When COVID-19 emerged as global threat, it demanded action. The Northeastern College of Science heard the call.

A fleet of professors, researchers, technicians, staff, and students overnight became mobilized to fight on the front lines of science. Together, and in every discipline of science, they were able to make significant contributions to the collective good: developing epidemic models, serving as advisors to local and national government, studying the structure of the virus, assisting with contact tracing, developing systems for on-campus testing, and more. Even as pandemic continues, so does their work.

Thanks to [email protected]‘s exceptional team of journalists and photographers, we are now able to present a retrospective of their work, through the first six months of COVID-19.

| March 2, 2020

How Can We Stop The Spread Of False Rumors About COVID-19? Better Math.

Research from the Network Science Institute uses mathematical equations to track how “social contagions” spread. This data shows how to follow false news and rumors about COVID-19, and why gossip spreads like a disease itself.

Featuring: Jessica Davis (PhD student), Alessandro Vespignani
Topics: Mathematics, Network Science

| March 6, 2020

Closing Borders Can Delay, But Can’t Stop the Spread of COVID-19, New Report Says

The Network Science Institute published a study showing that closing boarders and travel bans might slow the spread of COVID-19, but will not stop the spread. Their study used Wuhan travel bans as an example for America

Featuring: Jessica Davis (PhD student), Ana Pastore y Piontti, Alessandro Vespignani
Topics: Network Science

| March 20, 2020

Here’s Why Washing Your Hands With Soap for 20 Seconds Protects You From COVID-19

Thomas Gilbert explains the simple chemistry behind why washing your hands with soap is so effective at killing virus’s and bacteria. This goes into why the twenty second rule is important, and how soap as a lipid can fight the lipid casings of bacteria that water can’t dissolve.

Featuring: Thomas Gilbert
Topics: Chemistry and Chemical Biology

| March 27, 2020

He’s Preparing the ER for a Surge of COVID-19 Patients. There’s Nowhere Else He’d Rather Be.

Abhishek Mogili is a Biology co-op student helping prepare hospitals for the incoming onslaught of patients. Acting as an extra set of hands, he helps brace for impact with COVID, a common theme among pre-med co-ops.

Featuring: Abhishek Mogili (Co-op student)
Topics: Biology

| April 1, 2020

Here’s How to Combat the Feat Caused By a Barrage of COVID-19 News

David DeSteno explains how rumors and fear, while useful, can get blown out of proportion. DeSteno goes on to show how this applies to the pandemic, and how to combat this unnecessary fear.

Featuring: David DeSteno
Topics: Psychology

| May 15, 2020

The Coronavirus Might Have Hidden Weak Spots. Machine Learning Could Help Find Them.

Chemists at northeastern research possible weak points the COVID-19 virus might have. Using machine learning, coupled with knowledge of the disease’s amino acids, Mary Jo and Penny could locate these weak points, helping create possible vaccines down the line.

Featuring: Penny Beuning, Mary Jo Ondrechen
Topics: Chemistry and Chemical Biology

| June 1, 2020

When My Brothers Table Needed Help, the Marine Science Center Faculty Stepped Up

The Marine Science Center had taken notice that food shelters had less volunteers during the pandemic, and was struggling to help feed people especially when the home style dining they cherished became impossible. The researchers working at the MSC stepped up to keep meals flowing for those in need.

Featuring: Torrance Hanley, Randall Hughes
Topics: Marine and Environmental Science

| June 3, 2020

COVID-19 Misconceptions Are Hard to Fight. Cognitive Psychology Might Help Spot Why People Get the Coronavirus Wrong.

John Coley explains how misconceptions about COVID arise, and why psychologically they make sense. He goes on to explain how to fight these misconceptions with that same psychology.

Featuring: John Coley
Topics: Psychology

| July 27, 2020

Scientists Still Don’t Have all the Answers About the Coronavirus—and That’s a Sign of Progress

As researchers study SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 at breakneck speeds, one key aspect to keep in mind is that the research is happening while everyone watches. “The public is getting front-row seats to the scientific method, probably in a way they never imagined they would’ve experienced,” says Samuel Scarpino, who runs the Emergent Epidemics Lab at Northeastern.

Featuring: Sam Scarpino
Topics: Marine and Environmental Science

| August 5, 2020

Northeastern’s Life Sciences Center is a Cutting Edge Laboratory That Will Process the University’s Coronavirus Tests

The Northeastern Life Science Center receives permission to process the university’s coronavirus tests. This tremendous project is led by Jared Auclair, an assistant professor of biotechnology.

Featuring: Jared Auclair
Topics: Biotechnology

| August 6, 2020

How to Talk to Others About Healthy Habits Like Face Masks and Distancing

William Sharp discusses the stresses “mask vs no mask” interactions can cause, and shares how to start the important conversations surrounding them. It is always better to be aware of what everyone is comfortable with going into a public event.

