From the Nominator

"“Inflammation—the fires that burn within” is a feature story written for Duke University-National University of Singapore's (Duke-NUS) quarterly e-magazine MEDICUS and published in Issue 3 of 2021. It offers a deep dive into inflammation and its role in health and diseases. Using fire as an analogy, it details how inflammation can spiral out of control to become a formidable adversary within the body, much like when small fires turn into uncontrollable wildfires.  

Inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, the story also seeks to connect readers to COVID-19 research while explaining how inflammation is the culprit behind some of the devastating long-term effects caused by the virus. It also talks about the ongoing research efforts of Duke-NUS scientists as they fight to catch up with the virus.  

By delving into inflammation in the context of other common diseases, the content of the story is kept relevant, even in a future beyond COVID-19, while highlighting the multifaceted research that is carried out at Duke-NUS every day to transform medicine and improve lives."

From the Judges

Nice scientific article that explained a complex topic well and made it understandable. We liked the fire metaphor. Good use of social media to promote the story.