Latest news with #NorthwesternUniversity
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Lee So-eun: From Law to Music - The Inspiring Return of a Multi-Talented Artist
The Incredible Journey of a Multi-Talented Artist You're 16, you release your debut album, become famous for hits like "Husband" and "Kitchen," then decide to completely change careers, become a lawyer in New York, and after two decades, return to your first love: music. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Sounds like something out of a Bollywood movie, right? But this is exactly what Lee So-eun has done, and honestly, it's giving us major life goals. The Korean artist, who's now 42, is set to release her new album "Lee So-eun's Perspective - Notes on a Poem" on July 23rd, marking her return to music after a 20-year hiatus. For those doing the math, her last album "Think of Me" was released way back in 2005. That's like... before Instagram was even a thing! When Dreams Take a Detour (And That's Totally Okay) What makes Lee So-eun's story so relatable is how she didn't follow the typical "stick to one thing" narrative that we're often pressured into. After gaining popularity with songs like "Resembles You," "Kitchen," "Farewell," and "For a Long Time," she made the bold decision to pursue higher education. She graduated from Korea University's English Literature department in 2007, then packed her bags for the United States. Talk about a plot twist! She got accepted into not one, but four American law schools including Northwestern University, Cornell, Georgetown, and Notre Dame. She chose Northwestern University's Law School in Chicago, focusing on human rights law and copyright law - areas that probably resonated with her artistic background. This reminds us of how many young people today are exploring multiple career paths. Just like how some of our favorite influencers are also entrepreneurs, or how actors become directors, Lee So-eun proved that you don't have to be stuck in one box forever. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Musical Comeback That's Making Hearts Flutter Fast forward to 2025, and Lee So-eun is ready to show the world that artistic souls never really fade away. Her new album is a collaboration with children's song composer Rema (real name Kim Eun-sun), featuring 12 poems from the poetry collection "To My Little Giant" transformed into songs. What's really cool is that she personally translated four bonus tracks into English, giving listeners a chance to experience how language changes the emotional delivery of the same content. The album was co-produced with help from various artists including Choi Jin-kyung from crossover band "Second Moon," producer Yang Si-on, blues & jazz pianist Nam Me-ari, and producer Lee Ki-hyun. The project became especially meaningful to her after becoming a mother. She felt a thirst for content that could positively influence flexible and pure hearts, wanting to create something that could awaken children's emotions, comfort teenagers' feelings, and serve as a medium of empathy for adults navigating changing relationships.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
The tiny pacemaker smaller than a grain of rice that could revolutionise heart surgery
A pacemaker that's smaller than a grain of rice and can be injected into the heart through the skin, without the need for surgery, has been invented by scientists. Pacemakers use electric pulses to steady heartbeats and protect the organ against potentially fatal abnormal rhythms. The small device is typically about the size of a matchbox and weighs about 20 to 50g. It consists of a pulse generator, which has a battery and a tiny computer circuit, and one or more wires known as pacing leads, which attach to your heart. But at just 1.8mm wide, 3.5mm long and 1mm thick, researchers at Northwestern University in Illinois, US, have developed one that is smaller than a grain of rice. The pacemaker has no wires and does not need to be removed at a later date because it dissolves. A study published in the journal Nature found the miniature pacemaker worked well in mice and rats and successfully corrected abnormalities in heart rhythm. Scientists came up with the invention while searching for a way to monitor the hearts of babies who had undergone life-saving cardiac surgery. 'Our major motivation was children,' cardiologist Igor Efimov, who co-authored the study, told science publication IBSA Foundation. 'About 1 per cent of children are born with congenital heart defects, [and often] in about seven days or so [of temporary stimulation], most patients' hearts will self-repair. But those seven days are absolutely critical.' Affecting one in 100 babies born in the UK, those with a congenital heart defect may need surgery before being fitted with a temporary pacemaker to monitor heart rhythm. It is then removed again at a later date. But surgery is risky and can lead to infection, lacerations and perforations. However, with this new pacemaker, the risk of life-threatening complications is reduced because it is small enough to fit into a syringe and can be inserted without the need for surgery. The mini pacemaker is made with two electrodes of different metals, which, when in contact with the body's fluids, generate an electrical current capable of stimulating the heart when needed. Its soft and flexible structure also means it can fit onto the heart wall without the need for invasive stitches. Researchers hope the device will open up new possibilities for cardiologists, including being able to give patients several pacemakers at once, enabling them to control single areas of the heart. However, these small pacemakers are not intended to replace permanent ones in patients with chronic heart rhythm problems who need them for life.
Chicago Tribune
6 hours ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Changes to federal student loans leave aspiring medical students scrambling to cover costs
Twenty-year-old Eric Mun didn't want to believe it: Only one kid in the family could make it to medical school — and it wasn't going to be him. Mun had done everything right. He graduated high school with honors, earned a scholarship at Northwestern University and breezed through his biology courses. He immigrated to Alabama from Korea as a toddler. From the quiet stretches of the South, he dreamed of helping patients in a pressed white coat. But dreams don't pay tuition. And with new borrowing limits, Mun's family can only support one child through school. 'My parents already implied that my older brother is probably going to be the one that gets to go,' Mun said. President Donald Trump's sweeping 'big, beautiful' tax and spending bill, signed into law earlier this month, imposes strict new caps on federal student loans, capping borrowing for professional schools at $50,000 per year. The measure particularly affects medical students, whose tuition often exceeds $300,000 over four years. Aspiring physicians like Mun have been thrown into financial uncertainty. Many members of the medical community say the measures will send shock waves through a system already laden with economic barriers, discouraging low-income students from pursuing a medical degree. 'It might mean there are people who want to be doctors that can't be doctors because they can't afford it,' said Richard Anderson, president of the Illinois State Medical Society. Before the passage of Trump's budget bill, the Grad PLUS loan program allowed graduate students to borrow their institution's total cost of attendance, including living expenses. The program was slashed as part of a broader overhaul to the federal student loan system. Now, beginning July 1, 2026, most graduate students will be capped at $20,500 in federal loans per year, with a total limit of $100,000. Students in professional schools, like medical, dental or law school, will face the $50,000 annual cap and a total limit of $200,000. Mun's parents work at an automobile assembly plant. Throughout high school, he knew he would have to rely on scholarships and federal loans to pay his way through college. Mun's voice faltered. 'I'm just trying to remain hopeful,' Mun said. Also folded into the bill: the elimination of several Biden-era repayment plans, cuts to Pell Grants and limits to the Parent PLUS loans program, which allows parents of dependent undergraduates to borrow. Proponents of the Republican-backed bill said the curbed borrowing will incentivize medical schools and other graduate programs to lower tuition. The tuition of most Chicago-area medical schools is nearly $300,000 for four years, not including cost-of-living expenses. Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine has a $465,000 price tag after accounting for those indirect costs, according to the school's website. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science trails closely behind at nearly $464,000. 'One of the main concerns about the Grad PLUS program is money that is going to subsidize institutions rather than extending access to students,' said Lesley Turner, an associate professor at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. Still, many medical professionals expressed doubt that schools will adjust their costs in response to the bill. Tuition for both private and public schools has been steadily climbing for decades, up 81% from 2001 after adjusting for inflation, according to the Association of American Medical some evidence that Grad PLUS may have contributed to those tuition hikes. A study co-authored by Turner in 2023 found that prices increased 65 cents per dollar after the program's introduction in 2006. There was also little indication that Grad PLUS had fulfilled its intended goal of expanding access to underrepresented students. But Turner cautioned against the abrupt reversal of the program. After accounting for inflation, the lifetime borrowing limits now placed on graduate students are lower than they were in 2005, she said. Many students may turn to private loans to cover the gap, often at higher interest rates. More than half of medical students relied on Grad PLUS loans, according to AAMC. The median education debt for indebted medical students is around $200,000, with most repayment plans lasting 10 to 20 years. The median stipend for doctors' first year post-MD was just $65,100 in 2024. 