Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine

Billions of people live with parasitic worm infections — yet most of us never hear about them. In this episode, Dr. Neima Briggs explains why neglected tropical diseases stay neglected, how worms outsmart the immune system, and why making vaccines against parasites is far harder than for viruses. From unexpected allergic reactions in vaccine trials to the promise (and limits) of mRNA technology, w...

How can we leverage the legal system and the medical system to best support the communities these systems should be serving? In this episode, our hosts Shivani and Shakeri interview the dearly admired Dr. Suzi Ruhl, a lawyer and epidemiologist who shares her expertise on equitably building individual and community resiliency by tackling highest priority conditions created by health, economic and e...

YJBM Science News is back with Part 1 of our very first Special Episode! Join Hanna, Majo, and Roxanna as they sit down with Dr. Diyendo Massilani, a researcher and professor at Yale investigating evolutionary genetics. We’ll hear from Dr. Massilani about the challenges and ethical considerations of working with ancient DNA, as well as the incredible doors it has opened to what we can interrogate...

In this episode, we'll learn more about the work that the Anti-Eugenics Collective at Yale (AECY) dedicates itself to. Our host, Stella Park, sits down with Modupe Karimi and Hanifah Ouro-Sama, Yale College seniors and student members of AECY, to discuss their work in the collective, particularly on AECY's undergraduate biology curriculum project and their recent anti-eugenics workshop in London w...

In this episode, we go behind the scenes with Reem and Adriana, the deputy editors who led the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine's special issue on Epigenetics. Our hosts Isha and Delyar discuss the editors’ experience in facing new frontiers in scientific publishing, including developing protocols to detect AI-generated content and ensuring manuscripts contribute meaningfully to the scientific...

Could hacking a tick’s biology help prevent the next outbreak? In this episode of the YJBM, we sit down with Emily Johnson to travel across the scale of life, all the way from the environment that surrounds us to a molecular pathway called kinase signaling. We dive into the fundamentals of vector biology and the transmission of diseases like Lyme. We also discuss the tools and technologies driving...

In this week’s episode of the YJBM Science News podcast, co-hosts Hanna and Roxanna explore papers that take us all around different organs in the body! Can we 3D print functional blood vessels? How does the brain spy on our organs? Find out the answers to these questions and more as we discuss recent Yale-affiliated research in biology and medicine. Papers featured in this episode: "Development a...

Get insight into the work that went into the most recent YJBM issue, ‘Kinase Signaling’! In this episode, our hosts Shivesh Shourya and Shivani Dayal speak to this issue’s deputy editors Ingrid Heumann and Rahul Gupta to discuss early challenges in the process of creating this issue, publishing new work in the basic sciences, and future directions in the field of kinase signaling, and what they ho...

This week’s episode of YBJM Science News discusses how our surroundings impact a variety of health outcomes. From air pollutants to sleep quality to pharmacy access and more, join Roxanna and Hanna as they discuss recent Yale-affiliated research in biology and medicine. Papers featured in this episode and associated links: “Early-Life Exposure to Air and Light Pollution Linked to Increased Risk of...

Why is a lower impact of COVID-19 seen in children compared to adults? In this episode of the YJBM podcast, co-hosts Delyar Khosroabadi and Amy Guan speak with Timothy Watkins, a graduate student in the laboratory of Dr. Ellen F. Foxman at the Yale School of Medicine. He shares what initially drew him to research and how his journey has evolved across disciplines. Tim also discusses the importance...

This week’s episode of YBJM Science News tackles two important parts of our bodies: skin and brain. From immune cells to lysosomes to brain networks and more, join co-hosts Majo and Hanna as they break down recent Yale-affiliated biological and biomedical research. Papers featured in this episode: Skin Injury May Bring on Food Allergies https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/skin-injury-may-bring-...

This week’s episode of the YJBM Science News podcast is all about papers that identify or help narrow down potential new targets and tools for cancer therapeutics. From protein modifications to autoantibodies to epigenetic markers and more, join co-hosts Majo and Roxanna as they break down recent Yale-affiliated biological and biomedical research. Papers featured in this episode: “Turnover atlas o...

