Valentine’s Day is this week—but you know what’s better than candy and cards? Sharing cool facts about the heart! For example, did you know that, on average, female hearts beat 5 beats faster per minute than their male counterparts? And that female hearts have more cardiomyocytes (muscle cells), making them more efficient at burning fat for fuel?

Women have been driving cardiovascular science for more than a century—from Canadian physician Maude Abbott’s groundbreaking classification of congenital heart disease in 1936, to Dr. Mary Logan Reddick becoming the first woman to perform open-heart surgery in 1943, to Dr. Helen Taussig founding the field of pediatric cardiology the following year. Today, women continue to push the boundaries of what we know about this incredible muscle every day.

Wishing you a fun and safe Winter Carnival, a happy Lunar New Year, and a truly “hearty” Valentine’s Day this week!

-The WISP Team

Our friends at the FGO are offering several events and activities this week that may be of interest to first-gen members of the WISP community:

All events will be held at the FGO Common Space in Sudikoff. Please RSVP to attend.

Curious about cognitive science? Attend the program’s winter social to connect with faculty members about declaring a major, planning an independent study, and any other questions you may have. Refreshments will be served; no registration required.

Interested in biological sciences? Come celebrate with the BIOL community next week in the LSC! You don’t have to be a major - anyone with an interest in the many diverse fields of biology is welcome.

MAD is a video competition that gives Dartmouth undergraduates the chance to share their research with a broad audience. The contest is a collaboration between SURFD and the Dartmouth Libraries’ Jones Media Center (JMC).

This is a unique opportunity to present your work in an accessible, creative format, and develop valuable communication and media skills. The Jones Media Center offers free resources to support video creation.

The competition is open to Dartmouth undergraduates conducting research outside the classroom with a faculty mentor. Videos (up to three minutes) must be submitted by Wednesday, April 15.

Cash prizes are awarded! Judges will select a grand prize winner, who will receive $1,000. An on-campus screening will take place Friday, April 24, where attendees can vote for the People’s Choice award. The People’s Choice winner will receive $250.

For more information, visit the SURFD website.

Are you interested in conducting research during the spring term? The deadline for submitting applications is fast approaching for two of SURFD’s research programs:

Leave yourself plenty of time to prepare these materials and please make sure you review all of the guidelines for submission, including those for faculty recommendations/endorsements. No late applications will be accepted.

Also: Applications for the Stamps Scholars Program are due February 15.