Eva Botkin-Kowacki

There has been a gap in doctors’ COVID-19 toolkit. A new pill might fill that gap. And it might help save hospitals on the brink.
Photo illustration by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Why a COVID-19 pill would be a game-changer for overwhelmed hospitals

Between vaccinations and intensive inpatient treatments for COVID-19 patients, there has been a gap in doctors’ pandemic toolkit. A new pill might fill that gap, says Mansoor Amiji, university distinguished professor of pharmaceutical sciences and chemical engineering at Northeastern. And it might help save hospitals on the brink.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki October 15, 2021

Babies respond to sign language. What does that tell us about human nature?

Language is thought to be a key attribute that sets humans apart from other species. But is the capacity for language innate or learned? According to new research by Iris Berent, professor of psychology at Northeastern, humans are primed for language—in multiple forms.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki October 12, 2021

Could this treatment prevent chronic Lyme disease?

Kim Lewis has been searching for a way to stop acute Lyme disease from becoming chronic. And now the university distinguished professor of biology at Northeastern thinks he has found it—and it’s been hiding under our noses for more than 60 years.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki October 6, 2021

He predicted the widespread COVID-19 pandemic early on. Now he’s been knighted by the Italian government.

Alessandro Vespignani has been a leader among the experts advising both the American and Italian COVID-19 pandemic responses. For his work forecasting future outbreaks and connecting the two nations, the director of the Network Science Institute at Northeastern has been knighted by the Italian government.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki September 27, 2021

How do COVID-19 vaccines keep us out of the hospital?

The latest wave of the coronavirus crisis has been dubbed a pandemic of the unvaccinated. Despite breakthrough infections occurring in vaccinated people, the majority of COVID-19 patients in the hospital are unvaccinated. Northeastern pharmaceutical experts explain why.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki September 24, 2021

masked and unmasked northeastern students walking on campus

Fully in-person, Northeastern keeps COVID-19 under control

“As a community, Northeastern has really set an example for the country in terms of what success looks like,” says Neil Maniar, director of the master of public health program at Northeastern.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki September 21, 2021

silhouette of a womans head with blue neuro map overlaid

When we think about nature vs. nurture, we’re biased. Here’s why.

Are humans born with hard-wired abilities, or do we learn them? If you take a guess, you may be wrong. And Northeastern professor of psychology Iris Berent now knows why.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki September 20, 2021

silhouettes of two firefighters standing in front of massive wilfdire

Is wildfire soot leaving a mark on the world’s oceans?

When clouds of smoke and ash billow out over the ocean, stretching away from the wildfires that are their source, they might not just affect the air quality, according to research by Aron Stubbins, associate professor of marine and environmental sciences at Northeastern.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki September 17, 2021

What would it take to vaccinate the world against COVID-19?

In a world of 7.9 billion people, some 5.57 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered globally. But in low-income countries, only 1.9% of the population has received even one dose. At the root of that vaccine inequity, say Northeastern experts, is an issue of who is calling the metaphorical shots and why.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki September 8, 2021

“We’re in a very different situation than the one we were in at this time last year,” said David Madigan, healthcare statistician and Northeastern Provost. “We are now in a mode of living with COVID-19 rather than trying to hide.” Screenshot by Northeastern University

COVID-19 and the new normal: What do cases mean in a vaccinated community?

Across the world, we’ve seen COVID-19 cases go up again due to the Delta variant. And some of those infections have been breakthrough cases in which fully vaccinated people test positive for COVID-19. But is it all bad news? We spoke with healthcare statistician and Northeastern Provost, David Madigan to make sense of the often confusing COVID-19 data, and to explain what is worth paying attention to as we learn to live with COVID. “You want to avoid getting it, but we can’t put our lives on hold,” he says.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki September 2, 2021

Posts by Eva Botkin-Kowacki