'I think for many reasons, it would have been reasonable to put some sort of limit on Grad PLUS loans, but I think this is a very blunt way of doing it,' Turner said. In a high-rise on Northwestern's downtown campus last week, 20 undergraduate students and alums from local colleges gathered for the Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative Fellows program. The eight-week summer intensive offers aspiring medical professionals a deep dive into cancer health disparities information and research. Participants like Mun have been left reeling after the flurry of federal cuts. Alexis Chappel, a 28-year-old graduate of Northeastern Illinois University, watched her dad struggle with addiction growing up. She was deeply moved by the doctors who supported his recovery, and it inspired her to pursue medicine. But she has no idea how she'll cover tuition. 'I feel like it's in God's hands at this point,' Chappel said. 'I just felt like it's a direct attack on Black and brown students who plan on going to medical school.' Just 10% of medical students are Black and 12% are Latino, according to AAMC enrollment data. Socioeconomic diversity is also limited: A 2018 analysis found that 24% of students came from the wealthiest 5% of U.S. Pendergrast, who graduated from Feinberg in 2023, relied entirely on Grad PLUS loans to fund her medical education. Juggling classes and clinicals, she had little money saved and no steady stream of income. Pendergrast was so strapped for cash that she enrolled in SNAP benefits — a program also cut under Trump's budget bill. Now an anesthesiologist at University of Michigan Health, she's documented her concerns on TikTok for her 48,000 followers. 'It's not going to improve representation, and it's not going to improve access,' Pendergrast said. 'It's going to act as a deterrent for people who otherwise would be excellent physicians.' For low-income students, the application process is already fraught with economic obstacles, Pendergrast said. Metrics like GPA and the Medical College Admissions Test, or MCAT, are heavily weighted in admissions, and may disadvantage students from underresourced schools. Many students also lack mentorships or networks to guide them through the process, she noted. 'I think the average medical student is going to be richer and whiter, and not from rural areas and not from underserved communities,' Pendergrast said. The elimination of Grad PLUS loans comes amid a mounting nationwide physician shortage. A recent AAMC report predicted a shortfall of 86,000 physicians by 2036. Meanwhile, a significant portion of the workforce is poised to enter retirement: The U.S. population aged 65 and older is expected to grow 34.1% over the next decade. The shortage is particularly concentrated in primary care. In practice, that means longer waiting times for patients, and an increased caseload on physicians, who may already suffer from burnout. 'If the goal is truly to make America healthy again, then we need to have a strong physician workforce … We should be coming up with ideas to make it more accessible for people who want to be doctors as opposed to hindering that,' Anderson said. Sophia Tully, co-president of the Minority Association of Pre-Med Students at Northwestern, said she and her peers have struggled to reconcile with a system that often feels stacked against them. The 21-year-old plans on taking an extra gap year before medical school in an effort to save money. Tully summed up the environment on campus: 'For lack of a better word, people are panicking.'
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
What causes Parkinson's disease? Scientists uncover an unexpected new clue.
