The Virginia Tech media relations office has the following experts available for interviews this week surrounding issues in the news. To schedule an interview, please contact mediarelations@vt.edu.

Ukrainian president visits Washington amid stalled aid negotiations

President Biden will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday. This comes as Congress appears no closer to a deal on emergency aid for Ukraine. As it stands, the deal ties immigration and border policy changes, as well as funding for Ukraine and Israel to the emergency aid package. Virginia Tech government and international affairs professor Gerard Toal is available to speak about the importance of the visit and what’s at stake.

FDA approves first gene therapies to treat patients with sickle cell disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved two milestone treatments, Casgevy and Lyfgenia, making them the first cell-based gene therapies to treat sickle cell disease in patients 12 years and older. Sickle cell disease is a group of inherited blood disorders affecting approximately 100,000 people in the U.S. and is most common in African Americans. Virginia Tech epidemiologist Lisa Lee is an FDA advisory committee member and available to talk about the benefits of this treatment and what it means for the future.

Holiday story ideas with Virginia Tech experts

Eco-friendly ways to celebrate the holiday

From electricity usage to piles of presents, and an overload of food, this time of year can take a toll on the environment. Virginia Tech sustainability expert, Jennifer Russell is available to share tips on having a more sustainable holiday season. More here.

Strategies for managing holiday stress and anxiety

The holiday season is often an overwhelming experience for many individuals. The combination of gift shopping, travel arrangements, and the expected anxiety of family and friends can create very stressful situations. Virginia Tech psychologist Rosanna Breaux shares her most effective tips for navigating seasonal stress. More here.

What parents should know about ‘smart toys’ and data security

The growing smart toy market puts millions of toys with computing power and audio and visual recording capability in children’s hands. Parents considering digital toy gifts for Christmas or Hanukkah should be aware of the data collection that these toys perform and how to better protect their children’s privacy in this new domain. Information security experts France Belanger and Donna Wertalik, co-founders of Voices of Privacy, share guidance for parents. More here.

To avoid travel problems this holiday season - plan ahead

The holiday season can be a stressful time for those planning to travel. Between costs, short staffing, and limited bookings, Virginia Tech travel and tourism expert Mahmood Khan says to plan ahead. He’s available to explain what’s causing the issues and provide tips to make traveling a bit easier. More here.

For other holiday topics, click here.

Podcast Feature - Impact of screen time on young children

As we approach winter break, parents will be looking for ways to keep their children entertained. This week, Koeun Choi joins Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the impact of media on young children. She shares insights from her research on screen time and a project she’s working on that explores the use of artificial intelligence to help children learn to read.  

Choi is an assistant professor of human development and family science in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences and the director of the Cognitive Developmental Science (CoDeS) Lab.

New episodes will debut each Tuesday. Expert researchers are also available for media interviews. To listen and learn more, click here.

Research Highlights

Veterinary college integrates ancient art and modern science to teach acupuncture

For thousands of years, acupuncture has played a crucial role in traditional Chinese medicine, known for promoting healing and balance. Today, this practice is gaining recognition in veterinary medicine as a safe, effective complementary therapy. 

The Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine combines ancient acupuncture methods with contemporary medical approaches in animal health care. Acupuncture is available in its Veterinary Teaching Hospital as a service and is taught to veterinary students.

Rebecca Funk, clinical associate professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, emphasized the importance of acupuncture.

"Integrating acupuncture is about expanding our horizons in animal health,” Funk said. “We're not just treating ailments. We're nurturing the whole being of these animals. Acupuncture's role in pain management, rehabilitation, and chronic condition treatment is indispensable in our ever-evolving field."

More here

Virginia Tech researcher probes the potential for preventing and reversing age-related memory loss

About 40 percent of people over age 65 suffer some form of age-related memory loss, which puts them at higher risk for developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. However, there are currently no approved methods for preventing memory loss with age.

Tim Jarome, associate professor of neurobiology in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ School of Animal Sciences is hoping to change that, aided by a $433,000 grant from the National Institute on Aging, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.

This work carries significance for understanding and treating not only memory loss from natural aging but also degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, which affect more than 10 percent of Americans over age 65.

More here.

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