Category: Uncategorized
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Time Management: Follow Your Motivation Gradient
It’s the first month of a new calendar year, a popular time for people to reflect, set new goals (or recommit to old ones), and identify areas for personal growth. I thought this would be a good opportunity to share some of my thoughts on time management, which seems to be a popular topic in…
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Retrosynthetic Analysis: Thinking in Reverse
What do rock climbing and synthetic organic chemistry have in common? During a bouldering session last fall, I found myself talking to some fellow climbers about a tool we use in organic chemistry called “retrosynthetic analysis.” My climbing buddy, a coworker from the lab, mentioned the term as he was coaching me through visualization for…
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Crafting a Research Presentation: The Art of Storytelling
What distinguishes a good presentation from a bad presentation? What turns a good presentation into a great one? Effective oral communication is a vital (but sometimes underemphasized) component of scientific training. Your research may be truly fascinating, but even the most enthralling subject can seem uninteresting when communicated poorly. How can we ensure that we do justice to our work when…
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Fireworks: Chemistry on Display
Happy Fourth of July! Let’s talk about the chemistry of fireworks. Fireworks exemplify one of the most visually appealing displays of chemical reactivity. The explosions of bright lights and vibrant colors are the products of two classes of chemical reactions: oxidation and combustion, as well as three fundamental concepts in chemistry: Charles’ Law, incandescence, and luminescence. …
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Cannabinoids and Mental Health
May is Mental Health Awareness month, and cannabinoid research might have an important role to play in the development of new psychiatric therapies. There is a growing body of evidence that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays an essential role in cognitive performance, mood, and stress.1-3 In preliminary studies, cannabinoids have demonstrated anxiolytic (anti-anxiety), antidepressant, antipsychotic, and…
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Cannabis-Inspired Drug Discovery
The Cannabis plant is teaming with biologically active natural products, known as “phytocannabinoids” or simply “cannabinoids.” More than 100 of these chemicals have been identified, and several are under investigation as potential treatments for a variety of ailments including chronic pain, neurological disorders, cancer, and inflammation.1 Currently, there are only four FDA-approved cannabinoid drugs: Dronabinol,…
SARA ELIZABETH KEARNEY 