Author: Lasya Vankayala

DPhil Candidate in Biochemistry. 9 years of research experience in academia and industry with plans to pursue a PhD. Schulich Leader Scholar and founder of COVID19 Demystified.

A Peek at Pfizer’s Vaccine Candidate

by Lasya Vankayala, posted in Demystified

This post was reviewed by Dr. Zachary Benet, one of our subject matter experts. The paper we’re demystifying today can be found here, if you’d like to follow along. TL;DR BNT162b1 is an RNA-based vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. This Phase 1/2 clinical data is promising, because it shows that vaccination causes a strong antibody response, including neutralizing … Continue reading A Peek at Pfizer’s Vaccine Candidate

D-I of Research (Science to English Dictionary: Part 2)

by Lasya Vankayala, posted in Science to English Dictionary, Sidebar

This is the second instalment of our Science to English dictionary. You can find our first instalment (with terms from A-C) here! D Dependent variable To explain independent and dependent variables, let’s look at a very simple setup: Imagine you have a toy car speeding down a ramp and you want to know how far … Continue reading D-I of Research (Science to English Dictionary: Part 2)

The ABCs of Research (Science to English Dictionary: Part 1)

by Lasya Vankayala, posted in Science to English Dictionary, Sidebar

This is the first instalment in a new sidebar series. In this series, I'm going to attempt to list and define some common terms in life science research. The idea is for these posts to act as a reference for anyone who wants to read through a paper that hasn't been demystified yet. A lot … Continue reading The ABCs of Research (Science to English Dictionary: Part 1)

Letter From the Editor: August, 2020

by Lasya Vankayala, posted in Letters from the Editor, Sidebar

Dear readers, For those of you in British Columbia, Happy BC Day! We hope you enjoy your long weekend while staying safe. Wear a mask when you're in public and stay 6' apart! COVID19 Demystified is coming up on its fifth month of operation. When we started this initiative we weren't think about how long … Continue reading Letter From the Editor: August, 2020