Authored by: Ariana Desai Art by: Carla Hu “These drugs were killing me,” recalled Doug Gresenz, a former U.S. Marine Corps Assaultman who was prescribed over a dozen medications before he lost the ability to walk and was left with permanent brain damage [1]. However, it is not just Doug who is left ruined by these prescriptions, but thousands of other veterans across the country. According to the National Institute of Health, more than 1 in 10 veterans are diagnosed with a s

Authored by: Andy Lin Art by: Caitlin Sweeney In the war on cancer, information is power. Survival chances skyrocket when malignancies are detected early and treated accordingly. But cancer is a moving target. Tumors develop resistance and spread to other parts of the body before symptoms appear. Although imaging and tissue biopsy help establish a diagnosis and guide treatment, they provide only limited information about a constantly changing disease. Tissue biopsy remains th

Authored by: Allison Park “Your happiness is worth more than your grades” is a phrase often heard by students from school officials. It sounds like common sense. After all, it’s just letters and numbers on a transcript. But on elite college campuses, a student’s GPA is often seen as the ultimate measure of achievement. Grades become a measure of someone’s worth, and can define how a student is perceived and influence their own self-perception. Worst of all, most students aren

Authored by: Lexi Waite Art by: Eileen Cho Imagine a cattle farmer in a rural community working in the fields, when they suddenly suffer a medical emergency. An ambulance rushes the farmer to the nearest hospital, but the facility lacks the resources for proper treatment. Now the question becomes: can medical staff arrange a transfer to a more equipped facility in time? While extreme, this scenario highlights the current disparities that exist between urban and rural healthca

Authored by: Noah Goodman Art by: Andrew Mo According to recent estimates, there are more than 1 million Parkinson’s patients in the United States, and over 90,000 new diagnoses are made each year [1]. Furthermore, Parkinson’s disease can permeate nearly all aspects of a person’s life. For example, many Parkinson’s patients experience muscle tremors – leading to poor motor control – and atypical (e.g. slurred, soft, and muffled) speech – leading to difficulties communicating

Authored by: Rhea Josyula Art by: Sandy Kong A staggering 20.9% of US adults suffer from chronic pain, a condition that can significantly impact everyday activities and quality of life [1]. Chronic pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory experience leading to potential tissue damage that is present for three or more months. This can span a variety of types including neuropathic, nociceptive, inflammatory, and mechanical. In addition to its detrimental physical effects like t

Authored by: Natalia Collins Art by: Laura Lee Sophie Rottenberg was only 28 years old when she decided to use ChatGPT as an avenue to treat her major depressive disorder. After months of relying on this AI-driven support, Sophie tragically died by suicide. In the time leading up to her death, Sophie confided in a chatbot named “Harry” to grapple with depressive thoughts, and on the night of her death, disclosed specific details of her planned suicide [1]. With recent improve

Authored by: Mary Wall Art by: Alex Song Introduction. There’s an age-old adage that goes something like “a new AI development a day, keeps future doctors away.” In a recent episode of Peter Diamandis’ Moonshots podcast, Elon Musk boldly claimed that attending medical school three years from now is “pointless,” implying that artificial intelligence will soon eclipse the need for human physicians. As an undergraduate aspiring to attend medical school, I found this rather conce

Authored by: Reese Visaya Art by: Jane Wang When clinics are hours away and doctors are scarce, how do rural communities get essential medications, vaccinations, and treatments? Many rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa face barriers to receiving quality primary healthcare services due to distance to health facilities, rising care costs, and physician shortages [1]. Primary care is essential for maintaining good health, preventing illness, and the diagnosis and treatment o

Authored by: Emma Davila Art by: Kaitlyn Toung According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among high-income countries [1]. In 2023, the maternal mortality ratio was 197 deaths per 100,000 live births globally, according to the World Health Organization [2]. It is clear that significant improvements are needed in maternal healthcare quality and access, and community health workers (CHW) may be a poten

Authored by: Lauren Wilkes Art by: Edsel Ou How could we know that two individuals, even seemingly physically similar individuals may have a completely different reaction to the same prescribed drug or drug therapy? What this truly comes down to is how one’s body metabolizes the drug in question. The next question becomes how do we detect or predict, if an individual will metabolize a drug a certain way, or in a way that is different from other individuals receiving the same

Authored by: Grace Liu Art by: Kain Wang Following an arduous pregnancy, many families eagerly anticipate the birth of their child with expectations of joy and fulfillment. Yet for nearly one in five healthy mothers, this period can become isolating and overshadowed by the sadness and anxiety that result from postpartum depression (PPD). Maternal PPD, formally defined as a long-lasting depressive episode that emerges within the first few weeks after birth or up to a year late

Authored by: Mina Kanburlar Art by: Caitlin Sweeney The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into emergency radiology represents one of the most significant shifts in modern diagnostic medicine. As emergency departments face increasing pressures from high patient volumes, time-sensitive diagnoses, and limited specialist availability, AI tools have emerged as promising technologies that can enhance the capabilities of radiologists and improve patient outcomes. This arti

Authored by: Max Turtz Art by: Kain Wang Growing up with a peanut allergy profoundly shaped my life long before I understood science. At three years old, after my mother ate a peanut butter cookie and kissed me, I broke out in hives. From that moment on, vigilance became routine. I sat at a separate allergen-free table in elementary school, read every food label for cross-contamination, and carried an EpiPen in case of accidental exposure. Annual skin and blood tests initiall

Authored by Jizelle Dumayas Art by: Ava Shi It is a typical Sunday morning, and you decide to find a grocery store on your way back from work. This is unfamiliar territory to you, but you are sure that you will encounter a market within the next 3-5 minutes. However, to your surprise, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, and now 20 minutes go by, and still you find yourself circling the same side of town looking for any place that would sell fresh, healthy produce. You manage to spot a li

Authored by: Carla Hu Art by: Ariana Desai Falls at a young age are often dismissed as minor accidents, yet for older adults, they can be a turning point that reshapes their independence, confidence, and quality of life. More than one in four adults over age 65 fall each year, making falls one of the most common and serious threats to healthy aging [1]. Even more concerning, falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths for older adults, and mortality rates due to fall

Authored by: Ellie Altmann Art by: Sandy Kong Growing up, my local news station would play The Bangles’ Manic Monday every Monday morning, with the line “...wish it was Sunday, 'cause that’s my fun day.” Somehow, Canvas notifications seem louder on Sundays, which is hardly considered fun for most students. Sunlight streams through dorm windows with the weekend still technically intact, yet thoughts of the week ahead quietly begin to take over. By the afternoon, the change is

Authored by: Asha Gandreti Art by: Sophia Liu Dementia serves as one of the most pressing public health challenges of the twenty-first century [1]. Currently, over 7 million individuals are living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in the United States, a figure projected to rise to nearly 13 million by 2050 as the population ages [2]. Unfortunately, despite advances in research and awareness, dementia care systems remain disconnected, often lacking coordination a

Authored by: Autumn Tienauchariya Art by: Andrew Mo When a child with cerebral palsy steers a power wheelchair independently for the first time, something more than mobility occurs. A sense of agency takes hold — an experience of the self as capable, autonomous, and present in the world. Adaptive medical tools and assistive technologies are typically evaluated for their physical effectiveness, but a growing body of research suggests that their psychological consequences are e

Authored by: Abigail Chang Art by: Joshua Choi Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. While its rapid growth contributes to its severity, an equally important factor is its ability to evade the immune system. Rather than escaping detection by chance, lung tumors actively suppress immune responses that would normally identify and destroy them. This ability to “turn off” the immune system allows cancer to persist and spread. As a result, unders