Boston University

The Brink

Pioneering Research from Boston University

Brink 01-11-2024

January 11, 2024

Photo: A man wearing a facemask on a busy subway train

COVID-19

Is It COVID-19, a Cold, or the Flu? What to Do When COVID and Flu Cases Surge

January 11, 2024

Brink 01-08-2024

January 8, 2024

Photo: A man with white hair performance an exercise using a ladder on the ground, under the watchful eye of a PT next to him. The two appear to be in a clinic.

Parkinson’s

Can We Fight Back against Parkinson’s Disease? These Research Volunteers Hope So

January 5, 2024

Brink 01-03-2024

January 3, 2024

Brink 01-03-2024

January 3, 2024

Photo: Darien Alexander Williams, a man with short, dark hair and a beard poses with his hands clasped, arm resting on a wall shelf. He wears a green button up and a white shirt with a red collar.

Urban Planning

Why Is the US So Unprepared for Natural Disasters?

January 3, 2024

Brink 12-19-2023

December 19, 2023

Brink 12-12-2023

December 12, 2023

Image: An electron microscope image hows a blood cell altered by sickle cell disease, top. The altered red blood cell is shown in a half-moon/sickle shape while other normal cells around it are circular.

Sickle Cell Disease

BU Researchers Helped Develop the First FDA-Approved Gene Therapies to Treat Sickle Cell Disease

December 12, 2023

Brink 12-11-2023

December 11, 2023

Photo: A large teal sign reads "COP28 UAE: Energy Transition Changemakers". Streams of lit up water streams are shown in front of the bright sign.

Climate Conference

Can the World Find Agreement on Fighting Climate Change?

December 11, 2023

Image: A Modern wire frame mesh design vector illustration of the year "2023". Numbers are depicted with glowing neon green low polygonal digits on black background.

2023 in Review

Best of The Brink 2023: 10 Life-Changing Inventions, Amazing Discoveries, and Surprising Findings from BU Researchers

December 11, 2023

Collage: (From left to right, top down) Photo: Philadelphia Eagles' C.J. Gardner-Johnson catches a pass during practice at the NFL football team's training facility, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in Philadelphia. A Black man wearing a dark green and white Eagles' football uniform and helmet catches a football in his hands, Photo: A flatlay of the iLet Bionic Pancreas, a bionic pancreas approved at the FDA. The device is a black box with a wire attached with two additional attachments, Photo: An unidentified person standing in a generic store pharmacy holds over the counter medicine in the aisle as they try to make a decision, and Photo: A white hands holds up a petri dish holding the yeast candida auris in a laboratory. a Petri dish with speckles of white dots/fungi is shown.

2023 IN REVIEW

What Were BU’s Most-Read Science and Research Stories in 2023?

December 11, 2023

Brink 12-08-2023

December 8, 2023

Image: Vector illustration of a depressed person sitting on swing in the darkness. A large light orange moon in the night sky frames them as they sit with a white rain cloud above their head.

Suicide

Why Are US Suicide Rates So High? And Can More Deaths Be Prevented?

December 8, 2023

Brink 12-07-2023

December 7, 2023

Photo: Trees and mist in the green forest of Stanislaus National Forest from Yosemite National Park. A large green forest full of lush pine trees are shown. they look scenic with the rising sun. A hazy blue, green, and black static overlay is stylized at the bottom of the image.

Expert Take

US Forest Service’s Dangerous Carbon Disposal Plan Would Foul Our National Forests

December 7, 2023

Brink 12-05-2023

December 5, 2023

Image: Vintage engraving of a scene from the Charles Dickens novel "David Copperfield." The black sketch-style engraving shows a man writing at a desk as a woman sitting on the floor next to him looks over towards the desk. A large bookcase filled with bookcase is the backdrop.

Education

How Dickens and Other Authors Shaped Attitudes to Education—with Lasting Impacts

December 5, 2023

How Dickens and Other Authors Shaped Attitudes to Education—with Lasting Impacts