Dear Readers,
We are proud to announce the publication of the 2023-2024 edition of the Columbia Junior Science Journal! This year's edition features high-quality research across a wide variety of scientific disciplines, including but not limited to biology, medicine, computer science, environmental science, psychology, and engineering. The quality of research and the scholarship of our authors is truly impressive, and including their work in our publication is both a privilege and an honor.
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered the way we navigate and conduct scientific research, limiting opportunities for students around the world, especially at a time when scientific literacy and research is needed the most. So, it is inspiring to know that so many young scientists across the world are advocating for science through their research and authorship as we continue to recover from the pandemic.
In addition to advocating for scientific research, it is important to increase the accessibility of scientific resources to all communities, as science is a collective endeavor. Therefore, we hope to fulfill this aim by giving high school students a platform to contribute to our scientific understanding of nature. Our science events, conferences, and outreach efforts are a few additional ways we try to increase accessibility of scientific involvement to all. I am incredibly proud of our editorial team for leading the Columbia Junior Science Journal in this cause.
As the Presidents of the Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal, it was an honor to assist in reading, editing, and reviewing the submissions made to our journal. We are extremely grateful to our Columbia Junior Science Journal team and editorial board for their significant contributions to our scientific review process and doing an incredible job leading this publication. We are especially grateful to Coco Huang and Jimmy Zhang, Editors-in-Chief of the Columbia Junior Science Journal, whose phenomenal leadership made this publication a success. We would also like to thank the Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal Faculty Advisory Board, whose support ensures publication of the highest quality of scholarship. Congratulations to our authors, and thank you to our readers!
Sincerely,
Priya Ray and Kynnedy Simone Smith
Presidents, Chief Editorial Officers
Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal