Eva Botkin-Kowacki

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

drawing of a coronavirus looming over a sitting man

How the dark shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic is changing our brains

For many people, a year and a half feeling stressed out has worn on us. And the emotional long-haul of the pandemic could have lingering effects within your mind and body. “When you’re living with that kind of uncertainty, that is going to change the way your brain is going to work,” says Rebecca Shansky, associate professor of psychology at Northeastern.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki August 27, 2021

If we don’t halt climate change, the world’s oceans may never be the same.

As much as 95% of the climates in the surface ocean that exist today could completely disappear within 80 years—but it’s not too late to change, according to new research led by Katie Lotterhos, associate professor of marine and environmental sciences at Northeastern.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki August 26, 2021

Why the pandemic is more confusing than ever

Mask on. Mask off. Now, put your mask on again. Don’t leave your house. Hug your grandparents. Stop hugging Grandma. Trying to navigate the renewed risks of the pandemic amidst the Delta variant may make your head spin. “We are in a situation where the ground rules have changed,” says Rory Smead, associate professor of philosophy at Northeastern.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki August 23, 2021

Posts by Eva Botkin-Kowacki