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Articles by BU Experts
Addressing Food Insecurity At Its Root
Ahead of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, food insecurity expert shares research-backed approaches for addressing hunger in the U.S. By: Katherine Gianni and Giana Carrozza It is estimated that hunger and food insecurity affected more than 13.5 million households in the United States in 2021.
Can we reverse the effects of age related memory loss? Experts say yes
According to the Alzheimer's Association, an estimated 6.5 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's in 2022. That figure is predicted to nearly double by 2050. Dr. Robert Reinhart, an assistant professor at Boston University's College of Arts and Sciences and director of the Cognitive & Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory, recognizes the severity of this issue and is working to create treatments to help people with brain disorders.
What Everybody Ought to Know About Extreme Heat
By Thalia Plata This summer has been a hot one - like most of the East Coast, Boston, not typically associated with scorching hot summers, saw two prolonged heat waves. To put it into context Boston has only experienced five prolonged heat waves in the last 30 years. Southern states, where summer is already hot, saw multiple triple-digit heat waves. Across the Atlantic, many countries in Europe also saw devastating heat waves.
Combating Misinformation In The Age of Technology
Fakes news, disinformation, and misinformation, oh my. Two Boston University researchers discuss how misinformation spreads online, its impacts, and how to spot it.
This National Grilling Month, Consider Firing Up Beyond Burgers Instead of Steaks
Interested in trying a plant-based diet, but unsure of where to start? July is national grilling month - marking the start of summer BBQ season. BU philosopher discusses the impacts and ethics of leaning into a "reducetarian" lifestyle this month, and beyond. By: Giana Carrozza and Katherine Gianni With companies like Beyond Meat, Oatly, Impossible Foods, and Tattooed Chef stocking the shelves of many major grocery chains, it's no secret that consumers are experiencing a plant-based boom.
Why PrEP Access Is Missing the Mark (And What Can Be Done to Close the Gaps)
Boston University researchers are looking at ways to ensure that PrEP, an HIV prevention medication, is offered to those who need it most. By Thalia Plata Pride Month offers an opportunity to celebrate the identities and history of LGBTQIA+ people and also provides an opportunity to discuss health disparities affecting members of the community. July 16th marks a decade since the first HIV prevention medication was approved by the FDA.
Acknowledging the past and crafting a path towards restorative justice
International scholar, author and activist Joyce Hope Scott highlights the history of Juneteenth and the urgent call for reparations By Molly Gluck The Juneteenth holiday commemorates the end of racial slavery in the United States - and also presents the opportunity to reflect on the progress that has been made and the work that lies ahead to address the ongoing problem of global racism and injustice.
Addressing Teacher Burnout and Turnover in a Post-pandemic World
Education researchers share insights on rising rates of teacher resignation and growing concerns for the future of the field. By Katherine Gianni and Giana Carrozza Teachers have one of the most important roles in society, yet they have always been up against a host of challenges-both inside and outside of their classrooms.
Examining the role of media portrayals
Takeo Rivera, BU expert in performance studies and new media, examines media representation of Asian Americans through both a historical and contemporary lens. By Thalia Plata A 2021 report from the University of Southern California's Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that Asian and Pacific Islanders accounted for less than six percent of speaking roles and less than four percent of leads and co-leads in Hollywood films.
Invest In Our Planet
Earth and environmental health researchers share key insights for protecting the planet and ways to invest in a sustainable future. By: Katherine Gianni and Giana Carrozza Happy Earth Day! by Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970, the annual celebration serves both as a day of appreciation for our planet, and as a way for individuals and communities across the globe to demonstrate their support for environmental protection, health, and equity.
Burnout and Loneliness: Workplace Problems, Not Worker Problems
Organizational psychologist Constance Noonan Hadley shares tips for recognizing, addressing, and avoiding workplace burnout and loneliness. By Constance Noonan Hadley and Thalia Plata Sick and tired of your nine-to-five, or is your nine-to-five literally making you sick and tired? If you answered yes to either question, you are not alone. According to Willis Towers Watson’s 2022 Global Benefits Attitudes Survey, 44% of surveyed employees are actively seeking new jobs or are planning to start.
How do social interactions conjure up memories and emotional responses in the brain?
By Molly Gluck Photo courtesy of The Ramirez Lab Has a song ever reminded you of the past, and unexpectedly surfaced emotions associated with that specific experience or person from your memory? Does walking into Staples remind you of back-to-school shopping, even years after graduating? Or, have you ever been introduced to a new employee, and as you exchange names and shake hands, you can’t help but think back to your first day on the job?
