Ask a Professor

In Ask a Professor, we ask Georgetown faculty members to break down complex issues and use their research to inform trending conversations, from the latest pop culture hits to research breakthroughs and critical global events shaping our world.

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Every month, we ask Georgetown professors to apply their expertise to important topics and pop culture trends, from exploring the psychology of smartphone addictions to applying linguistics to famous musical artists. Watch the latest Ask a Professor here.

Explore Our Videos

Jeffrey Huang looking into a microscope in a lab setting

On the Frontiers of MS Treatment Research

Multiple sclerosis affects some 2.8 million people globally. At Georgetown, biology professor Jeffrey Huang studies the possibility of novel treatment solutions for the autiimmune disease. Watch Huang give a tour of what goes on inside the brain when it tries to repair itself and how his treatment could improve patients’ lives.

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Explaining the Research that Matters

At Georgetown, faculty pursue research questions that push the boundaries of knowledge and have the potential to impact people’s everyday lives. Discover a few of their research endeavors.

A Better Way to Use Pesticides

How to Manage Negative Thoughts

The Science of Negotiations

Solving Smartphone Addiction

Jesse Meiller, an environmental toxicologist, details the harm caused by pesticides and offers alternative solutions for sustainable agriculture.

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Americans have become more anxious in recent years. Discover this clinical psychologist’s breakdown of negative thoughts and her strategies to deal with them.

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Common sense may tell you to express gratitude when you get a job offer. This professor’s research says otherwise.

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In a new psychology research study, Assistant Professor Kostadin Kushlev explores how smartphones affect human happiness and offers tips on how to reduce your screen time.

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Pop Culture Hits Explained

Over the years, we’ve asked professors to lend their expertise to some of the biggest trends in pop culture. Here are a few of our hits.

Thumbnail of zombies that says How would you survive a zombie apocalypse?

Emergency Management for Zombies

Tim Frazier, School of Continuing Studies

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Taylor Swift performing with text "How has Taylor Swift used language to power her superstardom?"

The Linguistics of Taylor Swift

Cynthia Gordon, College of Arts & Sciences

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Woman with look of disgust with text that says What happens in the brain when you get the Ick?

The Neuroscience of the Ick

Thomas Sherman, School of Medicine

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Two thought bubbles, one with a lightbulb and one with three dots

Responding to the News Cycle

When the news breaks, Georgetown faculty lend their expertise to make sense of what’s going on in the world, how we got here and what might happen next.

Large group of school kids making chaos during a class in the classroom while their teacher is frustrated about that.

What Does ‘6-7’ Mean? We Don’t Know Either, So We Asked a Linguistics Professor

Linguistics professor Cynthia Gordon unpacks the two numbers that have perplexed — and frustrated — parents, teachers and Americans across the country…

Extremely rare shot of an Arctic Wolf Family in Wildlife. Snowflakes. Nikon D800e + 400mm. Converted from RAW.

Scientists Can Genetically Engineer Dire Wolves. But Should We?

Two professors explore the ethics and consequences of genetic engineering and the attempts to bring the dire wolf back from extinction.

Young female child care worker with five young children at a play table

Arlington, VA is the Most Expensive Place in the U.S. For Child Care. These Policies Might Help.

A public policy professor weighs in on why child care is so expensive for American families and suggests a few policy ideas that could lower costs.