Two researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have been elected 2024 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the largest scientific society in the world and publisher of the Science family of journals.

A powerful AI model called Deep Novel Mutation Search (DNMS) predicts virus mutations more accurately and efficiently than traditional, time-consuming lab experiments. Focused on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, the model uses a specialized protein language model fine-tuned to understand the virus's specific “language.” DNMS can predict mutations that cause small, functional changes – crucial for viruses like SARS-CoV-2, which evolve through subtle adjustments to maintain function. This approach promises to enhance virus tracking and public health by predicting mutations more accurately and quickly.

Dartmouth researchers conducted the first clinical trial of an AI-powered therapy chatbot and found that, on average, people with diagnosed mental disorders experienced clinically significant improvements in their symptoms over eight weeks, according to results published in NEJM AI, a journal from the publishers of the New England Journal of Medicine. Users engaged with the software, known as Therabot, through a smartphone app and reported that interactions were comparable to working with a mental-health professional. The researchers conclude that while AI-powered therapy is in critical need of clinician oversight, it has the potential to provide real-time support for the many people who lack regular or immediate access to a professional.