Science is all around us. It fills our classrooms, our labs, the spaces we dine, and even the rooms where our nation’s policies are forged. For the scientific spark to become aflame, what’s required – at the most fundamental level – is a question and the imperishable curiosity to chase it. How does ligand X modulate the activity of transcription factor Y? How are the limitations of our nation’s justice system rooted in a history of structural inequality? How can we capture the emotional dimensions of a cancer diagnosis using film? Each of these questions is rooted in science and deserving of equal praise.

With the rise of artifical intelligence, computers are achieving proficiency within narrow domains at a pace faster than any human will be able to sustain. Indeed, the once-prized ambition of becoming a specialist is losing its draw. Increasingly, what will define our scientific contributions in an era of human-computer symbiosis will be that which makes us uniquely human: the ability to connect the dots across disciplines, finding solutions in one discipline to problems in another. Multidisciplinary research represents the future of human innovation. The challenge, then, for future scientists is to become multidisciplinary thinkers themselves. But that’s merely one piece of the puzzle. Because if we fail to communicate our science well, then what can the public do with it?

The COVID-19 pandemic has done well to teach us the power of effective science communication. As a nation, we witnessed inaccurate information surrounding vaccines and viral epidemiology result in the loss of lives. Equally, we saw the power of leveraging multimodal techniques in science communication. Scientists took to social media platforms such as TikTok and Twitter and used their platform to extend accurate information to millions. Physicians created health education videos on YouTube to ensure that medicine was impactful not only in the laboratory space, but also in the public space. Perhaps most excitingly, students – even younger than you and me – demonstrated a powerful fusion of scientific thinking and digital creativity as they embarked on a mission to educate their peers and communities. What can we learn from all this? That the best scientists of the 21st century will not only commit their heart and soul toward the pursuit of cross-disciplinary science, but they will work just as hard to communicate their science in ways that make sense for a 21st century audience.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 also taught us a graver lesson: science benefits society unequally, skewed by the lines of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. If we hope for science to serve an increasingly diverse society, then our research spaces must reflect the diversity of that society. As the future scientists of America, we must grapple with our nation’s history, consider how this history has produced generational inequities that disempower minority communities from pursuing science, and put in the work – the real work – to dismantle skewed representation in the research workforce. The days where we judge a scientist’s merit by their h-index must be put behind us. In this burgeoning era of research, we must raise the bar: demanding scientists to not only produce innovative research, but to mentor, educate, and serve. These pillars of interdisciplinary collaboration, strong science communication, and a commitment to equity are precisely what make UAB such a powerful research institution. As chief editors, Craig and I have sought to stamp these principles into the fabric of Inquiro.

In the summer before my freshman year at UAB, my research journey began. I attribute my early research exposure to the passion for mentorship that is common among many of UAB’s world-class scientists. From those first experiences researching brain cancer pathogenesis, I developed a passion for innovation within the healthcare space. As my interests matured, I transitioned to researching Alzheimer’s disease, basic neural circuitry, and now health education surrounding cancer in the Middle East. While our curiosities are ever-changing, I learned that the constant intellectual stimulus of science is constant. No matter what you do, science liberates you from the confines of practice and invites you to channel creativity in your work. This liberty excites me deeply, so I joined Inquiro to share my passion and empower others in their research pursuits.

Craig’s experience followed a different trajectory. Amid the pandemic, trying to navigate his freshman year of college, he was lucky enough to have the opportunity to take an in-person, hands-on molecular genetics class that first exposed him to scientific research. By presenting at the UAB Expo online later that semester, he learned about the importance of properly communicating his research to a public audience and making it digestible. He was immediately fascinated with the scientific process and quickly discovered the extent to which research was being conducted at UAB, particularly the many opportunities for undergraduate students to participate. It wasn’t until his sophomore year that he deeply involved himself with research, when he found a lab that sought to understand the basic molecular mechanisms of how brains mature during postnatal development. During his research experience, he learned that science remains filled with uncertainty and that basic research is a crucial component of any science field. His growing passion for basic research as well as his exposure to the importance of properly communicating findings prompted him to join Inquiro. He sought more opportunities to discover what research was being conducted on campus as well as promote diverse fields ranging from the humanities to the hard-core sciences.

Over the past year, Craig and I have sought to make Inquiro more multidisciplinary, accessible, and inviting for diverse communities. We increased the number of student Editorial Board members and made it a priority to recruit members across the breadth of UAB’s academic disciplines. Likewise, our faculty reviewers represent diversity in interest and experience, ensuring this edition of Inquiro is suitable for readers of all backgrounds. Further, this year’s submissions achieved the greatest diversity, both in discipline and format, that Inquiro has seen; you will find engineering, political science, psychology, physics, film, and even research narratives within this edition. Finally, we worked with students and faculty to ensure that submissions minimized discipline-specific jargon and were appropriate for broad audiences while not compromising on the rigor that has always defined Inquiro. We are honored for you to be the judge of how well we delivered on these promises.

Coming out of a period where Inquiro was dormant, we certainly faced challenges along the way. Securing entirely new faculty reviewers and student reviewers while building the journal’s workflow from the ground up posed immense limitations in time and energy; naturally, we made errors along the way. Yet, the continuous support from Dr. Bevensee and Mr. Jones – our faculty advisors – as well as the Honors College and Office of Service Learning and Undergraduate Research cannot be overstated and was instrumental in finalizing this edition. Further, many thanks are due to our wonderful team of editorial board members who tirelessly worked through revisions. They remained patient with Craig and I as we navigated the challenges of our position, and for that we are immensely grateful. Also, as Craig noted, “This latest issue of Inquiro would not be possible without acknowledging the tremendous efforts of UAB’s Web Designer, Ms. Carey Cauthen. She has been crucial for the development of this issue and we thank her for her patience and expertise throughout the entire process!” Finally, Inquiro would not exist without the ambitious, passionate, and tenacious UAB students that submit to the journal each year. The review process is extensive: requiring students to critically evaluate each word of their writing through two stages of revision. This year’s authors remained resilient throughout the process. Their final products capture the grit and talent that radiates throughout the UAB student community.

We hope you share our excitement for this eleventh volume of Inquiro. More importantly, we hope this volume represents the reignition of Inquiro’s flame, reviving the passion that persisted from Inquiro’s inception in 2007 and lasted until 2017. While this edition is shorter than Inquiro is accustomed to, we believe its breadth will capture your interest all the same. As you read through, grasp the excitement you experience and channel toward your own research endeavors at UAB. Few colleges offer their students the intellectual freedom in research that UAB affords us. Don’t waste it; make your mark.

Junior Co-Chief Editor, Karim Mikhail
2022-2023