Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
April 19, 2024

Science & Technology








HEY PAUL STUDIOS / CC BY 2.0
The previous equation used in kidney function tests by the Hopkins Health System produced two different values depending on whether a patient was Black or not. 

Hopkins announces adoption of race-free kidney function algorithm

This year, the Hopkins Health System will adopt a race-free kidney function equation in the hopes of allowing more Black patients to have early access to the diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases. The change will be immediately implemented in hospitals and laboratories affiliated with Hopkins.


ROSIE JANG/CARTOONS EDITOR
Students must confront many factors when deciding whether this is the year to apply to medical school. 

Project MD 2027: making the decision to apply to medical school

When Siena DeFazio was younger, she dreamed of opening a free veterinary clinic. Growing up in rural Florida with lots of official and unofficial pets, her family seldom had the means to pay to save an animal’s life after an illness or accident. Now that DeFazio is a junior at Hopkins, she is interested in treating a different set of patients.


SHIXART1985/CC-BY-SA 2.0
The goal of the free COVID-19 Ambassadors course is to empower more people to communicate with parents in the U.S. who have concerns about vaccinating their children.

Hopkins offers free COVID-19 vaccine ambassadors course

The School of Public Health has released a new virtual course titled COVID-19 Vaccine Ambassador Training: How to Talk to Parents. The course, completely free on Coursera, is the latest offering from the Hopkins COVID-19 Training Initiative, which aims to share COVID-19 training support for public health workers across the United States.



COURTESY OF SUA MYONG 
With the oldest undergraduate program in the nation, the Biophysics department at Hopkins has curated a closely knit major that allows students to study life’s processes while incorporating perspectives from biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and computer science. 

Meet the Major: Biophysics equips students to investigate life’s elemental processes

Studying biomolecular processes at the nanometer scale is not an opportunity every major or even every university offers. With the oldest undergraduate program in the nation, the Thomas C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics at Hopkins has curated a closely knit major that allows students to study life’s processes while incorporating perspectives from biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and computer science. 


WOKANDAPIX/CC-BY-SA 2.0
Mental health varied fourfold across groups of children according to both the type and amount of relational health risks and social health risks they experienced.

Study looks at influences on children's mental health

As the COVID-19 pandemic approaches the two-year mark, the mental health crisis induced by it continues to escalate. With 14% of U.S. youth and 19% of adults suffering from mental illness, understanding the factors that influence mental health is a crucial endeavor. These efforts are led in part by Christina Bethell, director of the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative and professor of population, family and reproductive health at the School of Public Health.


COURTESY OF GEORGE DIMOPOULOS AND MARIA LUISA SIMÕES
Dimopoulos (left) and Simões (right) are two members of the team that identified an important gene in malaria transmission.

Hopkins scientists identify vital gene in malaria transmission

Last month, four Hopkins scientists published their research on a potential way to fight against malaria in Public Library of Science Biology. They discovered that knocking out C-type lectins 4 (CTL4), a gene in Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes, results in effective resistance to the malaria parasite. 





COURTESY OF JOHN D'CRUZ
A flu shot is one way to gain protection from the flu.

Hopkins doctors weigh in on this year's flu season

The holiday season also heralds the season of sniffles. The world is facing its second flu season during the global COVID-19 pandemic; while cases of the flu remained low last year, scientists and doctors don’t expect this trend to last.


JARED WONG/CC BY 2.0
Researchers believe that AI technologies will assist in determining the best practices to help people age.

Hopkins receives grant to use AI to promote healthy aging

The National Institute on Aging has allocated Hopkins a $20 million grant to promote the growth of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology to enhance the care of senior citizens, enabling them to enjoy longer independence. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of those who are over the age of 65, 80% have at least one chronic condition, and one third experience limitations in their daily life activities.


ALEXANDRA KOCH/CC BY-SA 2.0
The PACE study aims to develop a public health campaign that supports families, especially in undeserved communities.

Hopkins study examines return to in-person schooling

The Parents And Communities as Experts (PACE) study seeks to understand how caregivers and community members view the return to in-person school during the COVID-19 pandemic. The team hopes to use the results to develop a public health campaign to support families. 


COURTESY OF ALEXANDRE BUISSE / CC-BY-SA-3.0
The hackled orb weaver spins a web in midair.

Hopkins lab unravels the secrets of the spider web

Hopkins researchers have uncovered the complex mechanisms by which spiders build their webs, revealing a host of intricate steps and dynamic complexes that belie the supposed lack of cognition present in “lower level” organisms.


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