Aoife Jeffries

Behavioral Neuroscience // Class of 2027

Mind over matter: Psychedelics as a last resort for treatment-resistant mental health disorders

Neuroscience / /

Dismissed and criminalized for decades, psychedelics were thought to offer nothing beyond mind-bending hallucinations. However, as times change, scientists are beginning to re-explore the medicinal benefits of psychedelics for treatment-resistant mental health conditions. Research has shown that drugs such as psilocybin and MDMA can be effective for treating a range of psychiatric conditions, including depression, […]

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Growing up too fast? Accelerated aging found in teenage girls’ brains during the pandemic

Biology, Health, Psychology / /

Four years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic stole millions of childhoods. Scientists raised concerns about the pandemic’s effects on development, education, and socialization, but the outcomes remain vastly evasive. Now, a new study has revealed that the adolescent brain experienced unusually fast maturation during lockdown — particularly in females. “Female brains aged significantly faster than male

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Like a moth to a flame: Why insects are attracted to light

Biology, Environment / /

Watching swarms of tiny insects dive into burning fires can be fascinating, but what drives them to this fiery death? From the first man-made fire to modern light fixtures, artificial illumination has drawn insects in, often to their deaths. Until now, it has been widely theorized that insects are attracted to light, even when it

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