Imagine that as a young scientist you saw a formerly fatal illness become treatable. Now, imagine that major contributors to this groundbreaking result become your mentors. It happened to Dr. Alejandro Pezzulo, MD, an Assistant Professor of Internal and Pulmonary Medicine at the University of Iowa. After witnessing the successful treatment of cystic fibrosis in […]
One common trait among scientists is that if there is no path forward, they will create one. This is what PhD student Elisabeth Rebboah did when she needed to effectively sequence long alternative splicing isoforms across multiple samples and conditions. Most single cell RNA-Seq (scRNA-seq) approaches rely on short-read sequencing. But when isoforms resulting from […]
The arrival of SARS-CoV-2 in early 2020 changed the work environment for most of us. While we were collectively getting used to social distancing, empty offices, and online meetings, Dr. Benjamin Ostendorf was embarking on a new project. While the breadth of the COVID-19 pandemic would unfold over time, it was very soon becoming apparent […]
What causes cancer? A prevalent narrative is that a mutation in one or more critical genes causes a cell to start growing uncontrollably, eventually forming a tumor. While the mutational changes are undeniably important, it is becoming clear that they are probably not the only driver and something else must be happening in the cell […]
June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. It is an opportunity to encourage discussions about dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, is one of the top 10 leading causes of death according to the World Health Organization. Despite numerous clinical trials, Alzheimer’s disease is the only member […]