Close your eyes and imagine the first snowfall in a forest from your favorite film. What are the wildlife doing? What are they preparing for? Now fast forward to the first day of spring: when all the snow melts, the grass grows greener, and the pink flowers immediately blossom. What are the wildlife doing now?
About two months ago after approaching a mental health professional for what I thought was persistent depression, I was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). I had seen various mental health professionals in my life and ADHD never came up in our conversations. All I actually knew about ADHD is that ADHD stigma exists
How uncertainty has impacted our lives during the pandemic. It has been almost two years since COVID-19 was thrust into the forefront of everyone's mind. Many of us are still waiting for things to go back to normal, or at least for things to feel a little more right. Despite adjusting somewhat to this “new
Have you ever looked at your favorite pet and wondered exactly what's going on behind those soulful, amber eyes? For a long time, scientists believed that only humans possessed something called Theory of Mind, that is, the understanding that one is a conscious being, and that others also possess a consciousness of their own. Theory
Before becoming a graduate student, I knew little to nothing about the neglected microscopic parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. Once I began my studies, I quickly realized that unless you were a healthcare worker, vet, or pregnant, the awareness of Toxoplasma was close to nonexistent. Despite prevalence among one-third of the world's population, infected immunocompetent individuals remain
Imagine my frustration while trying to bottle-feed breast milk to my 4-week-old baby. The little guy was not happy taking his nature-made meal from a bottle, even if they had different-styled nipples. He would only take the breast milk directly from his mom. As a result, I wasted no time raising this concern with his
Leaning against the kitchen counter, I wait for the microwave to finish while overwhelmed with a million deadlines. It's almost the end of the semester, but because of the pandemic, I'm back at home, trying to juggle classes and learning how to use Zoom. Then, I feel my dad's hand around my shoulder, squeezing it
Humans have shared a special bond with a certain animal since the time of Aristotle. Artworks as early as 1500 BC depicted interactions with this fascinating creature. Members of this species have assisted the US Navy, and have also been used as therapy animals for patients with Down syndrome and autism. These amiable beings are
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the sixth-leading cause of death among adults in the US. Its progression is devastating: the brain slowly deteriorates, cognitive ability degrades, and bodily functions gradually shut down. Given our aging population and the huge financial burden of care, the National Institutes of Health is expected to contribute almost $3 billion to
How many times has this happened to you before? You walk into a room–it could be one you've stepped foot in a dozen times that day, or never at all– and hesitate by the doorway. There is something about that space that is nagging at the back of your mind. You decide that, somehow, you
In the age of increasingly complex problems, many classrooms are starting to incorporate strategies for improving the fluency (quantity), flexibility (diversity) and originality of student ideas. Essentially these teachers are training creativity. While the extent to which creativity is inherited or learned is under debate, there is still growing evidence for the benefits of creativity
With the holidays upon us, exercising self-control is the last thing on everyone's mind, as we are deluged with stimuli to shop, eat, and drink more. For Dr. Michelle vanDellen, however, the subject of self-control is always relevant, as it is an area her research focuses on. VanDellen, an Associate Professor in the Department
