A joint research team led by Prof. Yoonjae Choi of the Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI and Prof. Hwajeong Hong of the Department of Industrial Design has successfully developed and deployed a Virtual Teaching Assistant (VTA) that provides personalized feedback to individual students even in large-scale classes.

What’s happening inside the brain of a passionate hockey fan during a big game? A new study from the University of Waterloo gives us a closer look at how the brain functions when watching sports, with data showing how different a die-hard fan’s experience is from that of a casual viewer.

In the first peer-reviewed study to examine the potential risks and benefits of teen skin-care routines posted on social media, scientists at Northwestern Medicine found girls ages 7 to 18 are using an average of six different products on their faces, with some girls using more than a dozen products. These products tend to be marketed heavily to younger consumers and carry a high risk of skin irritation and allergy, the study found. 

Some autistic traits related to challenges with social interaction, mental flexibility and visual perception could be alleviated through a new, noninvasive therapy. A team of researchers, including those from the University of Tokyo, found that stimulating nerve cells when the brain becomes “stuck” in a certain state improves flexibility and relieves some autistic behaviors. The procedure utilized transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which is already used to treat certain mood disorders, in a novel manner. Over 40 adults with a mild form of autism participated, and the therapeutic effects lasted for up to two months after the last session. This study could contribute toward projects enabling new treatments.