Featuring: William Sharp
Topics: Psychology

Northeastern College of Science alumna Bihe Wang, who goes by Momo, donated 7,000 masks and 34 boxes of medical gloves to Northeastern, helping in a dramatic way during a personal-protection shortage. She spoke with us about her time at Northeastern and what led her to the generous PPE donation.

Can you tell us about your journey to study at Northeastern?

It was in 2010, ten years ago, and I had just finished high school. I went through a Google pathway, which helps get international students into American colleges. I knew I didn’t want to be a business student, since so many people are in that major. So I chose to be a psychology major, and I really liked that. My professors and classmates were great.

Did you do any co-ops while here?

Yeah, I went to the Boston municipal court probation department. That was really cool. You have plenty of time to be in the court and meet with the officers, who are serious people but they were there to interact with us. Then we got the opportunity to go to the jail and talk to the probation nurses. That was the usual experience we had–it was interesting.

What else stands out about your Northeastern experience?

I joined the dance club, that was fun. And it’s nice that you can try it if you want to. Then in 2013, I went on a dialogue of civilization to Japan. About 20 of us spent Summer 1, 45 days, living with Japanese families, seeing how life and studying is like there. I think that is one of the best things about Northeastern, that it gives students a chance to live in a multicultural sense. I would definitely recommend it.

What have you done since graduating from Northeastern?

I stayed in Boston for a few months working with a friend who was working with an education program that introduced high school students from China to premier schools like Harvard and MIT. I think that was really nice because back when I was younger, I didn’t know what America was like. I just applied, then came here. Now students can go to summer camps and find out what they want.

So I worked with her on that for awhile then went back to Beijing where I started my business. I also attended Tsinghua University, the best in China for fitness and medicine, where I met a lot of entrepreneurial friends. Now I’m studying Traditional Chinese Medicine of Psychology, trying to combine my western major with TCM.

You never stopped studying! You talked about trying to combine your western and eastern majors. Was that something you wanted to do before studying at Northeastern or did your time here shape your current path? 

When I first got to Boston, it was a culture shock. If you have any eastern friends, you might know we need to raise our hand before we talk, and we need to stand up to speak. You can’t just lie down in the grass, it’s very different here. In Northeastern you could say I learned how to free myself and express my thoughts and feelings. Then after spending eight years in Boston, it was like my second home, and going back to Beijing was a culture shock again. Both cultures are better at certain things. Right now, I think it’s a good thing to get a balance of both.

You recently donated 7,000 masks and 34 boxes of gloves to Northeastern during an international pandemic. Can you tell us about that decision?

I grew up in the family with doctors. Both my parents are doctors, and my family owns a hospital and we do also work with medical equipment, and have a lot of influence over medicine things. At first in January and February the pandemic was mostly in China, where the States were much more peaceful. But then after March and April, the core of it just disappeared in China, by 85%. And I figured Covid is going to spread out just like what’s happened in China and in February and January, when it was really hard to purchase one mask here. Most people were covering their faces with anything, or just staying inside entirely. When it eventually reached the States, I figured maybe schools needed masks as well.

Your supplies came at a time of critical shortage. Did you know your donation would make such a large impact?

Really? I didn’t know they proved so important. Like I said, while working in the hospital in February I saw how busy we were and thought about how much medical supplies were needed. It doesn’t matter if you’re Chinese or American, the world is just people, and people need to be helped.

As the COVID-19 pandemic tears through the United States, this strikingly challenging year is shaped by the growing number of casualties and widespread unemployment. In addition to these devastating ramifications, the pandemic also brought to a halt much of scientific research that was not related to the deadly virus.

March saw temporary closures of many university laboratories, including those on Northeastern’s campus in Boston. For many graduate students at the College of Science, these several months of suspended science have proved to be a trying time.

“I paused my research for about 3 months,” said Letícia Angelini, a PhD candidate in the Biology program. “My research mostly depends on [laboratory] bench work, so I, unfortunately, could not make much progress during the time I spent at home.”

Tim Duerr, also a Biology PhD candidate, was one of the few graduate students still allowed to come to the lab during the quarantine months, but not to do research. He helped take care of the lab’s colony of water salamanders. The salamanders had human company in the lab every day, unlike their attendant. “Occasionally I’d see people in the building, but most days I did not. The only interaction I had with people on campus is with the University police officers that let me in the building each day,” said Duerr.

For Duerr, running his experiments on salamander limb regeneration and socializing with his labmates are the best parts of his work, but the quarantine erased those enjoyable activities. “So it has been very disheartening and lonely in the lab,” added the salamander scientist.

Back to the lab

Now, Massachusetts is reopening and researchers have returned to Northeastern’s campus. But the pandemic is far from over, and it is critical to continue observing the safety guidelines that are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These guidelines are central to research resumption at Northeastern.

