Newswise — Two NYU studies are part of STAT Madness 2018—a virtual tournament of science in which the public votes for which studies they like best in a bracketed format.
In the first round, an NYU College of Dentistry study, which found a link between oral health and stomach cancer, faces research by the University of Michigan while an NYU Department of Psychology finding, which showed that by the age of 6, girls become less likely than boys to associate brilliance with their own gender and are more likely to avoid activities said to require brilliance, is paired against the University of California, San Diego’s School of Medicine.
STAT Madness was created by the STAT News organization, which is produced by Boston Globe Media and covers the health and medical fields. The 64-study bracket may be viewed and voted on here: https://www.statnews.com/feature/stat-madness/bracket/.
The first round began Feb. 26, with voting concluding March 1 at 11:59 p.m. EST. First-round winners then advance to the field of 32; a champion will be crowned after five rounds of voting, which concludes April 2. Details and dates for each round are available here: https://www.statnews.com/stat-madness-apply/official-rules/.
The College of Dentistry study, a collaboration with NYU School of Medicine and led by Professor Yihong Li, provided new evidence that the increase in pathogens associated with periodontal disease – a chronic, destructive disease in the gums and oral cavity – could contribute to the development of precancerous lesions that may lead to stomach cancer. Appearing in the Journal of Periodontology, the findings pointed to a new cause behind an affliction that the American Cancer Society estimated would cause more than 10,000 deaths in 2016.
The Department of Psychology study, led by Professor Andrei Cimpian, focused on boys and girls aged 5 to 7. It included a series of experiments, including one that tested their interest in games that were described as for children who are “really, really smart.” The results showed no significant differences in interest in these games between 5-year-old boys and girls. However, at age 6, girls’ interest in the activities for smart children was lower than that for boys. The findings, which appeared in the journal Science, revealed how early gender stereotypes take hold and points to the potential of their life-long impact.
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EDITOR’S NOTE:
Founded in 1831, NYU is one of the world’s foremost research universities and is a member of the selective Association of American Universities. NYU has degree-granting university campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai; has eleven other global academic sites, including London, Paris, Florence, Tel Aviv, Buenos Aires, and Accra; and both sends more students to study abroad and educates more international students than any other U.S. college or university. Through its numerous schools and colleges, NYU is a leader in conducting research and providing education in the arts and sciences, engineering, law, medicine, business, dentistry, education, nursing, the cinematic and performing arts, music and studio arts, public administration, social work, and professional studies, among other areas. www.nyu.edu.
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