ProSPER is a graduate student group dedicated to promoting science policy, education, and research.
ProSPER Blog posts are educational exercises intended to develop students’ communication skills. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ProSPER or Washington University in St. Louis.
Latest blog posts
Saving Lives, Saving Costs: Why Missouri Taxpayers Should Care About Homeless Interventions
Research indicates that for every dollar allocated to Housing First, $1.44 is recouped in related public savings. Similarly, every dollar invested in medical respite yields a return of $1.81 in reduced hospital expenditures. The vast majority of evidence indicates that the long-term savings generated by these programs far exceed the initial spending and create sustainable models for addressing homelessness and reducing healthcare costs. So, while skepticism or hesitation regarding the initial investments required to establish these programs is understandable, it is clear that the cost of inaction is far greater.
Gene Therapy: A New Frontier in Medicine
On December 8th, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved two gene therapy treatments for Sickle cell disease (SCD).1 This is the first time gene therapies have been approved as a potential treatment, marking a breakthrough in medical advancements. This also marks huge strides in the treatment of SCD. Previously, symptoms could be treated, […]
ProSPER Fall 2023 Book Club Recap
Lack of Narrative: How Science Communication Fails the General Public Book Summary: Plastics by Imari Walker-Franklin and Jenna Jambeck provides a comprehensive introduction to the life cycle of plastics—from fossil fuel refinement, the breakdown of these plastics into micro and nanoplastic particles, to the discovery of these particles in human beings. The authors describe how […]