Eva Botkin-Kowacki

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

Here’s how to make sense of the new guidance on booster shots. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

Why the Biden administration now says we need booster shots for COVID-19

New research reveals that COVID-19 vaccine protections began to decline in the middle of the summer when the delta variant was sweeping through the nation. “As we get new information, as the data provides new clues and a new direction in terms of what we need to do, we have to then respond accordingly,” says Neil Maniar, professor of public health practice at Northeastern.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki August 18, 2021

This superbug dodges antibiotics. He's finding a way to kill it.

Superbugs are a persistent challenge for hospitals. On a given day, about one in every 31 hospital patients has an infection contracted in a healthcare facility, according to the CDC. And most are antibiotic resistant. Edward Geisinger, assistant professor of biology at Northeastern, is finding a way to disarm one of those damaging pathogens.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki August 16, 2021

Could there be an even more effective vaccine? This professor thinks so.

Existing COVID-19 vaccines have far surpassed public health officials’ expectations. But could they be improved upon even further? Yes, says Sidi Bencherif, assistant professor of chemical engineering at Northeastern. Here’s how.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki August 12, 2021

Here’s how Northeastern is keeping an eye on possible COVID-19 variants on campus

When the Northeastern community returns to weekly surveillance COVID-19 testing in the fall for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, the COVID-19 wellness team won’t just be monitoring positive or negative cases. They’ll also be keeping track of which variants of the virus are popping up in our community—and they’ll know quickly which ones are responsible.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki August 10, 2021

Jaimi Lard, who is blind and deaf, feels the TATUM robotic hand to try to determine what letter it is spelling during a validation study at the Northeastern University Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering Complex. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

This robot uses tactile sign language to help deaf-blind people communicate independently

While many others were baking bread early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Northeastern bioengineering graduate student Samantha Johnson built a robotic arm. Now, that robot can produce tactile sign language that she hopes will enable more independence for people in the deaf-blind community.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki August 4, 2021

Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

I’m fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Do I need a booster shot?

The short answer: It’s complicated. But, says Brandon Dionne, associate clinical professor of pharmacy and health systems sciences, “I don’t think most people will need one right away. The protection from the vaccines seems to be pretty long lasting.”

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki August 2, 2021

How vaccinated people can make sense of the rise in breakthrough COVID-19 infections

Vaccinated people are getting infected by the coronavirus. That doesn’t mean the vaccines aren’t working, says Sehyo Yune, MD, director of the COVID-19 Wellness team at Northeastern. Getting vaccinated is the best thing you can do to keep yourself from getting really sick even if you get infected. Here’s what you need to know about the current rise in COVID-19 cases.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki July 26, 2021

Northeastern University marine science and public policy professor Brian Helmuth and lab technician Sahana Simonetti, a recent marine biology graduate, conduct research on the shores of the Nahant campus. Helmuth’s battery powered robotic mussels provide greater insight into the thermal stresses being placed on various organisms by climate change. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

When a heat wave comes, this scientist takes a shellfish’s perspective

What is it like to be a shellfish in a heat wave? Marine scientist Brian Helmuth takes a mussel’s-eye-view of climate change in his coastal research.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki July 23, 2021

No needles? No problem. This COVID-19 vaccine could be inhaled.

What if you could get vaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19 with an inhaler instead of a needle? That’s the premise behind new research by Northeastern’s Paul Whitford.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki July 20, 2021

Posts by Eva Botkin-Kowacki