If you know me, you likely know that my interest in Biomedical Engineering began at age 7, when my beloved dog Hydro had his tail partially severed by a screen door. While my younger sisters and mother cowered, I picked up the bloody stump and insisted it be put on ice to bring it to the […]
I began teaching a required Biomedical Engineering lab course for Yale juniors on my 28th birthday, Sept. 4, 2015. After the thrill of accepting the job wore off, I felt totally unqualified to teach a college course (hello imposter syndrome!), and I knew that this particular course gets notoriously bad reviews. Through the years, I’d heard […]
Recently, a very intelligent non-scientist friend asked me about my views on animal research. Do I want to talk about animal research? No, definitely not. Do I think it’s important to have objective, productive discussions about animal research? Absolutely. So I will override my discomfort on such a polarizing topic and reveal my comprehensive views […]
I nearly failed kindergarten; I was recruited to teach Biomedical Engineering to Yale juniors. How? The answer is simple, but not easy. I’ve become inadvertently impressive in the academic realm, without feeling overwhelmed, just by: Making space Asking for what I wanted Following my heart and my gut Showing up as my best possible self Being […]
Maybe there is something to those 3-day juice cleanses! In this study, people drank fruit/vegetable juice (greens + apples + ginger + beet + pineapple) for 3 days, and significant reductions in body weight were observed, as well as shifts in microbiota and nutrient utilization. Pretty cool!
www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-02200-6
Health benefit of vegetable/fruit juice-based diet: Role of microbiome
nature.com
The gut microbiota is an important contributor to human health. Vegetable/fruit juices provide polyphenols, oligosaccharides, fiber and nitrate (beet juice), which may induce a prebiotic-like effect. Juice-based diets are becoming popular. However, there is a lack of scientific evidence of their hea...
Throwback article I co-wrote a couple years ago!
Seems coconut oil is back in the news. What I do I think about it? Check out this article I wrote back in 2015...
Super awesome research that could restore vision in blind people! Scientists made an implant with materials similar to solar cells, and after installing them into the eyes of blind rats, the rats could SEE for up to 10 months (about 30 human years!).
www.nature.com/nmat/journal/v16/n6/full/nmat4874.html
nature.com
A retinal prosthesis fabricated from an organic photovoltaic polymer can restore degenerative blindness in vivo, and over long implantation periods.
This study uses rigorous statistical techniques to learn what causes mutations that lead to cancer. Interestingly, researchers find that genetics and environment only account for a small portion of cancer risk (<15% overall, and <1% in some types of cancer). This is great news - the way you live is your best form of cancer prevention!!
science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6331/1330.full
Stem cell divisions, somatic mutations, cancer etiology, and cancer prevention
science.sciencemag.org
Most textbooks attribute cancer-causing mutations to two major sources: inherited and environmental factors. A recent study highlighted the prominent role in cancer of replicative (R) mutations that arise from a third source: unavoidable errors associated with DNA replication. Tomasetti et al. devel...