• Articles,  Science Writing

    Working toward a cure for HIV

    There are 36.9 million people worldwide living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now, more than ever, a cure for HIV is in sight, thanks to researchers like Dr. Sanggu Kim, assistant professor of veterinary biosciences at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Kim obtained a PhD in biomedical engineering in 2007, and became an Ohio State faculty member in January. He has been studying HIV infection for 14 years, and was recently awarded a three-year, $747,000 grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institution to continue his research on the virus. Today, the standard treatment for HIV is antiretroviral…

  • Ohio State

    Deceased therapy dog passes on genes, 16 years later

    Losing a beloved pet is never easy. We oftentimes ponder how lovely it would be to see our pet again, and reminisce on photos and videos that remind us of our love for them. But some pet owners, such as Jennifer and Steve Trotta, take it one step further by cryopreserving the animal’s eggs or semen while they’re still alive. Quincy, the Trottas’ Golden retriever, had some of his semen frozen 16 years ago at The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center before he passed away, as the Trottas knew they would want to pass on his genes in the future to preserve his legacy. Quincy -a field golden- was…

  • Screenwriting

    Omens

    Two archaeologists stumble upon a sacred tomb in Giza, Egypt, and learn a long-forgotten history that explains the mystery behind Ancient Egyptian pyramids. From tyranny, to clairvoyance, to mind control, the twists and turns of this high-concept story will not fail to surprise. EXT. ANCIENT EGYPTIAN PYRAMID SITE – DAY LEE and AIDEN, male archaeologists in their late 30s, walk through the desert. Weighed down by equipment, they slow their pace as they approach a worn-down pyramid, then stop and stare in awe. They immediately get to work. Aiden scrapes the pyramid’s stone base for a sample as Lee circles it, inspecting the structure. He pushes on a large piece of…

  • Screenwriting

    The Mark of Glory

    Eli Marshall, a starting-out talk show host, seeks out magical forces to acquire more fame and experiences the trials of stardom; Kanye West tries and fails to hail a cab. FLASHBACK: INT. TALK SHOW SET – DAY Eli sits in a chair on the set of a talk show called “The Grapevine.” He adjusts a LAPEL MICROPHONE on his shirt. The show’s producer NORA, a quirky, British woman in her 50s, overlooks the set from the control room. NORA (Half-yawning) Okay Eli get ready. We’re live in 5, 4, 3… A bead of sweat drips down Eli’s forehead as he fidgets. NORA 2, 1… DEEP MALE VOICE (O.S.) Welcome to…

  • News,  The Lantern

    The Lantern

    Find below a few of the 27 articles I’ve authored for The Ohio State University’s daily student newspaper, The Lantern.  Brussels terror attacks have global, OSU impact – *front-page story March 29, 2016 Although the deadly attacks in Brussels on March 22 occurred 4,055 miles away from Ohio State, the community still feels the effects. The airport and subway bombings in Brussels injured 270 individuals and claimed the lives of 35. They appear to have been carried out by the same Islamic State network that implemented last year’s terrorist attacks in Paris, which killed 130 people. One OSU student was in Brussels when tragedy struck: Kate Hartmann, a doctorate student in…

  • Ohio State

    Veterinarians give years of life to chow with oral cancer

    When Linda and Patrick Henthorne took their chow, Tory, into a routine dental checkup in 2012, they didn’t expect to find out that she had oral melanoma. Before the checkup the Henthornes suspected something may be wrong, since Tory’s breath had been abnormally strong, but they didn’t foresee such bad news. Tory, the Henthornes only pet, was 5 years old at the time. Because melanoma is a cancer of the pigment-producing cells of the body (melanocytes), canine oral melanoma is more common in dogs with darkly pigmented gums, cheeks and tongues. These breeds include chows, poodles, dachshunds, Scottish terriers and golden retrievers, among others. Aside from foul breath, other symptoms…

  • Ohio State

    Thanks to dialysis, Phoebe the cat survives lily poisoning

    When Phoebe, a 23-month-old cat from Missouri, took a few nibbles of a lily plant, her owners didn’t think a thing. Unfortunately neither Phoebe nor her owners were aware of the dire consequences that would ensue. Lilies are highly toxic to cats when ingested, and if not treated immediately can be fatal in as little as 72 hours. Lily poisoning, particularly from plants of the Lilium or Hemerocallis genera, causes rapid kidney failure. Once Phoebe’s owners, Michael and Christina Weller, noticed how sick their cat was acting, they took her to their local veterinarian, who referred them to the University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center. This is where they were informed…

  • Ohio State

    Cystic Fibrosis research could change how patients are treated

    Dr. Estelle Cormet-Boyaka, associate professor in the Department of Veterinary Biosciences, and Dr. Amal Amer, an associate professor at the College of Medicine, have received a $2.55 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for their research on Cystic Fibrosis (CF). An estimated 30,000 people in the U.S. are living with CF, a fatal genetic disease, according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation patient registry. CF can affect multiple parts of the body, but primarily impairs lung function. The lungs in a person with CF are colonized with bacteria from a young age due to poor mucus clearance, which results in chronic inflammation. This makes them susceptible to various bacterial infections,…