Black History Month 2022: Promoting, Recognizing, and Celebrating Black Health and Wellness
Health and wellness experts share how their research ties to this year’s theme, the progress that has been made, and the important work that still needs to be done. By Katherine Gianni, Thalia Plata and Molly Gluck Photo by Vitalii Abakumo on iStock. Throughout the month of February, Americans have been honoring Black History Month, an annual observance celebrating the achievements and recognizing the challenges facing the Black community in the United States.
What can Henry David Thoreau Teach Us About Climate Change?
Researchers pull from Thoreau’s findings to investigate how climate change is affecting local environments. By Katherine Gianni and Molly Gluck As a leading naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher, Henry David Thoreau could teach courses across a variety of disciplines, but it’s his observations on fruiting that has guided Boston University Professor of Biology Richard Primack and his colleagues’ latest research.
How do we provide meaning to our environment? Cracking the neural code to the brain
By Molly Gluck The brain is the most complex organ in our body — constantly absorbing and interpreting our surroundings, and guiding our movement, thoughts, behaviors and emotions. Although human beings share a fundamental understanding of our surrounding environment (i.e. ice is cold, fire is hot, knives are sharp) — each of us develops a unique interpretation of the information we process.
Think Before You Drink: How Alcohol Consumption Can Affect Your Health
Sociologist and alcohol policy expert shares his top tips for understanding the physical and mental health risks of alcohol consumption, as well as its role in American society. By Katherine Gianni and Kami Rieck The holidays are here, and many Americans are getting into the holiday spirit with alcohol spirits.
Boston University’s Top Ten Research Highlights of 2021
By Molly Gluck, Thalia Plata, and Katherine Gianni From physical health and well-being, to previously undiscovered depths of the ocean, to addressing inequities and health disparities, and uncovering mental health risk factors and interventions — we give you the ten top breakthrough research discoveries out of Boston University’s schools, colleges, research institutes and centers during the past year (in chronological order).
Take Me Out to the Ballgame: The Science Behind America’s Favorite Pastime
Science of baseball expert shares his thoughts on Major League Baseball, including the crackdown on pitchers using “sticky stuff”, sabermetrics, and the 2021 playoffs. By Chelsea Feinstein The 2021 Major League Baseball season was one to remember. Coming out of an abbreviated pandemic season, MLB marked a milestone this season with a record nine no-hitters recorded.
The Contagion Next Time: How to prevent future pandemics
Dr. Sandro Galea, Dean of the Boston University School of Public Health, shares his advice for using the lessons of COVID-19 to create a healthier world. By Katherine Gianni We have just been through a pandemic that changed our world seemingly overnight. While vaccines have enabled us to look ahead to a post-COVID-19 future, we remain vulnerable to pandemics — and the next one could be worse. What lessons should we draw from the COVID-19 moment? How can we apply them to preventing future pandemics?
Everything you need to know about the Facebook outage
Boston University computer scientist explains what caused Facebook’s global shutdown and discusses its widespread impact Image credit: Canva By Molly Gluck On October 4, Facebook and its Instagram and WhatsApp platforms experienced a gigantic global outage, preventing 3.5 billion users from interacting with friends and family, sharing information and sustaining their businesses.
Go Green: How Time in a Park can Help Your Well-being
Environmental health researcher highlights how green spaces promote mental, physical, and environmental health. By Molly Gluck and Katherine Gianni Photo by Carl Newton on Unspalsh. In October, 2018, former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and The Trust for Public Land declared the City of Boston had reached a major milestone in ensuring that all Boston residents have access to a public park within a 10-minute walk of home.
Dreaming about a good night’s sleep?
By Molly Gluck and Sari Cohen Photo by Kate Stone Matheson on Unsplash Having trouble sleeping? Look no further. Dr. Naina Limbekar, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine within the Sleep Disorders Division, and sleep neurologist at Boston Medical Center, is an expert on the relationship between health, wellness and sleep.
A Solution-Oriented Approach to Environmental Equity
Environmental researchers discuss the link between the environment, ethics, and human health while outlining ways to live more sustainably. Photo by Marina Logvin on Unsplash By Katherine Gianni and Molly Gluck As the old adage goes, it’s easy to wake up and feel the weight of the world on your shoulders.
Security vs. Privacy - Why should you have to choose on messaging apps?
