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Following the people and events that make up the research community at Duke

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Author: Rebecca Williamson

C is For Cookie (and for Circles of Care)

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On January 24, 2022

In Behavior/Psychology, Global Health, Science Communication & Education

Anyone remember the Sesame Street episode where Big Bird tackles the opioid crisis?

Me neither. However, that isn’t to say that Sesame Street isn’t doing its part to help parents and children alike to cope with this, among other pressing issues that plague our society.

Jeanette Betancourt, Ed. D. is Senior Vice President for U.S. Social Impact at Sesame Workshop, a division of the Sesame Street organization striving to positively impact children’s early learning, health, and well-being. Betancourt is deeply involved in the Sesame Street in Communities initiative (ssic.org), which she came to discuss with the Sanford School of Public Policy on January 18th.

Sesame Street in Communities aims to bring public awareness to prominent societal issues in what Betancourt labels a “non-stigmatizing way.” Their efforts are specifically targeted to impact children coping with traumatic experiences and their families – resources on the Sesame Street in Communities website span from Elmo’s Special-Special Comfort video for children who have fallen victim to violence, to Abby’s Expressing Feelings video for children divided between divorced parents.

Not all the videos are as heavy as one might think: some of the content promotes behavioral routines, such as tooth-brushing or schedule-making, designed to build children a more stable foundation that they can use to tackle trauma, should it arise.

Some of the most recent resources posted to the Sesame Street in Communities website.

Betancourt says that their strategy hinges heavily upon leveling, or presenting the same messaging in a variety of mediums (videos, storybooks, live-action films), for more complete comprehension. This is reflected heavily on their website: their Autism series alone includes multiple workshops, printables, articles, videos, interactives, and storybooks. The content and learning strategies promoted by Sesame Street in Communities are all founded upon clinical research, developmental psychology, and other forms of testing to ensure that they have a measurable impact on young children and their families.

Sesame Street' Introduces 2 New Black Muppets To Teach Kids About Racial Literacy | CafeMom.com
Wes and Elijah Walker, the faces of the Coming Together: Racial Justice project.

One of the most recent initiatives described by Betancourt is the Coming Together: Racial Justice project. In this series of content (found on ssic.org), the viewer is introduced to the Wes and Elijah Walker, two humanoid Muppets that, according to Betancourt, are intended to represent the Black experience.

In the video, five-year old Wes and his father Elijah are sitting in the park when they are approached by Elmo, who wants to know about the pigmentation of their skin. Elijah explains to Elmo that all humans have different amounts of melanin in their skin, hence why some individuals have lighter or darker skin. Elijah also tells Elmo that, even though their skin may look different, “we’re all part of the human race.”

To make this concept easier for children to understand, Elijah connects this to the color of the changing leaves in the park, telling Elmo that leaves of different colors all came from the same tree.

If you know a child or a family that could benefit from such materials, more information can be found on ssic.org.

Post by Rebecca Williamson, Class of 2022

Are You Funnier Than a Duke Postdoc?

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On April 12, 2021

In Art, Students

Odds are, probably not.

On Saturday, April 10th, Duke Postdoc Comedy Club hosted Are We There Yet?, a virtual comedy showcase featuring Triangle-based comedians. The show was moderated by Bo Ma and featured six comics: Tori Grace Nichols, Amy Mora, Josh Rosenstein, Nat Davis, Yutian Feng, and headliner Isatu Kamara (in order of appearance). 

The virtual comedy club was sponsored by the Duke Office of Research, The Graduate School, and the Division of Student Affairs, who collectively scraped together a whopping $15 to pay each of the up-and-coming comedians, giving the audience their first laugh of the night. Let’s see $8 billion endowment… subtract the product of 15 times 6… carry the one… wait, how many zeroes is that again? Good one, Duke. 

Given that the show was free, I definitely felt like I got a lot more than I paid for.

I was shocked at how many of the performers had prior comedy experience in the community; almost all of the comics had extensive performance resumes both in Durham and outside of the Triangle area. Prevalent themes of the night included jokes related to gender and racial identity, COVID-induced weight gains (dubbed by Amy Mora as the “quarantine fifteen”), and the less than prolific employment prospects currently awaiting postdoctoral students.

Yutian Feng’s setup for Are We There Yet?. Tropical paradise or kitchen island? Guess we’ll never know…

One of the highlights of the show was radiology postdoc Yutian Feng’s set. A self-described PhD, which he clarified stood for “permanent head damage,” his hobbies included identifying as a straight white male “because it’s the only way to get elected in this country,” and conversing with Siri on his Apple Watch, which he has programmed to congratulate him with a salty profanity every time he finishes exercising. After watching his set, all I can think to say is congratulations (salty profanity) — being that funny must’ve been quite the workout! 

Isatu Kamara and Jimmy Carter (vaguely visible on her left).

The show’s headliner was Isatu Kamara, an up-and-coming Durham-based comedian who tuned in alongside her cat, Jimmy Carter.

Kamara’s set revolved around her identities, particularly as a “stay-at-home daughter” and non-rich person, lamenting about the recent invasion of “gentrification scooters” and the sunroom epidemic in Durham.

