We are What We Eat: Evaluating the Correlation between Nutrition, Food Insecurity, and Mental Health

Written by Ambika Nair “You are what you eat”, but how about when it comes to your mental health: is your mental health truly an impression of ‘what you eat’?  For a while now, we have correlated healthier eating to a more positive and overall improved mental health. However, only very recently have we begun to understand the science behind this phenomenon known as ‘nutritional … Continue reading We are What We Eat: Evaluating the Correlation between Nutrition, Food Insecurity, and Mental Health

Putting a Full Stop to Period Poverty and Menstrual Stigma

Written by Anushka Angle and Reese Spicer Cover Design from Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan In light of the highly esteemed International Day of the Girl Child that occurred on October 11, 2022, more awareness must be spread through society to address the stigma behind menstruation and period poverty – the lack of access to sanitary products, menstrual hygiene education, toilets, and waste management. A common … Continue reading Putting a Full Stop to Period Poverty and Menstrual Stigma

Urban Violence and its Effects on the Mental Health of Youth

Exploring the connection between violence in inner-city neighborhoods and its impact on the mental health of children and adolescents. Written by Sara Ibrahim and Victoria Van Drost  Children and adolescents living in environments where they are exposed to toxic stress, community violence, and poverty are at much higher risk of developing health and behavioral problems across the lifespan. However, youth can prove to be remarkably … Continue reading Urban Violence and its Effects on the Mental Health of Youth

The Black Opioid Epidemic: The irreparable impact of a single pharmaceutical company on the black community 

By Mohamed Diagne  By the year 2000, pharmaceutical companies had convinced medical professionals across the United States that opioid analgesics  – a highly potent painkiller that successfully marketed  itself as a therapeutic drug in the  late 1990s – would not deleteriously affect the mental stability of patients, nor make them overly dependent on the relief it provided (Meier). After years of tense debate on whether … Continue reading The Black Opioid Epidemic: The irreparable impact of a single pharmaceutical company on the black community 

Nationalism as a Threat to Public Health: How the United States Government has Manipulated the COVID-19 Pandemic to Further Inhumane Treatment of Migrants

Written by Cameryn Peknik With the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus across the United States, there was little shock when the US government announced that airports would be closed, and travel bans would soon take effect. But this was not true for everyone. Between March and June of 2020, the Trump administration oversaw over 200 flights carrying migrants from the US to other countries … Continue reading Nationalism as a Threat to Public Health: How the United States Government has Manipulated the COVID-19 Pandemic to Further Inhumane Treatment of Migrants

The Possibility of an HIV Vaccine and How it Could Bring Justice to Queer Communities

Written by Cecilia Rogers  This year, on the list of clinical trials for the United States National Institute of Health (NIH) is Moderna’s trial for an experimental HIV vaccine. The novel vaccine, like their COVID-19 vaccine, is an mRNA vaccine. This new technology could help stimulate an immune response in order to battle HIV/AIDS. Theoretically, this vaccine will function to promote a cell’s production of … Continue reading The Possibility of an HIV Vaccine and How it Could Bring Justice to Queer Communities

An Epidemic and a Pandemic Collide: How COVID-19 has impacted the ongoing opioid epidemic

Written by Sarah Roberts, Emily Leventhal, Dipika Pujara, & Sai Reddy The Coronavirus pandemic exacerbated a number of pre-existing healthcare crises within the United States, namely the opioid epidemic which has ravaged the country for over two decades. Few places in America have been hit by the opioid epidemic as hard as the state of Ohio—so-called “ground-zero” for this crisis. On top of troubling trends … Continue reading An Epidemic and a Pandemic Collide: How COVID-19 has impacted the ongoing opioid epidemic

Rural Education During COVID-19: How are Educators Supporting their Students

Written by Olivia Young When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the world stopped. The need for education, however, did not—challenging rural educators to respond. According to the 2010 U.S. census, nearly 60 million people live in a rural area. A rural area is defined as “any population, housing, or territory NOT in an urban area,” where an urban area is one that has a population of … Continue reading Rural Education During COVID-19: How are Educators Supporting their Students

Intimate Partner Violence, COVID-19, and Technology

Recapping a Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society Panel Written by Kira Nagoshi and Hiranya Atreyapurapu Notice for victims of IPV: If you or a loved one is being impacted by intimate partner violence, please do not hesitate to reach out to the following resources. Sourced from the CDC. National Domestic Violence Hotline Call 1-800-799-7233 and TTY 1-800-787-3224. Love is Respect National Teen Dating … Continue reading Intimate Partner Violence, COVID-19, and Technology

Role of Structural Vulnerability and the Existing Hierarchies During the Pandemic

Written by Cecilia Rogers One year ago, the United States began to implement lockdown measurements to prevent the spread of COVID-19. During this past year, everyone across the United States has experienced the hardships of living through this global pandemic; however, certain populations have been disproportionately affected by this disease. But, what has led to the rise of these vulnerable populations? High risk populations are … Continue reading Role of Structural Vulnerability and the Existing Hierarchies During the Pandemic