CRISPR/Cas9 and The Future of Global Health

BY AKHIL UPNEJA A depiction of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system. Source: DataBase Center for Life Science. The discovery of CRISPR/Cas9 has revolutionized the field of genetic engineering in countless ways. From targeting genes conferring antibiotic resistance to creating disease models in animals, the technique offers scientists a fast, cheap, and accurate alternative to every … Continue reading CRISPR/Cas9 and The Future of Global Health

Zika as a Catalyst for Reproductive Rights Reform in Latin America

BY GRACIE JIN A mother holding her baby with microcephaly. Source: Wikimedia Commons. 18-year-old Ianka Barbosa cradles her baby daughter, Sophia, in her parents’ tiny brick house in northeast Brazil. She was 7 months pregnant when she learned that Sophia had microcephaly, the incurable condition causing atypically small heads, severe birth defects, and intellectual disability, … Continue reading Zika as a Catalyst for Reproductive Rights Reform in Latin America

Zika: What History Can Tell Us About the Current Epidemic

Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that carries the Zika virus. Source: Wikimedia Commons BY ELI RAMI ZIKV, more commonly known as the Zika virus, has quickly evolved from a little-researched virus into a global public health threat. Virologists first discovered the pathogen during the late 1940s in a species of monkey that inhabits Uganda’s Zika forest. … Continue reading Zika: What History Can Tell Us About the Current Epidemic

Tracing the Zika virus Outbreak

BY ANABEL STAROSTA We are no strangers to viral outbreaks and the panic they often incite. As new infections emerge, understanding their trajectories and risks is crucial. Currently, most countries in South and Central America are facing outbreaks of the Zika virus. The pandemic does not appear to be life threatening, but it is spreading quickly. The most concerning aspect … Continue reading Tracing the Zika virus Outbreak