As graduate students, spending a lot of time in a lab alone isn’t anything new. However，with recent social distancing efforts, spending time alone is no longer voluntary. This forced separation from our normal lives means that in addition to threatening our physical health, the coronavirus pandemic is also putting our mental health at risk. In this article, I will share some of my personal tips that have helped me during this difficult time. Be kind…

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The COVID-19 pandemic was, and continues to be, devastating for many – closing businesses, suffering from mental health issues and even experiencing the death of their loved ones. The time between the first detection of the virus to the declaration of a global pandemic was about 2.5 months. On December 31st, 2019, China reported a cluster of pneumonia cases, and by January 13th, the first international case was reported in Thailand. However, despite China detecting…

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Blood transfusions are important medical procedures whereby a donor’s blood is infused into a recipient intravenously. Transfusions can be lifesaving for recipients experiencing massive blood loss after surgery, injury or other medical conditions. Furthermore, screening of blood composition is extremely vital, as similarity between donor blood and recipient blood must be closely matched to avoid detrimental immune reactions. The key to successful blood transfusion is compatibility. Blood compatibility is based on the eight major blood…

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As the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, our current societal dynamics such as the ease of international travel and extensive daily social interaction can enable the rapid spread of infectious diseases (IDs). Artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies are continuously being developed to aid the government and public health officials in controlling the spread of potential ID outbreaks. These recent technical advances have enabled the prediction of ID sources, early detection of outbreaks, innovative contact tracing…

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Vectors are organisms that transmit pathogens from one host to another, spreading viruses, bacteria and parasites that cause human illness. Annually, vector-borne infections are responsible for over 700,000 deaths, with arthropod vectors contributing significantly to the global burden of infectious disease. Mosquitoes are one of the most dangerous arthropods that act as disease reservoirs due to their ability to carry and spread pathogens. In particular, Anopheles, Aedes, and Culex mosquitoes principally present in tropical and…

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Infectious diseases constitute one of the leading causes of death globally, killing over 6 million people per year. These diseases are caused by bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and viral pathogens, which can be transmitted between humans, through vectors, or from animals. Over 60% of identified human pathogens are zoonoses, diseases transmitted between animals and humans, highlighting the role of wildlife in infectious diseases and outbreaks. Both wildlife and domesticated animals serve as reservoirs for pathogens. Reservoirs…

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Infectious diseases constitute one of the leading causes of death globally, killing over 6 million people per year. These diseases are caused by bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and viral pathogens, which can be transmitted between humans, through vectors, or from animals. Over 60% of identified human pathogens are zoonoses, diseases transmitted between animals and humans, highlighting the role of wildlife in infectious diseases and outbreaks. Both wildlife and domesticated animals serve as reservoirs for pathogens. Reservoirs…

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“With the exception of safe water, no other modality… has had such a major effect on mortality reduction and population growth.” – Susan and Stanley Plotkin, Vaccine 5th ed (2008).1 In 1979, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the deadly disease smallpox, which had killed an estimated 300 million people worldwide in the 20th century alone, to be eradicated2. Presently, other lethal diseases, such as measles and polio, that were historically responsible for millions of…

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In a 2017 survey, researchers found that 56% of PhD graduates took jobs in academia after earning their degree, while the majority of remaining participants went into the pharmaceutical or biotechnical industry. Of the many disregarded career paths, perhaps one of the most interesting is the job of a science advisor within the government. Located at the crucial intersection between science and government, this role involves ensuring the proper use of scientific analysis in government…

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As evidence of a climate crisis continues to mount, the concern regarding retention of necessary resources climbs accordingly. These fears are not unfounded. Human-driven biodiversity decline is reflected in the rapid loss of species, which is estimated by the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF) to be 1000 to 10,000 higher than the background extinction rate. Generated from the age of human-driven depletion is the anxiety regarding diminished diversity of agriculturally produced foods. Although the…

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