  with the goal of creating diet plans tailored to participants’ unique biological makeup. To do this, researchers are examining the interactions of a variety of diets with genes, proteins, microbiomes, metabolism, and other factors. C

Authored by: Abby Chang Art by: Kenneth Li As the sun rises over Moshi, Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro appears from the morning fog like a guardian in silence. Its glaciers, long seen as symbols of East Africa's abundance, feed springs and rivers that sustain generations of farmers, families, and communities. The mountain is more than symbolic; it is a lifeline. That lifeline, however, is under strain. Rising temperatures accelerate glacial retreat, and rainfall patterns are inc