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? Which type of fat cell helps the body stay warm?
- White fat
+ Brown fat
- Beige fat
- Saturated fat
! Brown fat, also known as brown adipose tissue, is a special type of body fat that gets activated when the body is cold to help generate heat. It was once thought that only babies have brown fat, but it can also be found within the neck and back of adults.
Pew researchers
Aaron Streets and
Maria Fernanda Forni are learning how cells, such as fat, use the nutrients we consume to regulate the body’s metabolism and growth—work that has important implications for managing obesity and other metabolic disorders.
? The human gut is made up of which microorganisms, or microbes?
- Bacteria
- Fungi
- Viruses
+ All of the above
! Microbes found in the gut—bacteria, fungi, and viruses—make up what is called the “gut microbiome.” These beneficial microbes help digest food, regulate our immune system, and protect us against harmful bacteria.
Pew Latin American fellow
María Inda is researching ways to hijack gut microbes and use them as sensors to detect and treat areas of the gut that may be inflamed in inflammatory bowel disease. Additionally, Pew scholar
Mohamed Abou Donia studies chemicals produced by the gut microbiome in order to discover new ways to treat human diseases.
? What type of therapy engages the body’s defense system to fight cancer?
+ Immunotherapy
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Hormone therapy
! One reason cancer thrives in the body is because it can escape detection from the immune system, which helps protect the body against infections. But research has shown that immunotherapies can aid the immune cells in detecting cancer, boosting the body’s ability to track and destroy the disease.
Three Pew-Stewart scholars,
Diana Hargreaves,
Stephanie Dougan, and
Michel DuPage, are leveraging the function of immune cells to help fight cancer, work that is critical for developing effective immunotherapies.
? Which human sense is the least studied of the five basic senses?
- Sight
- Sound
- Smell
- Taste
+ Touch
! The somatosensory system is made up of sensory neurons that respond and relay sensations such as pain, pressure, movement, or temperature. It is what allows humans to sense touch—one of the first senses to develop in the womb. Touch is key to brain development, and a lack of physical contact during early childhood can result in developmental delays.
Pew scholar
Victoria Abraira is exploring how spinal circuits encode tactile sensations to learn how animals use this information to guide behavior and coordinate movement.
? True or False: There is a cure for Parkinson’s disease.
- True
+ False
! There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s disease, and treatment options vary because no two patients have the same symptoms.
Pew Innovation Fund investigators and Latin American fellows
Andrés Klein and
Patricio Olguin are collaborating on a new research project that aims to uncover the genetic differences that cause the wide spectrum of symptoms seen in Parkinson’s disease.
? How is SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, most commonly spread?
- Houseflies and mosquitoes
+ Respiratory droplets
- Dirty shoes
- 5G mobile networks
! SARS-CoV-2 is mainly spread by respiratory droplets through direct contact with a person infected with the virus. To initiate infection in the human body, the virus docks onto cells via the
ACE2 receptor, an enzyme commonly attached to the membranes of cells.
Pew researcher
David Veesler is working to develop
vaccines against coronaviruses by evaluating the structure of spike proteins that allow the viruses to gain entry into cells. Similarly, Pew-Stewart scholar
Alex Shalek is pioneering an RNA sequencing technology to understand where ACE2 is expressed in cells, which may help uncover which tissues are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
To dispel misinformation about COVID-19, Latin American fellow
Izabella Pena has used social media, primarily WhatsApp and YouTube, to create videos and answer people’s most frequent questions and concerns. Pena and other scientists know that providing understandable health information is key to combating the pandemic.
? True or False: The flu vaccine combats the same influenza viruses, or flu strains, each year.
- True
+ False
! Different viruses mutate more often than others, which is why some vaccines change year to year while others remain the same. The flu virus is constantly changing, so a vaccine that is effective one year may not be the next. Each year, the circulating flu strains are analyzed and a new vaccine is designed accordingly. According to CDC, influenza A subtypes (H1N1 and H3N2) were widespread during the 2018-19 flu season.
Three biomedical scholars,
Trevor Bedford,
Jesse Bloom, and
Marta Łuksza, are studying how the flu virus circulates. Their work could help predict disease spread and aid in the development of seasonal flu vaccines.
? True or False: Antibiotic resistance means your body is resistant to antibiotics.
- True
+ False
! Antibiotic resistance occurs when germs such as bacteria and fungi develop the ability to survive the drugs designed to kill them. According to CDC, each year at least
2.8 million people in the U.S. are infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and more than 35,000 die as a result.
Two Pew biomedical scholars,
Arthur Prindle and
Clarissa Nobile, are working on disrupting the ability of bacteria to form densely packed mats called biofilms, which enhance the bacterial population’s resistance to antibiotics. Another Pew biomedical scholar,
Michael Baym, is looking at the environmental factors that allow bacteria to evolve resistance to therapy.
? Which of the following conditions during pregnancy can adversely affect the mother and baby?
- Infection
- Preeclampsia
- Obesity and hypertension
+ All of the above
! Infections during pregnancy and placental abnormalities can have serious complications for the mother and for the outcome of the pregnancy.
To better understand and improve maternal and fetal health, Pew biomedical scholars
Anna Beaudin,
Jun Huh,
Tiffany Reese,
Geetu Tuteja, and
Meghan Koch are investigating the maternal and fetal connection by exploring how infections during pregnancy, placental development, and maternal antibodies influence the offspring’s mental and physical health.
? What is the most commonly transplanted organ?
- Pancreas
- Heart
+ Kidney
- Liver
! According to the Health Resources and Services Administration,
39,718 organ transplants were performed in 2019, and kidney transplants accounted for close to 60% (23,401) of all organs transplanted that year. Organ donations are critical to help save lives, and several people die each day because of the lack of available organs.
Pew biomedical scholar
Kyle Loh is exploring new strategies to generate new organs using embryonic stem cells.
