Round of applause for Michael Lewis on this one. Solid read. Lewis does a fantastic job of educating the reader on the immense responsibilities of several Departments and Agencies within the U.S. government that (unbeknownst to its citizens) have a massive impact in their daily lives. Lewis interviews several career public servants throughout the book,…
How to crush your next presentation and develop your public speaking skills
Think of the last seminar or talk at a conference you attended. What stands out? For me, I usually think about the impact and significance of the data, or how relevant it applies to my field of study. However, how well did the speaker present and discuss the data? Was it in a narrative fashion…
How to most effectively achieve your goals and keep your New Year’s resolutions
It’s that time of year where New Year’s resolutions are plentiful, and especially meaningful this year as we start a new decade. Although it is fun to celebrate new beginnings, it is also important to be reminded of our successes and failures of our past, for instance, how well did you stick to your New…
The unprecedented rate of melting ice in Greenland
Greta Thunberg Photographer: Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images A study published in Nature reported that the Greenland Ice Sheet has melted ~4 trillion tons of ice into the surrounding oceans, and septupled (7 times!) its annual rate in total ice loss over the last 25 years. Since 1992, the ice sheet was losing 33 billion tons per…
How do monarch butterflies know where and when to migrate south for winter?
Monarch butterflies might be the coolest Lepidopteran (moths and butterflies) species for several reasons: First, they are poisonous to eat as caterpillars and butterflies because of the toxins they develop from feeding on their food source, milkweed. Second, other Lepidopterans want to be them and mimic their look, like the Viceroy. Lastly, they can fly…
PhD’s and Politics Series Part 3: Science awareness in the USA.
The rise of the anti-science movement has perpetuated an unfortunate belief in some Americans that scientists are responsible for vast conspiracies including (but not limited to) the danger of vaccines or hiding a cure for cancer. So what gives? How do scientists more effectively educate and bring scientific awareness to non-scientific communities? A 2017 poll…
The disparity of STEM eduction in rural vs. urban school systems
About a month ago, the US House of Representatives Committee on Space, Science, and Technology introduced legislation that will improve Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in rural school systems. The bill has bipartisan support, and provides funding for the necessary tools and infrastructure like high-speed Internet and computers. The bill also supports STEM-based teaching…
ASTMH Day 2
Speaker: Dr. Maria Luise Simoes Title: CTL-4 gene knockout to block Plasmodium infection in mosquitoes BACKGROUND: When the Anopheles mosquito becomes infected with malaria parasites, it attempts to use its innate immune response via a process known as melanization to kill the parasites. The process of melanization in a mosquito is regulated by what are…
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygeine (ASMTH) Day 1:
This week I am attending the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygeine (ASTMH) conference in National Harbor, MD. The conference features many of the most recognized scientists in infectious disease, and offers an opportunity to present novel data, establish scientific collaborations, and networking opportunities with exhibitions. I will be giving a presentation about my…
What happens to your body during an Ultramarathon?
Earlier in the week I introduced the two main muscle fiber types so eloquently labeled as Type-1 and Type-2 that are utilized for aerobic and anaerobic activities, respectively. As I mentioned in the post, I ran a 50 mile ultramarathon last Saturday and pondered that my muscle composition most likely became a Type-1 biased system…