Catalysts of Change
Ideas Shaping Tomorrow
Volume 2, Issue 1 — July 2026
Published July 2026
ISSN: 3069-8200
The Princeton Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (PJIR) proudly presents its third issue, Catalyst of Change, continuing the journal's commitment to showcasing exceptional interdisciplinary scholarship from undergraduate and early-career researchers around the world.
This issue reflects the transformative power of research to challenge assumptions, advance understanding, and inspire meaningful change across disciplines. Catalyst of Change brings together an exceptional collection of papers spanning fields including artificial intelligence, molecular biology, psychology, environmental science, public policy, law, economics, history, philosophy, literature, art history, biomedical engineering, cybersecurity, aerospace engineering, and global development. Together, these contributions demonstrate how today's most pressing questions are increasingly addressed through interdisciplinary perspectives and innovative approaches.
This issue also highlights the truly global nature of student research. The published papers represent student researchers from institutions around the world, including Phillips Academy, Northeastern University, Dartmouth College, Pennsylvania State University, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and many other leading secondary schools and universities across North America, Europe, Asia, and beyond.
In recognition of outstanding scholarly contributions, Catalyst of Change presents two Best Paper Awards. The first Best Paper Award is presented to "The Relationship Between Adolescents' Likelihood to Judge, Assist, and Punish Under Omission Neglect" by Seojin E. Ban of Phillips Academy, with Dr. Alireza Soltani of Dartmouth College, for its thoughtful experimental investigation into adolescent decision-making and cognitive bias. The second Best Paper Award is presented to "Nascent vs. Steady-State Sequencing Reveals Extensive but Unstable Antisense Transcription in Yeast" by Nishant Chaparala for its rigorous biological research and original contribution to understanding gene transcription dynamics. These papers exemplify the intellectual curiosity, methodological rigor, and interdisciplinary excellence that define the mission of the Princeton Journal of Interdisciplinary Research.
All accepted articles are published online under ISSN 3069-8200.
Editor’s Note
The beginning of a new volume offers an opportunity to present new scholarship and reflect on the purpose of research. As the Princeton Journal of Interdisciplinary Research enters its second year, we are reminded that knowledge advances through curiosity, collaboration, and a willingness to question established ideas.
Today’s most pressing challenges—from technological change and public health to climate resilience and global inequality—rarely belong to a single discipline. Addressing them requires researchers who can connect diverse perspectives, methods, and fields of study.
The articles in this issue reflect that interdisciplinary spirit. Each examines a distinct question, yet together they demonstrate how rigorous scholarship can deepen our understanding of complex problems.
As PJIR continues to grow, we remain committed to supporting undergraduate and early-career researchers whose work challenges assumptions and contributes to meaningful academic dialog. We thank our authors, reviewers, and readers for making this publication possible.
We hope this issue inspires curiosity, encourages new conversations, and highlights the power of building connections across disciplines.
PJIR Editorial Team
Articles in This Issue
Neuron Regeneration and Biomaterials for Concussion Recovery
Author: Eric L
Affiliation: Henry M. Gunn High School, 780 Arastradero Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94306
Abstract: This paper presents a comprehensive review of using neuron regeneration to aid in recovery from concussions and other forms of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), focusing specifically on the use of biomaterials and cells. There are several studies regarding regenerative medicine, but few relate to using neural stem cells (NSCs) and bioengineering to improve recovery after mTBI.
Keywords: traumatic brain injury, Neural Stem Cells, biomaterials, Regenerative Medicine
Generation of Dopaminergic Neurons from iPSCs for Parkinson’s Cell-Based Therapies and Functional Assessment Methods Evaluation
Author: Ken Ananta Huang
Affiliation:
Abstract: Dopamine is a neurotransmitter or a chemical messenger that is primarily responsible for emotions, motivation, and most importantly, smooth, coordinated movement. In Parkinson’s Disease, dopaminergic neurons are degraded, causing a shortage of dopamine within the human body. With current pharmacological treatments, their ability to alleviate symptoms temporarily is necessary for combating PD, but they do not reverse dopaminergic neuron loss.
Keywords: dopamine, Parkinson’s disease, neuron, pluripotent stem cells, therapeutic potential
HybridEnhancementNet: A Novel Deep Learning Architecture for Low-Light Image Enhancement through Model Fusion
Author: Vihaan R. Mishra
Affiliation: Department of Computer Science, Los Altos High School, Los Altos, United States
Abstract: Deep learning models replicate key aspects of human cognition, enabling powerful capabilities in classification, recognition, and generation. In areas like vehicle autonomy, computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) play a critical role—especially in low-light conditions where enhanced visual input can improve safety and performance.
Keywords: Low-Light dataset, novel architecture, deep learning, computer vision, artificial intelligence
ChemRAGBench: Evaluating Retrieval-Augmented
Chemical Reasoning
Author: Madhubala Mohanakrishnan
Affiliation: CCIR Future Scholars Program, Basking Ridge, New Jersey, United States
Abstract: Large language models (LLMs) have shown transformative capabilities in computational reasoning across scientific domains. In chemistry, they offer potential for property prediction, mechanistic reasoning, and multi-source data integration. However, existing benchmarks emphasize factual recall over retrieval-augmented reasoning.
Keywords: LLMs, Chemistry, optimization, benchmarking
Citation for This Issue
Princeton Journal of Interdisciplinary Research. (2026). Volume 2, Issue 1 — Catalysts of Change. PJIR.
https://www.princeton-press.com/pjir/issues/vol-2-issue-1
Open Access Statement
This journal is fully open access. All articles are freely available to read, download, and share without subscription or access barriers. We encourage scholars to cite and engage with the research published here, as such scholarly exchange plays an important role in supporting emerging and early-career researchers and advancing ongoing academic conversations.