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5 Scientific Studies You Can Volunteer for Today
The world may be at a standstill, but science marches on
Along with practically everything else, the pandemic has put a moratorium on countless field studies and clinical trials that aren’t Covid-19-related. For example, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies’ fieldwork involving mapping the disrupted circadian rhythms of night-shift workers like firefighters had to be put on hold because firefighters are needed as first responders to viral outbreaks now. At Cornell University, a study on how insects fly involving genetically engineered fruit flies came to a halt when the physics labs were shuttered, and a month’s worth of fly breeding had to be thrown out.
Some of these setbacks could cause lasting and even irreversible impacts on vital scientific research.
Many other studies, however, have been able to progress because the work and research can be done away from the lab or field. Those that are perhaps most primed to weather the coronavirus storm are the ones that call on average people to lend a hand from wherever they happen to live — not necessarily as study subjects but as research analysts.
There are actually a number of ongoing studies looking for “citizen scientists” to participate. If you’re looking for a new pandemic project, one of the studies below might fit the bill.
Help researchers develop a cure for Alzheimer’s by playing a game
It’s estimated that 50 million people worldwide are currently living with Alzheimer’s or a related form of dementia. Potential treatments are progressing, however, and there is a way you can help speed things up.
A recent Cornell University study discovered a connection between Alzheimer’s symptoms and reduced blood flow to the brain: “stalled” blood vessels, which appear on scans like wires that have been cut in half. When scientists removed the cells causing the stalls in mice, it improved their performance on memory tests. However, the process of finding stalls can take one lab tech a very long time. So the Human Computation Institute created a computer game called Stall Catchers that allows anyone to help by looking at moving brain scans of mice and pinpointing…