By Gina Mantica Secure messaging platforms aren’t necessarily private. Though the messages’ contents might be encrypted, or protected from unauthorized users, the apps can still collect other private information about the platform’s users and communications. This collection of information about users’ data, known as metadata, is what sparked the historic Federal Trade Commission (FTC) penalty on Facebook in 2019. Now, Facebook is once again at the center of online privacy concerns.
Can a Pain-free Zap to the Brain Cure Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior?
Vighnesh Viswanathan, a Research Technician in the Reinhart Laboratory, explains the experimental task instructions to study volunteer Eleni Kouvaras before beginning data collection. At times, we all ‘double-check’ whether we locked the door, or wash our hands again ‘just to be sure.’ However, one billion people worldwide experience these urges so intensely and continuously that they cannot help but do these actions compulsively, over and over again.
Beyond Medical Racism
Medical Malpractice and Lack of Professional Courtesy are Central to the Death of Dr. Susan Moore Dr. Susan Moore died of COVID-19 two weeks after documenting the substandard care she had received during an emergency visit she was discharged from, despite presenting with multiple signs, symptoms and risk factors for severe rapidly evolving COVID-19 pulmonary disease. Dr. Moore is a physician who cared for a 19 year old son and parents who suffer from dementia.
Beginning the Heart of Yoga | Mark Whitwell
Mark Whitwell | Heart of Yoga “If you’re feeling confused, trying to figure out whether or not you have free will, or whether or not you exist or whether or not you should meditate or do nothing, or whether to believe this teacher or that teacher, simply wake up right now from these mental conundrums. Stop. Look. Listen. Hear the traffic, the birds, the wind. Feel the breathing. Nothing special.
Boston University’s Top COVID-19 Research Breakthroughs of 2020
By Molly Gluck and Sari Cohen As the COVID-19 pandemic began to sweep the globe, Boston University researchers sprung into action. A team of scientists at Boston University’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) was the first in Boston to start research on live samples of the coronavirus — and since then, researchers across the University have dropped other projects to join the worldwide effort against COVID-19.
Hindsight 2020: Experts look back on their pre-pandemic predictions
Photo by Tim Trad on Unsplash There is one thing that everyone can agree on about 2020: it was completely unpredictable. For many, this year brought more uncertainty, changes and challenges than any other time period. Although every year comes with industry disruption and innovation — the global pandemic unearthed a whole new dimension of our ‘expect the unexpected’ mentality.
New NIMH-Funded Study of the First to Examine Effects of Gut Bacteria on Child Brain Development
Child psychologist and research collaborator discusses the new study, and how the microbes in a child’s gut can impact their mental health. By Katherine Gianni Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash. What is your “gut feeling” anyway? Boston University child psychologist Nick Wagner and his peer research collaborators are ready to find out.
AYS Daily Digest 24/07/17: Terror and uncertainty on Lesvos
Police violence at Lesvos, again / Human rights groups are warning about the situation at Lesvos / Hunger strike continues for 27th day / More people in Syria forced to leave their homes / Shameful police acting in Ventimiglia, Italy / Authorities in Paris neglect their duty to provide basic conditions for people who are forced to live on streets / And more news… Moria, Lesvos.
Dems should make the GA runoffs a referendum on a specific dollar amount of Covid relief
Democrats can win by turning out voters for specific Covid relief funds they & their communities will get if Democrats have 51 votes in the Senate. Democrats can win by making the Georgia runoffs a referendum on a specific dollar amount of individual (or household) new Covid relief that the House passes in the next few weeks — and a referendum on its obstruction by GOP incumbents Loeffler and Perdue.
Feeling stressed about the 2020 elections? You’re not alone
Mental health experts share how to cope with election-related stress and anxiety. By Molly Gluck and Katherine Gianni Photo by Tiffany Tertipes on Unsplash. There is one thing that Americans can all agree upon this election season: feelings of mounting stress. According to a new survey from the American Psychological Association, U.S. voters are reporting a significant uptick in their election-related anxieties.
The Magic Carpet!
Thank you Bollywood for the pleasure of liking our beautiful village in Goa to come take a shit in. We were happy to see the lines of trucks; grips, gear, vanity buses and star owned SUVs. It meant people were getting work again, that Goa was starting to earn some much needed revenue, also of course a film shoot always carries an air of magic — especially now that lockdown movie viewing is even more a ritual of home life.
“Alexa, can I trust you?” Connect with caution in the IoT era
By Molly Gluck In Part One of Boston University’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month Medium series, security experts weigh in on the top threats associated with connected devices and share best-practices for protection Equifax. Yahoo. Facebook. What do these companies have in common? They all suffered a breach that exposed the personal data of millions of users. Unfortunately, these aren’t isolated incidents. For businesses, governments and consumers alike, it is just a matter of time.
