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The First Human Head Transplant
Since the mid 20th century, advances in medicine have allowed doctors to save patients from terminal diseases that eat away…
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Formulas and Failures: A Lab Ethnography
Pre-medical undergraduates in colleges often feel a pressure to get lab experience for medical school and, most importantly, get published.…
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The Possibility of Eye Transplantation
The gift of sight is something that can be easily taken for granted, at least until something causes issues with…
The First Human Head Transplant
Since the mid 20th century, advances in medicine have allowed doctors to save patients from terminal diseases that eat away at life-giving organs— diseases that had previously been death sentences. From the first kidney transplant in 1954 to the first full face transplant in 2010, the boundaries of medicine have been continually pushed forward towards…
Formulas and Failures: A Lab Ethnography
Pre-medical undergraduates in colleges often feel a pressure to get lab experience for medical school and, most importantly, get published. At WUSTL, research symposiums litter the campus, and reading research articles is an important facet of many upper level biology classes. In many research articles, the methods and materials sections are supplementary and placed in…
The Possibility of Eye Transplantation
The gift of sight is something that can be easily taken for granted, at least until something causes issues with vision. Our eyes allow us to take in extraordinary amounts of information every day, and in many ways, are our primary means of understanding our environment through the power of perception. Our bodies invest a…
TAVRs: The Minimally Invasive Alternative to Open-Heart Surgery
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular diseases are the primary global cause of death, as of late 2016. Fortunately, many cardiovascular conditions, such as congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, and clogged, leaky, or stiff heart valves, can be remedied by open-heart surgery. During this procedure, the patient is anesthetized, and the surgeon…
The Resurgence of Psychedelics
As a graduate student in 1963, psychologist Bill Richards volunteered for a study at the University of Gottingen in West Germany. Little did he know that he would be ingesting psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in many mushroom species. Even so, neither the researcher nor Richards would have any qualms about such an…
The AI Takeover: Medical Diagnoses of the Future
Few things seem more apocalyptic than sentient robots, controlled by a Skynet-like hive mind, taking over the planet. Some may consider this to be restricted to the domain of Hollywood and sci-fi movies, with close-to-zero odds of occurring in reality. People may deem it so far-fetched, given current technology, that no one needs to worry…
Safety in American Football
Last month, the National Football League played its 51st Super Bowl, crowning the New England Patriots as victors. As a Patriots fan, I was beyond thrilled; this win meant their fifth Super Bowl ring. However, as someone interested in the fields of health and medicine, I was forced to also contend with some of the…
Don’t Scratch That! The Evolution of Itch
We all itch subconsciously to gain relief from minor disturbances on our skin. But most of us have probably experienced itches that go far beyond this level to the point where an itch can take over your entire mind for several minutes. As an example of a more extreme case, a patient with HIV from…
Reproductive Health in the Time of Trump
In the ideal world of healthcare, everyone everywhere would have access to excellent quality of care, regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, or any other factor that may cause disparity. However, the world we live in today does not provide such an opportunity for everyone due to the institutionalized nature of healthcare and striking disparities between…