Best of The Brink 2022: BU’s Most-Read Science and Research Stories
Photos (clockwise from top left) by Gage Skidmore, Jackie Ricciardi (2), and iStock/3DSculptor
Best of The Brink 2022: BU’s Most-Read Science and Research Stories
COVID-19 headlines dominate (again), but articles on AI dementia diagnoses, city trees, student mental health, and an action movie star’s brain disorder also prove big hits
Bruce Willis was one of the surprise stars of The Brink, Boston University’s research news site, in 2022. When the veteran actor’s family announced in April that he’d been diagnosed with aphasia, a neurological condition, shocked fans were left with a rush of questions: Would Willis recover? Were his acting days over? And just what was aphasia? We turned to experts from the College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College—home to two nationally renowned aphasia centers—for answers. Our primer on the condition became The Brink’s second most-read story of the year—with many readers sharing their personal experiences and well-wishes for the Hollywood star in the comments section.
Other articles in our top-10 most popular reads reflect the vast mix of research and scholarship at BU—from an artificial intelligence program with the potential to detect Alzheimer’s disease to a study of college student mental health. And there was—again—one other standout topic: COVID-19. Four of the top stories covered pandemic-related news or research. Here’s the full list, in order of most readers.
1
Wondering how long you need to stay in your room after picking up a COVID infection? You’re not alone—as our most-read story shows.
2
Fans of the movie star flocked to our explainer of the neurological disorder aphasia to find out what might be next for the Die Hard star—and whether they might ever see him on the silver screen again.
3
As another pandemic winter loomed, many were worried about the double threat of COVID and flu, and wondered whether they could get two shots at the same time. We had the answer.
4
When false and inaccurate reporting spread misinformation about an important BU study on why Omicron seemed to make people less sick, we were ready with the facts.
5
More and more students are dealing with problems like anxiety and depression. A new study highlighted the unequal toll these issues are taking on students of color.
6
Alzheimer’s disease is not easy—or cheap—to diagnose. A new BU-developed, artificial intelligence–powered computational model could improve early detection.
7
Ever wondered why some people seem to get knocked out by COVID, while others escape with little more than a scratchy throat? A BU study found 11 “protection-defining genes” may hold the secret.
8
Sometimes you don’t have to be at the center of everything to have a big impact. And that’s true for trees, too—those at the edge of forests may have an outsize role in fighting climate change, according to BU scientists.
9
BU researchers are improving the lives of people around the world, as proven by a transformative public health intervention—led by Hagere Yilma (above), a College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College clinical assistant professor in health science—that helped combat high anemia rates among women in India.
10
Enough of the menacing viruses already. When a monkeypox outbreak across Europe and the United States made headlines this spring, we asked a BU virologist whether we should step up precautions.
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