More than 10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that leads to symptoms such as tremors, slow movement, limb stiffness, and balance issues. Scientists still don't know what causes the disease, but it's thought to develop due to a complex mixture of genetic and environmental factors, and treatment is still quite limited. But new research is putting scientists one step closer to some possible answers. In a recent study published in JCI Insight, researchers found a common virus, called human pegivirus (HPgV), in the brains of patients who had Parkinson's disease when they died. Although HPgV infections don't usually cause symptoms, researchers believe the virus may be playing a role in the development of Parkinson's. 'The hypothesis is that a long-term, low-burning infection might lead to these sorts of diseases,' such as Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, says Barbara Hanson, a researcher at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and one of the authors of the paper. Here's what we know so far. Over 500 viruses screened In this study, researchers screened for over 500 viruses in the autopsied brains of 10 patients who had Parkinson's disease and compared them to the autopsied brains of 14 control patients, who were matched for age and gender. In five of the patients with Parkinson's, they found the presence of HPgV, while none of the control patients had the virus. In order to bolster their findings, researchers conducted follow-up experiments that looked at the blood samples of patients who were in different stages of Parkinson's disease. What they found was that patients who had Parkinson's and were positive for HPgV had similar immune system responses, including a lower level of an inflammatory protein called IL-4, which can either promote or suppress inflammation depending on the situation. They also found that patients who had a specific Parkinson's-related gene mutation had a different immune system response to HPgV, compared to patients with Parkinson's who didn't have the mutation. 'It was a very thorough study,' says Margaret Ferris, a neurologist and researcher at Stanford University who was not part of the study. She adds that this offers a possible mechanism for the interaction between genetics and environment. Why Parkinson's disease is so hard to study Although the presence of HPgV in the brains of people with Parkinson's disease is suggestive of a link, the full answer of what causes the neurodegenerative disease is more complex. Parkinson's disease has always been hard to study, due to the fact that it develops slowly, over many years, and is difficult to diagnose in the earlier stages. 'One of the hard things about investigating neurodegenerative disorders is that it is very hard to identify people who will get neurodegenerative disorders, but don't yet have them, and to study and watch them,' Ferris says. Further complicating this matter is the fact that there doesn't seem to be one single trigger for Parkinson's disease. 'It is difficult to determine the causes of Parkinson's, because they are likely multifactorial,' says William Ondo, a neurologist at Houston Methodist Hospital, who specializes in treating patients with movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease. Ondo was not part of the study. Currently, Parkinson's disease is believed to develop from a complex mixture of genetic and environmental factors, with individual triggers varying from one person to another. This makes studying the potential causes of the disease quite challenging, and means that there still aren't definitive answers to what can trigger the condition. It's likely that some people may develop Parkinson's disease as a result of multiple triggers. 'Everyone is on their own path,' to developing Parkinson's disease, says Erin Furr-Stimming, a neurologist at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, who was not part of the study. Link between viral infections and neurodegeneration In recent years, there has been a growing body of evidence to suggest a link between viral infections and the development of neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's. This includes the recent discovery that Epstein-Barr virus is a major trigger for multiple sclerosis, as well as a number of associations between viral infections and neurodegenerative conditions. Parkinson-like symptoms have also been triggered by a number of viral infections, such as West Nile virus, St. Louis Encephalitis virus, and Japanese Encephalitis B Virus. As Hanson notes, inflammation in the brain has been linked to the development of neurodegenerative disorders, with viral infections being a potential trigger for this inflammation. 'Any amount of inflammation in the brain can trigger a number of cascades that lead to the loss of normal homeostatic brain function,' Hanson says. 'It's possible that viral infections are one of those triggers that lead to inflammation in the brain.' Other potential reasons that viral infections may lead to neurodegeneration include direct damage to neurons from the virus, or the accumulation of misfolded proteins. However, while this recent study offers evidence of a suggested link between HPgV and the development of Parkinson's disease, there's still more research needed before a clear link between the two can be established. 'This study doesn't show a cause-and-effect relationship—it just suggests there may be a relationship between pegivirus and Parkinson's,' says Joseph Jankovic, a neurologist and director of the Parkinson's Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic at Baylor College of Medicine. In order to understand the connection further, Jankovic says, 'this study needs to be replicated in a different cohort of patients.' Solve the daily Crossword
