When I was growing up, keeping tabs on junk food trends was nearly as important as wearing the latest fashions. (Acid washed jeans, anyone?) I …
Month: October 2010
How sense of humor develops in the brain
Back in 2005, I wrote about Stanford research showing that gender affects the way a person's brain responds to humor. The first-of-its-kind imaging study, which …
The sweaty chronicles of men and women
Recently I've been working hard to get back in shape through a combination of running and strengthening exercises (At 5:30 am, no less; I deserve …
Pioneers in science
When Carla Shatz, PhD, and Helen Blau, PhD, came to Stanford in 1978, they were two of the first women to be hired on the …
Karl Deisseroth outlines optogenetics in Scientific American
In a "web exclusive," Scientific American has just published an in-depth article by Karl Deisseroth, MD, PhD, on optogenetics, a research technology he invented. Diesseroth …
Advancing the careers of women in academic medicine
Studies have shown that low expectations for particular groups of people often cause these people to perform poorly, becoming something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. So, …
Surgical checklists and teamwork can save lives
Results of a large VA study appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association show that creating and discussing checklists - and getting patient …
Women more likely to start biotech companies than other kinds of tech firms
I just came across an interesting Slate article on women in biotechnology, and I read with interest that women start biotech firms at higher rates …
A look at frontier medicine in Montana
Some of you may know that I write for Stanford from my home in Montana's Flathead Valley. I return regularly to campus and, when I …
Study says sharing a bed with baby may lead to more breastfeeding
Should parents share a bed with their infant? The American Academy of Pediatrics clearly says "no" (.pdf), citing instances of infants being accidentally smothered to …
Physician shortages exist in speciality areas of medicine, too
Much has been written about the shortage of primary care physicians. But as highlighted in the current issue of AAMC Reporter, other areas of medicine …
Early anti-smoking advocate: King James I of England?
Absolutely fascinating: According to an article in the British Medical Journal, King James I of England was an early anti-smoking advocate. Published anonymously in 1604, …
The Atlantic profiles Stanford's John Ioannidis, "one of the most influential scientists alive"
The November issue of The Atlantic features a detailed account of the work of the John Ioannidis, MD, DSc, the new head of the Stanford …
Can video games improve memory, boost brain power?
A recent entry on KQED-FM's QUEST blog focused on video games designed to improve people's concentration or short-term memory. Asked whether these products really work, …
Study finds high prevalence of vitamin-D deficiency among skin cancer patients
A new Stanford study has found that skin cancer patients who avoid the sun are three times more likely to be vitamin-D deficient than healthy …
Patient self-diagnosis: From the browser to the exam room
I'm a little late to this, but Clinical Correlations' Suzanne MacFarland has written an excellent high-level overview of how patient self-diagnosis, often facilitated by search-engine …