How does the brain balance emotion and reason?
By Molly Gluck (Image source: Mary Kate Joyce and Helen Barbas, Boston University Neural Systems Laboratory and Jess Holz, MFA) What would life be like if we could only act on emotion? On the flip side, what would happen if no one felt emotion — and we were only guided by reason? Envisioning both scenarios highlights the critical importance of balancing emotion and reason.
How does the brain balance emotion and reason?
(Image source: Mary Kate Joyce and Helen Barbas, Boston University Neural Systems Laboratory and Jess Holz, MFA) What would life be like if we could only act on emotion? On the flip side, what would happen if no one felt emotion — and we were only guided by reason? Envisioning both scenarios highlights the critical importance of balancing emotion and reason.
Boston University’s Top Five Alzheimer’s Research Breakthroughs
From memory boosting to brain washing, Boston University advances the global fight against Alzheimer’s Disease By Sari Cohen and Molly Gluck Today, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s Disease, and that number is predicted to rise to 14 million by 2050.
How Can We Navigate Daily Life During the Pandemic?
Epidemiologist Dr. Ellie Murray answers all of your COVID questions By Molly Gluck and Sari Cohen Image source: @veradavidovaphotography from Unsplash In the past year, coronavirus has impacted everyone — drastically transforming our daily lives, routines, and social interactions. Dr. Ellie Murray, assistant professor of epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health, researches how to make good evidence-based decisions to reduce disease and improve health in human populations.
The First Pride Was a Riot
Legal expert speaks on the history of Pride, community activism, and how the movement has allied with Black Lives Matter protesters. By Katherine Gianni Photo by Delia Giandeini on Unsplash. This month, the LGBTQ+ community and their allies celebrated Pride 2020 under the tagline ‘Exist. Persist. Resist.’ For many, this year’s Pride presented a significant dual meaning, not only representing the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, but also uplifting the important work of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.
Quaran-Screen: Everything You Should Know About Screen Time During The Pandemic
Worried about the effects of prolonged screen time while at home in quarantine? Experts offer advice for setting healthy boundaries. By Katherine Gianni Photo by Jay Wennington on Unsplash.
What are the mental health effects of COVID-19 on young adults?
Researcher shares how we can support the mental health of college students during the coronavirus pandemic. By Molly Gluck and Sari Cohen Photo by Makenna Entrikin on Unsplash The mental health crisis on college campuses predates the coronavirus pandemic, and many of the contributing factors have been intensified and exacerbated by the isolating and unsettling “new normal” of daily life.
Earth Day 2020: Honoring the 50th Anniversary
Three BU environmental experts join the conversation on conservation, green legislation, and the history behind the first Earth Day celebration. Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash. 50 years ago American citizens and environmental activists came together to recognize the first official Earth Day celebration. Flash forward and the holiday is now observed in just under 200 countries to help to lift the status of environmental issues on the world stage.
Experiencing holiday stress? You are not alone.
Psychologist and anxiety expert explains main drivers of holiday stress & healthy ways to cope By Molly Gluck The holidays are supposedly the most wonderful time of the year, right? While spending time and celebrating with family, friends, and coworkers around the holiday season can bring happiness and joy, for many it can also bring unwanted stress.
Security and privacy experts uncover hidden threats you need to know about
Around seventy percent of Americans use social media to connect with one another, engage with news content, and share information. Further, users typically access social media platforms and consume content on their smartphone, which over 80 percent of Americans report owning. Smartphones are just one of the billions of smart devices that monitor our health, fitness and sleep, secure our homes, tell us the weather and cue up our favorite songs, shows, and movies.
Why is the seafood we eat contaminated with plastic?
Marine biologist on plastic pollution & how we can protect our oceans By Molly Gluck Image source: Rotjan Lab The ocean covers more than 70 percent of the surface of our planet — and about 97 percent of the Earth’s water can be found in our oceans, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Despite the ocean’s critical role on our planet and in our daily lives, there are so many factors around our relationship with and impact on marine life that we overlook.
Building Cities That Bounce Back
By: Sandro Galea, Dean of Boston University School of Public Health Photo via NOAA Satellites on Flickr Last week, I co-wrote an article with Joan Saba, a partner at the architecture firm NBBJ,on how we can build more resilient communities by combining the ideas of architecture and public health. With hurricane season underway, the need for such resilience has rarely been more apparent.
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