Future plans? Kamara hopes to upgrade from the shopping cart that they have at the grocery store specifically for single people. You know, the one that’s “half of the size of the Happy Family™ shopping cart” and only has room for “a pack of White Claws, a bottle of wine, and some cat food?” A very ambitious goal but, hey, we’re rooting for you, Isatu. 

Though the fruits of their research careers remain unknown, the comedic future seems promising for the Postdoc Comedy Club’s self-described “two to three” members. After all, as Yutian aptly pointed out during his set, they all have the opportunity to move “from the most underpaid job to the second most underpaid job” — a drop in the bucket when compared to their masses of student debt and cure their similarly high degrees of self-loathing, but hey, at least they got fifteen bucks?

Post by Rebecca Williamson

Squirmy Science

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On March 4, 2020

In Animals, Science Communication & Education, Students, Visualization

Unearthing A New Way Of Studying Biology

Yes, students, worms will be on the test. 

Eric Hastie, a post-doctoral researcher in the David Sherwood Lab, has designed a hands-on course for undergraduates at Duke University in which biology students get to genetically modify worms. Hastie calls the course a C.U.R.E. — a course-based undergraduate experience. The proposed course is designed as a hands-on, semester-long exploration of molecular biology and CRISPR genome editing.

An image taken of the adult gonad structure of a C. elegans worm in the Sherwood Lab,

In the course, the students will learn the science behind genome editing before getting to actually try it themselves. Ideally, at the course’s end, each student will have modified the genome of the C. elegans worm species in some way. Over the course of the semester, they will isolate a specific gene within one of these worms by tagging it with a colored marker. Then they will be able to trace the inserted marker in the offspring of the worm by observing it through a microscope, allowing for clear imaging and observation of the chosen characteristic.

When taught, the course will be the third in the nation of its kind, offering undergraduates an interactive and impactful research experience. Hastie designed the course with the intention of giving students transferrable skills, even if they choose careers or future coursework outside of research.

“For students who may not be considering a future in research, this proposed class provides an experience where they can explore, question, test, and learn without the pressures of joining a faculty research lab,” he told me.

Why worms? Perhaps not an age-old question, but one that piqued my interest all the same. According to Hastie, worms and undergraduate scientific research pair particularly well: worms are cost-effective, readily available, take up little space (the adults only grow to be 1mm long!), and boast effortless upkeep. Even among worms, the C. elegans species makes a particularly strong case for its use. They are clear, giving them a ‘leg up’ on some of their nematode colleagues—transparency allows for easy visibility of the inserted colored markers under a microscope. Additionally, because the markers inserted into the parent worm will only be visible in its offspring, C. elegans’ hermaphroditic reproductive cycle is also essential to the success of the class curricula.  

Undergraduate researcher David Chen studying one of his worm strains under a microscope.

“It’s hard to say what will eventually come of our current research into C. elegans, but that’s honestly what makes science exciting,” says undergraduate researcher David Chen, who works alongside Hastie.  “Maybe through our understanding of how certain proteins degrade over time in aging worms, we can better understand aging in humans and how we can live longer, healthier lives.”

The kind of research Hastie’s class proposes has the potential to impact research into the human genome. Human biology and that of the transparent, microscopic worms have more in common than you might think— the results derived from the use of worms such as C. elegans in pharmaceutical trials are often shown to be applicable to humans. Already, some students working with Hastie have received requests from other labs at other universities to test their flagged worms. So perhaps, with the help of Hastie’s class, these students can alter the course of science.

“I certainly contribute to science with my work in the lab,” said junior Ryan Sellers, a research contributor. “Whether it’s investigating a gene involved in a specific cancer pathway or helping shape Dr. Hastie’s future course, I am adding to the collective body of knowledge known as science.”

Post by Rebecca Williamson

Cracking the Code on Credit Cards at Datathon 2018

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On October 30, 2018

In Computers/Technology, Data, Engineering

Anyone who has ever tried to formulate and answer their own research question knows that it means entering uncharted waters. This past weekend the hundreds of students in Duke Datathon 2018 did just that, using only their computer science prowess and a splash of innovation.

Here’s how it worked: the students were provided three data sets by Credit Sesame, a free credit score estimator, and given eight hours to use their insight and computer science knowledge to interpret the data and create as much value for the company as they could. Along the way, Duke Undergraduate Machine Learning (DUML), the organization hosting the event, provided mentors and workshops to help the participants find direction and achieve their goals. 

Datathon participants attempting to derive meaning from the Credit Sesame Data

This year was the first such ‘Datathon’ event to take place at Duke. The event attracted big-name sponsors such as Google and Pinterest and was made possible by the DUML executive team, headed by co-presidents Rohith Kuditipudi and Shrey Gupta (to see a full list of event sponsors, click here).

DUML faculty advisor Dr. Rebecca Steorts said that even the planning of the event transcended disciplines: one of her undergraduate students and co-president of DUML, Shrey Gupta, found a way to utilize statistics to predict how many people would be attending. “It’s all about finding computational ways of combining disciplines to solve the problem,” Steorts said, and it’s very apparent that her students have taken this to heart.