Before returning to the lab, researchers had to submit a safety plan and have it approved by the university’s Environment, Health, and Safety office. They also completed a safety training model on practices to reduce transmission of the virus. Finally, all scientists must wear masks and practice social distancing while in the lab.

Brandon Miller, a PhD researcher at the Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department, described that he and his labmates work in shifts, ensuring that the lab occupancy is at half of its pre-COVID-19 capacity. Their lunch breaks are staggered, too.

“Additionally, we change our gloves and lab coats more frequently than before,” said Miller.

Working from Home

With the labs locked down, graduate students strove to stay productive while working from their living rooms  – which often came with complications.

“Meetings with my group have been challenging,” said Amin Abou Ibrahim from the Physics program. “Meetings and discussions via Skype may not always be ideal.”

Laboratory scientists found themselves adjusting to an unfamiliar work environment. Brandon Miller shared that his writing-heavy quarantine workload kept him looking at a computer screen for an unusually long time. “My eyes would be so strained by the end of the day and it was harder for me to focus as the day went on,” said Miller.

Staying at home can undermine not only productivity, but also mental health. Homebound researchers shared their strategies for mitigating cabin fever and anxiety.

“I think the best thing to do to maintain good mental health is exercising,” said Letícia Angelini, who went on plenty of runs while socially distancing and wearing a mask. Summer Harvey, a PhD candidate in Psychology, agrees. An avid runner, Harvey increased her mileage to 50-60 miles a week during the quarantine. This impressive workout regimen (the distance between Boston and Providence!) may not be feasible for most non-athletes, but it helped Harvey keep her mental health in check.

Non-exercise ways to maintain mental well-being can include picking up a new hobby or rediscovering an old one – like cooking.  “My new quarantine hobby is cooking traditional Colombian recipes (passed down from my mother),” said  Andrea Unzueta Martinez, a PhD candidate at the Department of Marine and Environmental Science at Northeastern’s Nahant campus.

Graduation Delays?

Even in quarantine, graduate students managed to meet their milestones. Tim Duerr, who passed his PhD candidacy exam over a Zoom call, admitted that this remote format was less stressful than a traditional presentation to a roomful of dissertation committee members. “The worst part of it all was being unable to celebrate with people afterwards,” shared Duerr.

Some PhD candidates even completed their programs. “I already defended [in the] end of May via Zoom and it went well,” said Amin Abou Ibrahim, who now holds a PhD in Physics.

However, this lengthy hiatus in research is likely to delay dissertation completion for some College of Science students who are still collecting data. Those whose research is “wet lab”-based, or relies on conducting experiments in a laboratory setting, are at a particular disadvantage. “I feel it’ll be very hard to catch up on the experiments I need to perform in order to finish my project,” said Letícia Angelini, who studies how bacterial communities grow.

Brandon Miller at the Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department echoes this sentiment. His research focuses on synthesizing chemical compounds that are typically produced by bacteria – and those experiments must be done in the lab. Because of the quarantine and the current reduced work schedule, Miller predicts that his graduation will be delayed by at least six months.

PhD students who can conduct their research remotely are more optimistic. For Summer Harvey, the campus closure has not been too disruptive to the dissertation progress. The Psychology PhD candidate, who studies accuracy of personality judgments, spent the quarantine crafting her dissertation proposal – the research plan for the rest of her program.

With the campus reopening, Harvey expects to stay on track with her research progress. She will start conducting experiments with human participants this fall, which can also be done remotely if necessary. “I’d just have to figure out a way to run participants virtually, which wouldn’t be impossible,” said Harvey, adding that the logistics behind this option are still not ideal.

Working from home was also not a hindrance for some graduate students in the final stages of their programs who have already acquired their data. For Andrea Unzueta Martinez, the finishing line is in sight despite the quarantine. Martinez, whose research is about host-associated microbiomes in marine creatures, used the time in the lockdown to analyze data and write her dissertation chapters, and she expects to graduate on time.

Hopes for the Future

Back at the bench, Northeastern’s PhD researchers are facing limited work hours and reduced density in the labs. Although rubbing elbows with labmates helps create an atmosphere of collaboration, in-person teamwork gives way to public health regulations. Scientists are resting their hopes for research continuity on the new rules.

“I really hope the safety measures we’ve been applying in the lab can prevent us from having another lockdown,” said Letícia Angelini, expressing many researchers’ wishes.

Northeastern’s guidelines on the reopening can be found here.

There are plenty of misconceptions about COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. And that’s especially true during a time when false information about the disease, the virus, and possible treatments is so hard to counteract.

Different misconceptions about the coronavirus—about how it gets transmitted, and how it leads to COVID-19 complications, for example—can result from a limited understanding of microbes and disease.

Misconceptions can also arise from a mix of different beliefs and ways of thinking that people inadvertently use when they try to make sense of things they don’t fully understand, says John Coley, an associate professor of psychology at Northeastern who has been studying those thinking modes for the past 10 years.

Read the rest of this story here.