Authored by: Zianna Odogwu Art by: Alex Song With the rise of revolutionary technology and medicine, large language models and new phones aren't the only technologies reshaping everyday life. Particularly, human life is significantly changing for sickle cell disease patients who may have a renewed chance through CRISPR gene editing with continued research and scientific testing. Sickle cell anemia is a variant of hereditary blood disorders that comprise sickle cell disease. W

Authored by: Vivian Xu Art by: Chloe Lee Introduction When we talk about dementia care, the focus is almost always on the patient. However, behind every person living with dementia, there is usually a family member or friend providing daily support. These caregivers manage medication, coordinate appointments, assist with bathing and mealtimes, in addition to making difficult medical and financial decisions. Although their role is essential, their own health and wellbeing are

Authored by: Victoria Wroblewski Art by: Jane Wang A single mother, struggling to take care of her children, paying rent and medical bills recently opens her pay check to missing money. She was punished for needing medical care. Is it fair for people to involuntarily lose part of their paycheck for getting sick? Right now, most hospitals or debt collectors in several states across the U.S. can go to court and legally take money directly from someone’s paycheck if they do not

Authored by: Valentine Kim Art by: Fiona Reilly Dentistry is traditionally a specialty of handcraft and manual labor, but artificial intelligence is gradually reforming this structure. First, artificial intelligence is being utilized for diagnostics such as tooth decay detection. Tooth decay in its early stages have been ambiguous to detect by the human eye since its form is not consistent or noticeable. However, artificial intelligence-driven algorithms have been proving enh

Authored by: Thomas Chun Art by: Julia Chen Ever think that something in your kitchen can save someone’s life? No, I am not talking about the fruits and vegetables sitting in your fridge that keep the doctor away. I am talking about that familiar orange box of white powder that you always see on your shelf: baking soda. Yes, that same stuff that makes your volcano science project “blow up” when mixed with vinegar. Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is one of most

Authored by: Syed Hasan Art by: Alex Song In a rapidly modernizing world, for the vast majority, the digitalization of blood glucose monitors has led to much better outcomes for diabetes patients. Particularly because it has allowed for the automated tracking of insulin injections and a reduction of needle usage. However, it has also left behind many who are unable to switch to digital devices. Reliance solely on online technology creates a gap in access to healthcare, especi

Authored by: Suri Wang Art by: Carla Hu "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and most inhuman because it often results in physical death." — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1966) While healthcare is seen as a benevolent and nonjudgemental field, health professionals often exhibit implicit biases (unconscious biases based on perceptions and stereotypes) against patients that are part of marginalized groups based on race, economic status, and ge

Authored by: Sumedha Shastry Art by: Joshua Choi Giving birth takes an immense toll on a woman’s life. Not only does it require a significant amount of time to properly prepare for the baby, but it also takes a toll on her body. With all the check-up appointments, pre-birth classes, post-birth lactation consultations, and other such appointments, the mother-to-be must essentially put her life on hold for nine months in preparation for the day that the baby comes. After the st

Authored by: Srijita Kommaraju Art by: Kaitlyn Truong Diet culture is advertised as the solution to many chronic health problems, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, but a lot of research suggests it can actually increase the rates of chronic disease instead of preventing it. But how can dieting, a phenomenon so glorified in society, actually be harmful to human health? By pushing repeated dieting, glorifying thinness, and normalizing judgment of larger bodies, d

Authored by: Sophie Rinzler Art by: Grace Liu Health policy discourse in the United States has long centered on insurance expansion as the primary mechanism for improving access to care. From the Affordable Care Act to Medicaid expansion initiatives, coverage rates are often treated as the central metric of progress. Yet obtaining insurance does not automatically translate into meaningful access. A growing body of evidence suggests that health insurance literacy – the ability

Authored by: Sophie Erb-Watson Art by: Ava Shi One of the most durable legacies of the COVID-19 pandemic is the acceleration of healthcare workforce burnout and attrition. While many pandemic-era reforms targeted access or delivery modalities, the collapse of workforce stability has emerged as a pressing structural threat. In the United States, burnout, early retirement, and declining labor force participation among healthcare workers surged during and after the pandemic, wor

Authored by: Sophie Elijovich Art by: Jane Wang “I was told that I was experiencing psychosomatic pain stemming from guilt for sinning with boys,” [1]. Those were the words of Melanie, a woman who spent ten years in excruciating pain before finally being diagnosed with endometriosis that her new surgeon “said was one of the worst cases of endometriosis in a young person she had ever seen” [1]. Another victim, Truzane, who was eventually diagnosed with microvascular heart dise

Authored by: Shriya Mehta Art by: Vanessa Chen Hsieh Introduction The debate over American Healthcare payment centers heavily on outcomes. Our system cares about whether patients get better or if costs fall. But different payment models don’t just alter revenue streams; they entirely reshape administrative priorities, organizational infrastructure, and where institutional energy flows. Does a transition toward value-based care actually advance care, or does it only exchange

Authored by: Sawandi DeSilva Art by: Chloe Lee Imagine picking up a prescription you know could make you feel better, only to pause after turning the bottle around and reading the label. For many, this is a harsh reality, as the sight of certain ingredients resulting in side effects have a massive impact on their health. Genetics play a substantial role in drug efficacy and toxicity varying from individual to individual, making it more dangerous for some to digest medicine. W

Authored by: Sasha Zivin Art by: Allison He The Covid-19 pandemic threw the world into chaos as countries endeavored to minimize the effects of the rapidly spreading disease. The chaotic toilet paper raids, lack of quarantine enforcement, and homemade masks as attempts to handle the disease raised debates that the United States did not adequately warn American residents in advance, and thus was not prepared to handle the virus. On the first day of his second presidential term

Authored by: Saoni Pan Art by: Mia Hsu While many of the new weight loss drugs are intended to treat issues like diabetes and obesity, it can often feel like every celebrity, influencer, and advertisement is either using or promoting these new weight loss drugs. Brand-name prescriptions like Ozempic, Zepbound, and Mounjaro are becoming a part of the everyday American vocabulary. However, few know that their effectiveness relies on glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agon

Authored by: Rebecca Lee Art by: Andrew Mo Reflect on the times you had to visit the doctor’s office because you were sick, or maybe a time you had to undergo a medical procedure. Do you remember taking antibiotics during these times, either as a child or maybe recently? Personally, a time I had an antibiotic prescribed to me was following my wisdom teeth surgery. Antibiotics are undoubtedly an impactful discovery that has brought forth life-saving advantages against terrifyi

Authored by: Nora Sheu Art by: Sophia Liu Across the United States, prison healthcare systems are chronically underfunded and understaffed. Nearly 2 million prisoners in the United States are less healthy than the general population, an urgent problem that must be addressed as the number continues to grow [1]. A study examining the 170,215 Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) inmates incarcerated between August 1997 and July 1998 revealed inmates’ increased risk for in

Authored by: Noah Scheidt Art by: Joshua Choi Latino communities experience significant rates of depression, anxiety, and trauma-related disorders, yet are substantially less likely to receive adequate treatment compared to non-Latino White populations [1]. This gap is not solely the result of limited access; it is shaped by cultural norms, stigma, language barriers, and structural inequities in the healthcare system. At the same time, emerging research suggests that cultura

Authored by: Natalie Bushell Art by: Carla Hu Who is allowed to give health advice? And when did “sharing wellness tips” morph into practicing medicine? The rise of fitness influencers on social media has become an entire industry, turning what was once a hobby into the sole source of income for many individuals. With no certifications or credentials needed to promote products on TikTok and other social media platforms, "influencers" are profiting off of the advice they give