Social media is a powerful tool that allows people to communicate across the globe and to keep up with trending news. In recent years, more scientists have jumped on the bandwagon, using social media to disseminate their research to both experts and the public and to acquire instant feedback on their work. Although the use of social media within the scientific world can be exciting, it can sometimes become overwhelming and throw one’s work-life balance into disarray. As such, it is important to know how to maximize the utility…

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Graduate-level courses and programs are growing in diversity, comprised of both domestic and international students from numerous countries around the world. As such, classrooms and laboratories are becoming increasingly heterogenous in student learning preferences. Traditional lecture-based courses emphasize a ‘top-down’ teaching pedagogy, whereby an instructor teaches a lesson to a group of students, with minimal student-student interactions. More recently, supplemental instruction (SI) has arisen as a more innovative and inclusive teaching endeavor. First implemented at the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) in 1973, SI is a peer-to-peer based model where students…

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Climate change is an issue of ever-growing urgency and global impact. Despite the critical status of climate change, there are many barriers that cultivate a systemic lack of public scientific literacy and translate into insufficient environmental policy at the highest level. This article provides a brief overview along with more in-depth examination of some of the factors that shape the public attitude towards climate change and scientific issues in general. In spite of the significant…

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This year, the Department of Immunology launched its inaugural mentorship program, which pairs senior graduate students with incoming students. The goal of the program is to have the assigned mentor act as the go-to person for first-year students, ultimately helping them navigate the new program, school, or even country. This initiative is a great start to fostering more mentorship opportunities within the Department, with room for future improvement and growth. As such, I conducted a…

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It is 7 o’clock in the evening. 45-year-old Jane Doe is rushed to the ER with a fever, rapid heart rate, shallow rapid breathing, low blood pressure and nausea. She receives saline to improve blood pressure, but improvements are minimal. Laboratory tests return negative for infection and liver and kidney injury. Jane is treated with multiple vasopressors to raise blood pressure and an antagonist for human interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor. She is diagnosed with severe Cytokine…

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Biomedical innovations have forever changed human society. Thanks to breakthroughs in basic research and applied clinical science, humanity now enjoys an increased life expectancy, improved quality of life and better health care. Yet, like a double-edged sword, innovative biotechnologies have not only brought hopes to patients and their families, but in many cases have also unexpectedly caused harm and led to social discourse. In this article, I would like to delve into some of the…

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While the US wages its trade war against China and further restricts its immigration policies, Canada has been reaping the benefits. By attracting highly skilled workers from around the world, hosting international conferences for tech start-ups, and pouring money into artificial intelligence (AI) research, Canada is proving to be a formidable force in the global AI race. In fact, it was the first country in the world to launch a national, 5-year strategic plan in…

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Our intestinal tract is a fascinating organ. As the largest mucosal surface in the body, it is home to trillions of microbes — bacteria, fungi, helminths, and viruses — that together comprise the gut microbiota, and 500 million neurons — our “second brain”, the enteric nervous system (ENS). Unsurprisingly then, recent research has unveiled what is commonly dubbed the ‘gut-brain axis’ (GBA): an extensive signaling network between the gut and the brain. With involvement from…

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The scientific evidence is clear: global climate change caused by human activities is occurring now, and is a growing threat to society.” – Statement on Climate Change from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2006). In recent years, the growing damage to wild ecosystems, loss of biodiversity, higher frequency of natural disasters, and continued depletion of natural resources has increased public awareness of the detrimental impact that humans have on the environment. Climate…

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