The winning team (Jie Cai, Catie Grasse, Feroze Mohideen) presenting on how they can best gauge which customers are most “valuable” to Credit Sesame

After more than an hour of deliberations, the eight top teams were selected and five finalists were asked to present their findings to the judges. The winning team (Jie Cai, Catie Grasse, Feroze Mohideen) proposed a way to gauge which customers who create trial accounts are most likely to be profitable, by using a computer filtering program to predict likely customer engagement based on customer-supplied data and their interaction with the free trial. Other top teams discussed similar topics with different variations on how Credit Sesame might best create this profile to determine who the “valuable” customers are likely to be.

DUML hosts other events throughout the year to engage students such as their MLBytes Speaker Series and ECE Seminar Series. To learn more about Duke Undergraduate Machine Learning, click here.

by Rebecca Williamson

 

 

 

 

 

Falling Out of Love With Science and Our Civic Duties

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On October 4, 2018

In Lecture, Science Communication & Education

Last Friday, I attended Falling Out of Love with Science, a lunch function during which Milan Yager,executive director of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, discussed why those of us interested in scientific research should care about the actions of prominent politicians, especially those that relate to the underfunding of scientific research.

Milan Yager of AIMBE

Milan Yager is the executive director of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

Before attending Yager’s talk, I guess I didn’t quite realize how much of innovation was enabled by government funding. Many revolutionary discoveries are made possible through the NIH (https://www.nih.gov) that we don’t even realize we use on a daily basis.

However, as I came to realize, public support for research funding is jeopardized by the propagation of fake news defeating the need for concrete scientific research, hence propelling research under-funding. Over time, funding for the NIH and other government research funding has declined, which has slowed American innovation.

What I enjoyed most about his talk however, was the unexpected motivational turn that it took at the end. He discussed how we, as young researchers invested in finding our personal truths through science, needed to use our voices to stand up against the proliferation of myths in politics in favor of concrete facts.

NIH funding trends

Here’s a curve we definitely want to bend: NIH research funding has flattened and fallen.

Though this can be done in different ways, Yager made sure to point out how essential it is for Americans to vote, citing a statistic that points out that 20 percent of Americans don’t vote because they are “simply too lazy.” (Learn how to register to vote in North Carolina.)

He also encouraged us to send letters to our senators, rally for what we believed in, and not give up on our goals in the face of adversity — something that he called “sitting at the table.” Yager points out that if you don’t “sit at the table,” then your issue won’t get the necessary exposure needed for it to be fixed.

What can we, as Duke students, take away from what Yager had to say? Mainly this: Duke is a research institution that is partially made capable by government funding; for our capacity for research to be continued to be fully realized, we must use our voices to make sure that the propagation of ‘fake news’ does not cut funding for factual research.

This is mainly achieved by voting– those who perpetuate false “facts” in order to remain in power must be replaced with those who realize the importance of scientific research.

Perhaps, for society to fall back in love with science, we need to fall out of love with the myths propagated by tribal politics.

Post by Rebecca Williamson

New Blogger Rebecca Williamson: The Moon and Some Stars

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On October 3, 2018

In Animals, Art, Science Communication & Education, Students

Hello! My name is Rebecca Williamson, and I am a freshman here at Duke University. Coming into college, I plan to major in economics, but that could very well change. As for my interests outside of the classroom, I enjoy singing and theater and am a member of Out of the Blue, one of the all-female a cappella groups here at Duke!

Rebecca Williamson, Duke 2022

Rebecca Williamson, Duke 2022

I fell in love with Duke the second I stepped on campus. I am excited to see what Duke has to offer me, but more importantly, what I can offer to Duke.

My interest in science, specifically astronomy, was piqued at a very young age. By age six, I had not one, but three,  Moon in my Room light up toys (remote controlled models of the Moon that scrolled through the waxing and waning phases of the Moon at the touch of a button) mounted in my bedroom. By nine, I had the entire planetary system (yes, including Pluto) hanging from my ceiling. Though I cannot say that my interests remain with astronomy, it is what first got me invested in science. I have since gained interest in the natural sciences and animal sciences, though every so often I do press some of the buttons on my Moon in my Room remote.

Some random boy imagines he's as cool as six-year-old Rebecca.

Some random boy imagines he’s as cool as six-year-old Rebecca.

My love of writing, however, was spawned by my love of theater. As an active member of my high school’s theater community, I was roped into being a part of, and eventually became the president, of my school’s Cappies Critics team. As a Cappie, I was expected to watch local high school plays and musicals and write critical, holistic reviews of them. This program jump-started my love for writing and helped me to develop my own unique journalistic voice.

solar system mobile. www.luxrysale.comI hope to combine my interest in the natural and animal sciences with my love for writing and chronicle some of the amazing research going on in these fields both on campus and around Durham! I also hope to incorporate my interests in music and theater into my inquiries and document scientific research surrounding music and the arts in the Duke community.

Duke University Research Blog, look out, because here I come!

Post by Rebecca Williamson

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