The YSJC Journal
A Collection of Literature Reviews
Summer 2025 & Summer 2026
Each summer, our scholars work in subject cohorts to read and dissect real scientific research, then write and present a capstone literature review. The YSJC Journal collects that work — a celebration of their curiosity, critical thinking, and commitment to understanding complex science. Two volumes are published so far.
Volume 2 · Summer 2026
The latest volume
Six cohorts — Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Psychology — spent four weeks dissecting a research paper of their choosing, from tardigrade DNA repair to microplastics in bottled water.
6 cohorts · 6 literature reviews
Watch the presentations
The cohort's final capstone presentations, recorded live.
Biology
Comparative transcriptomics reveal a novel tardigrade-specific DNA-binding protein induced in response to ionizing radiation
Mentor: Jadon Li
Read the reviewChemistry
Occurrence and characterization of microplastics in bottled drinking water
Mentor: Ashley Kang
Read the reviewComputer Science & AI
Systematic Comparison of Path Planning Algorithms using PathBench
Mentor: Satyaki Maitra
Read the reviewMathematics
The Fibonacci Numbers — Exposed More Discretely (Benjamin & Quinn)
Mentor: Veer Mahajan
Read the reviewPhysics
Experimental Analysis of Cool Roof Coatings as an Urban Heat Mitigation Strategy to Enhance Thermal Performance
Mentor: Ashley Kang
Read the reviewPsychology
Striatal D1- and D2-type dopamine receptors are linked to motor response inhibition in human subjects
Mentor: Brian Lu
Read the reviewVolume 1 · Summer 2025
The first volume
The first volume of the YSJC Journal — literature reviews written by our inaugural cohort across Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Neuroscience, and Psychology.
6 cohorts · 7 literature reviews
Biology
Understanding and applying biological resilience, from genes to ecosystems
Mentor: Jadon Li
Read the reviewChemistry
Occurrence, exposure, and health risk assessment of heavy metals in green tea samples cultivated in the Hangzhou area
Mentor: Ashley Kang
Read the reviewComputer Science & AI
Attention Is All You Need
Mentor: Kalena Dai
Read the reviewMathematics
Emergence of Scaling in Random Networks
Mentor: Veer Mahajan
Read the reviewNeuroscience
Loss of Recent Memory After Bilateral Hippocampal Lesions + 1 more
Mentor: Jennifer Li
Read the reviewPsychology
Milgram's Obedience Study
Mentor: Stephanie Leung
Read the reviewRead the latest volume
Volume 2 is embedded below — or download the PDF.