Nina Cintron Pregosin, PhD

Researcher | Science Writer

United States

Welcome to my portfolio. I'm Nina, a researcher who is passionate about writing and scientific communication.

I earned my PhD in pharmacology from Stony Brook University, where I used 3D human kidney organoids to study potential drug targets for kidney disease.

During my PhD training, I wrote and edited articles for Stony Brook University's SciComm Society: a student-run platform that strives to make scientific innovations more accessible to the general public. Here is a small collection of writing samples published by the SciComm Society.

I am constantly seeking new inspiration to write, and am open to freelance writing opportunities.

Portfolio
SBU SciComm
01/26/2022
Can pigs solve the organ shortage crisis?

As of October 2021, there are 106,662 patients on the national transplant waiting list in the United States. Due to the shortage of organs available for transplant, 17 people die each day while on this waitlist. For years, scientists have been searching for new methods to address the organ shortage.

SBU SciComm
08/31/2023
Scientists Successfully Transplant Pig Kidneys into a Brain-Dead Human

On July 14th, a genetically modified pig kidney was transplanted into a brain-dead human donor The transplanted kidney functioned for 32 days, the longest time a pig kidney has functioned in a human This record breaking procedure may offer new hope for the thousands of people waiting for a kidney transplant Earlier this...

SBU SciComm
02/21/2024
Rebuilding an Organization: the Future of SACNAS at Stony Brook University

More than 63.7 million people in the United States are Hispanic. Hispanics Americans make up 19.1% of the total population and according to the US Census Bureau, they are the largest racial minority in the United States. Although Hispanic adults make up 17% of the workforce, they remain underrepresented in science, making up only 8%...

SBU SciComm
03/08/2023
Henrietta Lacks: The Mother of Modern Medicine

When she was 30 years old, Henrietta Lacks was diagnosed with cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins hospital. During a routine cancer treatment, one of her doctors took a sample of her tumor and gave it to Dr. George Gey. Without her knowledge, Dr. Gey sent her tumor sample to a laboratory where scientists have been...

SBU SciComm
04/13/2022
How Climate Change Affects Drug Discovery

This year, the Great Barrier Reef has been hit with its sixth mass bleaching event. Widespread bleaching was previously observed in 1998, 2002, 2016, 2017, and 2020, but scientists are especially concerned because this year marks the first time a mass bleaching event has occurred during a relatively cooler year.

SBU SciComm
04/07/2024
Everything you need to know before the solar eclipse

On Monday, April 8th a total solar eclipse will be visible across North America. Here is everything you need to know before the eclipse. What is a solar eclipse? A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes in between the sun and the earth, covering the photosphere (the sun's face).

SBU SciComm
12/16/2024
I asked GPT to draw my life

I asked ChatGPT "based on what you know about me, draw a picture of what you think my current life looks like." I found this idea from Kevin Weill's LinkedIn post, where he shared his results using the same prompt. Here's what ChatGPT thinks my life looks like.

SBU SciComm
01/25/2023
AI Authors and the Rise of ChatGPT

An online chatbot has been taking the scientific community by storm. However, some are concerned about the consequences of technology emerging before legislation can regulate it. ChatGPT is an online chatbot that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to provide responses to user-input questions or summarize articles. ChatGPT is a large-language model that mimics speech patterns, resulting...

SBU SciComm
12/02/2024
Native American Contributions to Medicine

Indigenous peoples of the Americas identified more than 2,500 plants that could be used for medicinal purposes. Despite their lack of recognition, many Native American practices have influenced the evolution of modern medicine. Pain Relievers Native Americans utilized various plants to alleviate aches and pains. The bark of the white willow tree, for example, was...