Livia Cohen was an undecided sophomore at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island when her advisor suggested she get involved in medical research. She knew she needed to take a lab but was intimidated by the prospect until she stumbled upon a professor working on a series of studies about thiocyanate.
The professor’s research involved using an electrode the school had patented to detect thiocyanate in saliva. It had previously been proven that there was a correlation between thiocyanate levels and using cigarettes. Additionally, thiocyanate levels can be used to determine if someone has oral or gastric cancer, as they are at increased levels in this state. “The reason we developed the device was for dentists to be able to determine in the office if someone had oral or gastric cancer in a less invasive way,” Livia explained. “But as commonly occurs in science, the research started one way and developed into something else.”
During their studies, Livia and her co-investigators became interested in understanding the correlation and testing whether vaping produces the same results as cigarettes. When a tobacco leaf burns, it produces cyanide, which is why cigarettes are known to release this chemical. E-cigarettes, however, do not contain and burn tobacco in the same way, so theoretically, no cyanide should be ingested when vaping. However, cyanate is still a byproduct of vaping, which leaves researchers to wonder where it comes from.
So, the group tested several popular vaping products by collecting the vapor and analyzing the thiocyanate concentrations. Though the findings were preliminary because of time constraints, the results showed that cyanate concentrations were present both before and after volatilization. “From this, we can theorize that thiocyanate starts in the vape itself and is introduced into our bodies,” Livia explained.
“I don’t exist in a bubble; I am aware of everything around me, so I think a lot about not just how vapes are bad for the lungs, but they are also bad for the environment because they burn so quickly and then get thrown out. The cartridges are plastic, which causes a lot of waste.”
Sparking a Love for STEM
This research project is just the beginning for Livia, who found more than just information about vaping in the lab. “This research kind of fell into my lap, and it made my love of chemistry grow,” Livia said. “We were able to make mistakes, which led to the greatest learning opportunities. It showed me how hands-on and enjoyable chemistry can be in the right environment.” Livia is pursuing a PhD degree in Chemistry from North Carolina State University.
Livia grew up using many natural remedies, so she is drawn to studying synthesis using natural pathways or natural reactions to create compounds in a more environmentally friendly way. “If it wasn’t for this project and this lab, I wouldn’t have worked so hard to do additional research and realize how much I truly love working on things hands-on in the lab and seeing tangible results,” she exclaimed.
Sharing Some Good Advice
Before her research experience, Livia admits she had doubts about working in STEM. “I just didn’t feel smart enough, and I was nervous to mess up. I think this is a common concern for young people,” she said. “But if this experience has taught me anything, it is that messing up is okay, as long as you learn from it so that you can improve.” Now, she is the first person to encourage anyone to give science a try.
In addition, her time working with e-cigarettes in the lab has opened a whole new topic of interest for her. Not only does she better understand the dangers of vaping, she learned about the dangerous chemical makeup of the product and has become an anti-vaping advocate. “People would ask me when I presented my thesis, which is worse, vaping or smoking cigarettes? And I would say neither; you are picking your poison when you decide to smoke either product. Both are full of chemicals like cyanide. And for e-cigarettes, we still don’t know all the long-term effects.”