Why do some individuals continue to experience debilitating neurologic symptoms long after their initial COVID-19 infections? How might our own immune systems be the culprit? In this episode of the YJBM podcast, we learn more about the post-acute infection syndrome known as “long COVID” and the challenges associated with trying to understand its underlying mechanisms. Join co-hosts Shivani and Rox...

In this week’s installment of YJBM Science News, Majo and Roxanna discuss recent Yale-affiliated research about contraceptives, fertility, and immunology! Can our genetic variants help us predict which birth control method would be the most effective? What can the gut microbiome tell us about the immune systems of multiple sclerosis patients before and after undergoing immunotherapy treatment? Joi...

What do COVID and mono have in common? How can infectious diseases impact our health for life? How does a dancer end up doing basic science research? Join our hosts Isha Yardi and Elaine Yang in conversation with Sasha Tabachnikova about her work as a PhD student in the Iwasaki Lab. Today, she is our guide through the evolving landscape of research on post-acute infection syndromes. Learn about YJ...

Does mRNA play a role in cell migration? Can we use therapeutic vaccines to treat cancers like kidney cancer? Join co-hosts Majo and Roxanna in this week’s installment of YJBM Science News as they discuss the most recent Yale-affiliated biomedical and biological research that answers these questions and more! Papers featured in this episode: “Resolving the three-dimensional interactome of human ac...

Welcome back to YJBM Science News! Join us as we discuss the recent news in healthcare and science across the Yale community. Today, Roxanna and our new host Majo will share some of the most intriguing topics of the past few weeks, including the use of AI in diagnostics, cannabinoids as pain therapy, and more! Papers featured in this episode: “Heart failure risk stratification using artificial int...

Get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the newest YJBM issue! In this episode, our host Shivesh Shourya sits down with deputy editors RuthMabel Boytz and Evan Navori to discuss December’s “Viruses and Autoimmunity.” From the earliest planning stages to navigating unexpected challenges, discover how this issue came to life—and gain fresh insights into the fascinating intersection of viruses an...

Welcome to the first YJBM Science News of the 2025, and welcome our new host, Roxanna Altus! Join us as we discuss the recent news in healthcare and science across the Yale community. Today, our hosts Mara and Roxanna will share some of the most intriguing topics of the past few weeks. Papers featured in the episode: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41556-024-01574-w https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell...

A few years after the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re still uncovering lessons about how science, communities, and governments can work together to tackle global health challenges. Today, we are joined by Dr. Gonzalo Moratorio, Head of the Experimental Evolution of Viruses Lab at the Institut Pasteur de Montevideo and Associate Professor at the University of the Republic, Uruguay, for a chat about keepin...

Welcome to the last YJBM Science News of the 2024! Join us as we discuss the recent news in healthcare and science across the Yale community. Today, our hosts Mara and Samantha will share some of the most intriguing topics of the past few weeks. Papers featured in the episode: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41590-024-02023-4 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-54657-5 https://doi.org/10.1...

What is comparative medicine and why is it important for guiding knowledge of human diseases? How does the brain regulate homeostasis of the body? In this episode of the YJBM podcast, our host Amy interviews researcher and professor Dr. Tamas Horvath about the broad and expanding topic of comparative medicine and his research on how neuroendocrine regulation is important in homeostasis and the dev...

What can the intricate world of the ovary teach us about overall health? In this episode, we explore the implications of interdisciplinary research and predictive models on drug development with Dr. Hattie Chung, a recently-joined researcher and faculty member at Yale. Dr. Chung studies diverse biological topics through a systems biology lens through which she fosters collaboration and creativity....

Welcome to the YJBM Science News! Join us as we discuss the recent news in healthcare and science across the Yale community. Today, our hosts Mara and Samantha will share some of the most intriguing topics of the past few weeks. Papers featured in the episode: https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/154/Supplement%203/e2024067043N/199726/The-Circumstances-Surrounding-Fatal-Pediatric https:...

How does stress affect the prefrontal cortex? In this episode of the YJBM podcast, host Delyar Khosroabadi speaks with Dr. Amy Arnsten, Albert E. Kent Professor of Neuroscience and Professor of Psychology. Dr. Arnsten shares the experience that sparked her interest in neuroscience, her journey as an undergraduate creating the first neuroscience major at Brown University, and what drew her to study...