Authored by: Clarice Xu Art by: Amy Em Many controlled substances, including opioids and sedatives, are legally manufactured and can be prescribed for legitimate medical purposes. Although these drugs provide significant therapeutic benefits, the effects of substances such as temporary euphoria, have led some individuals to exploit legal loopholes and misuse them. Multiple U.S. policies, including the Controlled Substances Act, seek to ensure that patients have access to phar

Authored by: Chloe Yerin Lee Art by: Fiona Reilly Neurodegenerative diseases are one of the most pressing and prevalent biomedical challenges of the twenty-first century. Millions are affected worldwide by dementia-related conditions. In the United States alone, an estimated 7.1 million people are living with Alzheimer’s disease as of 2024 [1]. Despite decades and ongoing research, many aspects of neurodegenerative disease remain unclear, irreversible and progressive. This le

Authored by: Chloe Lee Art by: Ava Shi South Korea is often celebrated as a global leader in digital health innovation, integrating telemedicine, wearable monitoring, and AI-driven diagnostics to transform patient care. Yet beneath this story of success lies a growing inequality: elderly patients in rural regions remain largely excluded from these advancements. The country’s rapid technological transformation has inadvertently widened the healthcare gap between urban and rura