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Despite the ongoing rollout of coronavirus vaccines, masks remain a critical tool to reducing the spread of COVID-19. But the pandemic has put a premium on both the quality of face masks and the number of them wearing more than one mask is now becoming a popular habit as more infectious variants of the virus crop up around the United States. Research suggests double-masking can bolster protection, making for a better fit over the mouth and nose with less open space at the edges. At the same time, there is a shortage of clinical-grade personal protective equipment (PPE) in multiple regions.
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Joyce Wong Elected to National Academy of Inventors
Joyce Wong’s career as an inventor began with-and was inspired by-a pair of painful personal events. While she was pursuing her PhD at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), her grandfather succumbed to cancer and, shortly thereafter, her father suffered a nonfatal heart attack.
“At the time, I was working with biomaterials and studying their interactions with cells,” says Wong, a Boston University College of Engineering professor of biomedical engineering and materials science and engineering. “I remember thinking, ‘Wow, maybe the research I can do will really make a difference. ”