By Ezewani Nkwo, C2ST Intern, Northern Illinois University

Football culture at elite levels, such as the NFL and major college programs, heavily depends on protein. It is common in team nutrition programs, post-workout meals, and protein smoothies in the locker room. However, it’s not as straightforward as “more is better” when it comes to performance. All levels of athletes should be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of protein.

Continue reading “Pros and Cons of Protein in American Football”

By Lindsey Ramirez, PhD, C2ST Correspondent

It’s February in Chicago, but today you ditch your winter coat and grab your shorts. Climate change has made unseasonably warm days like this common. While it is a pleasant surprise after a harsh winter, “climate change influences the probability and intensity of certain weather events” says Aaron Dernbaugh, the Director of the Office of Sustainability at Loyola University. These events include heat waves, droughts, hurricanes, strong winds, heavy rainfall, floods, and wildfires. Imagine dropping a rock in Lake Michigan and observing how far the ripples travel. The same idea applies to climate change — drought in California leads to wildfires and the smoke affects our air quality in Chicago.   Continue reading “Science of Everything: What Can an Individual Do About Climate Change?”

By Lauren Chan, PhD, RD, C2ST Intern, University of Chicago

In the last six months, I became the proud owner of a sourdough starter gifted to me over the winter holidays. While I did not anticipate going on a “sourdough journey”, it has been fun to not only learn how to make sourdough bread, but also the science and health benefits of sourdough!

Continue reading “Sinking Your Teeth into Sourdough: The Science Behind Its Health Benefits”

By Alexian Heynez, C2ST Intern, Waubonsee Community College

Cancer is definitely one of the scariest diagnoses someone can hear from their doctor. One of the major contributors to the fear around cancer treatment is our reliance on treatments like chemotherapy and invasive surgeries to treat tumor development, with no guarantee that it won’t come back. These procedures weigh heavily on our bodies because of their more general and indiscriminate approach, which is necessary due to the uniqueness of everyone’s cancer. 

Continue reading “Your Own Personal Cancer Vaccine”

By Lauren Chan, PhD, RD, C2ST Intern, University of Chicago

As someone who is lucky enough to have multiple tiny humans in their life, I am always on high alert when it comes to baby products and their safety. In the second half of 2025, notifications about infant formula contaminations and recalls had me messaging families with infants to be sure they heard the news. Surprisingly, this is not the only instance of formula contamination in recent years. In fact, multiple issues with formulas led to the launch of Operation Stork Speed in March 2025. This program focuses on increasing the safety and supply of infant formulas in the United States, with a particular focus on testing for contaminations. But what got us to the point of needing a new program to provide safe formula for babies? Let’s talk about recent contaminations, formula shortages, and feeding practices that led to the development of Operation Stork Speed. 

Continue reading “Bugs and babies: Safety Concerns for Formula-Fed Infants”

By Stephanie Sorich, C2ST Correspondent

We’ve all woken up to remember a strange dream. Maybe you were performing a concert at Madison Square Garden, and then given an award by your third grade teacher— but wait, that wasn’t your third grade teacher, it was Jennifer Lopez. And that wasn’t Madison Square Garden, it was the break room at your first ever job. 

Continue reading “Science of Everything: Lucid Dreaming”