Forbes
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
How Chasing Rejection Fuels Success For Creative Leaders
Pushing past fear: Embracing rejection can open unexpected doors to growth, creativity and ... More leadership strength. Do you recall the first time you were professionally rejected? It stung, right? Your ego probably even got bruised while the self-doubt set in, especially as a creative. Did it deter you from trying again, or did it propel you forward? Sarah Feingold, attorney, professor and playwright behind Dirty Legal Secrets, understands that rejection isn't just unavoidable; it's essential. She even shares her rejection experiences in detail on LinkedIn. A 2019 study from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management found that professionals who openly share setbacks are viewed as stronger leaders. The study highlighted the 'failure boost' effect, where the potential for setbacks leads to future success. 'If I'm not getting rejected,' she explains, 'I'm not putting myself out there enough.' This year, she set a unique goal of accumulating 50 rejections. Why? It holds her accountable to apply to more playhouses to run her play; the more you put yourself out there, the greater the chance of success. Sarah Feingold is an attorney, artist, speaker and professor. Studies from Harvard Business Review and Stanford consistently demonstrate that individuals who actively seek out and embrace rejection build greater resilience, confidence, and creativity over time. Additionally, individuals who regularly face rejection become significantly more innovative. Years Before The Rejections As Etsy's first lawyer, Feingold spent over nine years at the company, guiding it through its IPO before becoming general counsel at Vroom. However, the pivotal moment that inspired her transition from lawyer to playwright was the #MeToo movement. Feingold realized that in-house lawyers often hold untold stories about corporate America due to the attorney-client privilege. Frustrated by the silence and secrecy, she initially considered a career in journalism but quickly realized that none of her colleagues would speak openly. Instead, Feingold gathered anonymous stories and transformed them into theater, seeing the medium as a way for audiences to collectively experience laughter, shock and empathy around issues usually hidden behind legal confidentiality. Let The Rejections Begin Dirty Legal Secrets had a rough start. The rejections poured in faster than she could apply for another opportunity. Feingold could have easily given up after the tenth rejection notice, but she began treating each experience as a data point. 'I've learned more from rejections than any success I've had,' she says. 'Rejection means I'm trying. It means I'm in the arena, not on the sidelines.' Finally, last year the play had its first off-off-Broadway premiere, produced by Cellunova Productions. As the playwright continued to receive rejections from Broadway playhouses, Feingold pivoted her approach by adapting it as a television pilot, with the hope that it becomes a regular series. The storyline centers around the clash between tech startups and their lawyers. Feingold likens rejection to a muscle, one that strengthens with use: 'The first rejection really stung. But then you keep getting more, and you're like, 'Ok, that doesn't hurt as much.'' A small sampling of Sarah Feingold's rejection collection from her submissions for the "Dirty Legal ... More Secrets" playwright. How To Leverage Rejection Reframe rejection by refraining from measuring success solely by wins alone; instead, turn rejection itself into a goal. 'It flips the switch,' Feingold explains. 'Being rejected is the goal, rather than getting the thing. It reverses your brain. I'm looking to get rejected, not just to make progress'. Feingold emphasizes that clarity is key. 'One of the reasons why I've been able to move forward is because I've been very specific in what I want,' she shares. Clear goals enable targeted attempts, turning rejection into a focused step forward. 'I carefully reflect on each rejection to refine my goals, skills and strategies,' she points out. 'Rejection without reflection is just a missed opportunity.' Not all rejections are equal. 'I've received some rejections that have been extremely thoughtful,' Feingold notes. There have been some companies that have provided detailed feedback as to why they didn't choose her play. That actionable feedback helped her with her strategy and fine-tuned her pitch. Feingold treats rejection like any other critical task: it is scheduled and prioritized. 'I carve out time to prioritize and apply,' she states. 'If you don't make the time, you'll never do it.' The discipline of scheduling rejection attempts ensures consistent action rather than sporadic efforts. Embracing rejection is about harnessing it as a stepping stone to meaningful development. For Feingold, this bold approach has led to sold-out off-Broadway performances and expanded her leadership capabilities. Adopting rejection as a strategic goal disrupts the typical avoidance mindset. 'I wanted other people to feel like, if they have big goals, they should be getting rejected too,' she emphasizes. Rejection is uncomfortable; yet, accepting it becomes your strongest path toward success. The next time you hesitate, remember: sometimes the most powerful move you can make is to seek rejection deliberately, knowing that each 'no' brings you closer to your next 'yes.' 'My ultimate goal isn't just the 50 rejections,' she concludes. 'It's to become braver, smarter and bolder in my career.'
