Brink Bites: BMI Objections, Studying UFOs, and Alcohol’s Impact on College Students

A global commission, which included BU’s Barbara E. Corkey, has recommended reducing the reliance on body mass index (BMI) as a measure of health, with the aim of improving obesity diagnosis. Photo via iStock/SDI Productions
Brink Bites: BMI Objections, Studying UFOs, and Alcohol’s Impact on College Students
Other research news, stories, and tidbits from around BU, including a study of drinking harms, rethinking obesity diagnoses, and researchers on film
The Brink’s latest collection of news nuggets, short stories, and other thought-provoking snippets from the world of Boston University research—including awards for rising star researchers, a survey of alcohol harms, and a BMI recommendation from a global commission on obesity.
Alcohol’s Impact on College Life

A new study from BU School of Public Health researchers highlights how alcohol use can taint college life for students—even those who don’t drink themselves. They found more than half of surveyed US college sophomores and juniors had experienced a harm as a result of someone else’s drinking—including being harassed, threatened, or physically assaulted, being forced to look after an intoxicated peer, or having sleep or study disrupted. “Our research reveals the far-reaching and often overlooked impact of alcohol on college campuses,” study lead author Jih-Cheng (Jack) Yeh (SPH’25), a PhD candidate in health services and policy research, told SPH’s news website. “Alcohol-related harms extend well beyond the drinker, influencing the broader campus community. These harms disrupt lives, strain campus resources, and create ripple effects that touch every part of the university experience.” The study was published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review.
Award Honors Researchers Pursuing “Unorthodox Inquiries”
The Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation has given two BU rising star researchers its prestigious Odyssey Award. Florian Douam and Jessica L. Fetterman, both BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine assistant professors, will each receive $400,000 in funding to support their work. The foundation, which focuses its philanthropy on Greater Boston, says the award is given to “highly innovative pre-tenure researchers to pursue unorthodox inquiries.” Viral immunologist Douam will use the support to drive his study of arboviruses, including the Zika virus; Fetterman, a basic and translational scientist, will dive into mitochondrial diseases.
A Call for Change in Diagnosing Obesity
A major global commission has recommended a new approach to diagnosing obesity, reducing the reliance on the commonly used body mass index (BMI) as a measure of health or illness. The commission, which included BU’s Barbara E. Corkey, an expert on fat cells, published its proposals in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. It advised also using other measures of body fat, such as waist circumference, as well as the application of two new diagnostic categories of obesity (preclinical and clinical) to improve diagnosis. The commission’s report, which also called for care to be more personalized and free of stigma and blame, has reportedly been endorsed by 75 medical associations around the world. “It has been very exciting to serve on this commission that has defined clinical obesity. Our patients suffering from clinical obesity deserve effective treatment and support, not blame,” said Corkey, a BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine emeritus professor of medicine and biochemistry.
Nova and National Geographic Film at BU

Cameras have been rolling at BU. A new Nova special on UFOs featured Joshua Semeter, a BU College of Engineering professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the University’s Center for Space Physics. “What are UFOs?” premiered on PBS on January 22 and delved into the science of unidentified flying objects, asking what it would take for aliens to send craft to Earth. In 2022, Semeter was appointed to a NASA team studying UFOs—or their formal title, unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAPs. Also taking a recent turn in front of the camera was the BU Cognitive Neuroimaging Center, which hosted a crew from National Geographic. They were on campus to capture footage for Nat Geo Live, an in-person, immersive storytelling series. Steve Ramirez, a BU College of Arts & Sciences associate professor of psychological and brain sciences, will be a featured expert on the touring show. During the filming, Ramirez was scanned by the center’s MRI machine.
School of Social Work Researcher Named an American Academy Fellow
Hyeouk Chris Hahm, a BU School of Social Work professor and associate dean of research, has been inducted into the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare’s fellows society. It honors leaders who are “dedicated to achieving excellence in the field of social work and social welfare, while advancing high-impact work that advances social good.” Hahm’s research is focused on understanding and reducing health disparities among Asian American populations.
BU to Help Drive Massachusetts’ Clean Energy Initiative

BU has helped launch a major new equitable clean energy transition effort in Massachusetts in collaboration with the Healey-Driscoll administration and UMass Lowell. The Clean Energy and Environment Legacy Transition (CELT) Initiative will “advance an equitable energy transition in Massachusetts, empower communities, and train the next generation of climate leaders,” according to the BU Institute for Global Sustainability, which will lead data analysis for the project. The state’s energy resources department is providing $5.7 million in funding for CELT. “This initiative is a big step toward making our state’s clean energy and climate solutions more equitable,” said Kim Driscoll, the state’s lieutenant governor, at a launch event. “We’re going to tap into expertise at our exceptional universities, and use that innovative sphere with our industry partners, to make sure everyone in our community benefits from a sustainable future.” CELT will connect local leaders with university technical experts, advocate for geothermal projects, and help develop a diverse skilled workforce, as well as support graduate student fellows.
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