Research and Discovery

Girl with brown ponytail, pearl earrings and yellow sweater inhales cigarette smoke

How Cannabis Vaporizer Brands Market to Young People

Several popular brands have used Instagram to market their products, promoting young women, video games, and musicians to appeal to young people, according to a Columbia Mailman School of Public Health study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Health, Medicine and Wellness

four graphs with different colored lines showing autism incidence (blue, gold, green and pink)

Who is Diagnosed With Autism May Be Changing

A long-term study in California found socially disadvantaged children and those from diverse ethnic groups diagnosed at increasing rates, suggesting improved access to services for families with fewer resources.

illustration of turquoise bubble with buildings and a train at the perimeter and a white and yellow microscope at center

It Takes a Special Microscope to Fight Alzheimer’s

A supersensitive new instrument is helping Columbia scientists study the intricacies of neurodegenerative disease.

bottom half of two boeyes; one is white coat doctor writing on pad, the other is older female patient.

Delirium May Cause Long-Term Cognitive Decline

This rapid change in brain function is also linked to longer, more expensive hospital stays and increased mortality.

Neuroscience and Psychology

How do Proteins Turn Toxic in the Brain?

Imaging technology can reveal the molecular that build up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Alzheimer's: New Gene May Drive Earliest Brain Changes

The finding could lead to new therapies that prevent Alzheimer’s and better ways of identifying people with the greatest risk.

3D Videos Reveal How the Nose Detects Odor Combinations

A study in mice provides a glimpse of how special cells in the nose help the brain to distinguish a near-infinite combinations of scents.

Earth, Climate and Environmental Science

blond boy with red shirt and plaid shorts crouches on beach next to shore and water

Children Exposed to Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Suffered Physical and Mental Health Effects

The study found that one-third of parents reported that children exposed to the Gulf Coast spill had mental health issues.

Burning trees in orange flames with shadow of person walking away

Rethinking Readiness: A Brief Guide to 21st-Century Megadisasters

Jeffrey Schlegelmilch explores the menaces that could change not just lives or communities, but entire societies in an upcoming book.

blue sky and ice-covered mountains atop greenish water

Unusually Clear Skies to Blame for Record Loss of Greenland Ice

The ice sheet shrunk by hundreds of billions of tons last year, not just because of warm temperatures. Atmospheric circulation patterns also contributed to the rapid loss of mass.