Read article—Lesley Jarvis, an associate professor of radiation oncology and applied sciences, and Brian Pogue, a professor of biomedical engineering, appear in an article about the human eye’s ability to detect high-energy particles. Jarvis and Pogue worked on a camera for detecting radiation that produced visible light in a patient’s eye during testing, which Jarvis later confirmed was produced by charged particles. “And all of a sudden, right out of her pupil we saw blue light glowing out of her eye,” Jarvis said.

Read article—Nicholas Jacobson, an associate professor of biomedical data science and psychiatry, discusses state efforts to restrict AI-powered mental health chatbots. Jacobson argued that lawmakers are targeting clinically tested tools such as Therabot while leaving general-purpose chatbots largely unregulated, saying “60 million Americans with mental illness receive no treatment.” (Similar coverage in Tennessee Journal.)

Read article—Comments by Alan Budney, a professor of psychiatry and biomedical data science, are featured in an article about the growing use of therapeutic cannabis among older adults. Budney urges caution, citing concerns about falls, medication interactions and cognitive effects. “The risks in my mind outweigh the potential benefits, because the benefits are all mostly potential, and the risks are pretty well known,” Budney said.

Read article—Features Daniel Lucey, a clinical professor of medicine, discussing a rapidly growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo caused by the rare Bundibugyo ebolavirus. “The virus already has a head start, and now we’re playing catch up,” said Lucey.

Read article—Steven Woloshin, a professor of health policy and clinical practice, comments on technologies in cancer screenings and how the public should know if the benefits of the tests outweigh the risks.

Read article—Jamie Banks ’97, founder and president of Quiet Communities, is featured discussing the health impacts of data center noise, particularly low-frequency hums that can travel long distances and penetrate homes. “Noise has far-ranging effects on physical and mental health,” Banks said.

Read article—Quotes Shelby Sullivan, a professor of medicine, as the lead author of a study evaluating a novel endoscopic procedure to prevent weight regain after patients discontinue GLP-1 weight-loss medications. “What’s particularly encouraging is that the benefit appears to increase over time rather than fade, and that it behaves like a drug in terms of dose response,” said Sullivan.

Read article—Features Michael Cole, a professor of molecular and systems biology, in an article examining new approaches to targeting MYC, a cancer-driving protein long considered “undruggable.” The article highlights a breakthrough pancreatic cancer drug targeting RAS proteins and reports that Cole is investigating compounds that could block MYC’s ability to activate certain other genes involved in tumor growth.  (Similar coverage in MisrYoum.)

Read article—Features Megan Romano, an associate professor of epidemiology, discussing the health risks associated with PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” which are commonly found in drinking water, food, and consumer products. “They have really unique properties, and that’s part of what has made them so attractive to industry. Unfortunately, we’re learning that it is also something that makes them toxic and causes problems in the human body,” Romano said.