The five most-read posts on Scope this week were: Pumpkin Jobs: Stanford med student's carving tricks - a real treat!: Third-year medical student Raymond Tsai's …
Month: November 2011
National Academy of Sciences recommends move toward "precision medicine"
The National Academy of Sciences has released a report recommending the development of a new tool linking diseases with molecular and genetic data to help …
Sean Mackey to speak on the role of neuroimaging in understanding pain at NIH
On Monday morning, Stanford pain expert Sean Mackey, MD, PhD, will deliver a lecture at the National Institutes of Health on the role of neuroimaging in …
The benefits of the arts to both patient and practitioner
A splash of acrylic paint on canvas. An overture from Mozart. A stanza of Rilke’s poetry. Each of these artistic endeavors helps patients heal in …
TED Talk looks at the purpose of the brain
The most complex part of the human body, the brain, is often described as the hub of our vast, complicated communication network. But, University of …
Avoiding sun exposure may lead to vitamin D deficiency in Caucasians
A new Stanford study shows that light-skinned people who avoid the sun are more likely to suffer from vitamin D deficiency than others. As my colleague details in a recent …
Cheri Blauwet, former med student and elite athlete, shares her story
Explaining that there's a "story behind every application," the Association of American Medical Colleges website has a series of Q&As with people on their journey from …
A new view of patient data: Using electronic medical records to guide treatment
Back when I was an undergraduate biochemistry major, I used to fantasize about blasting down into my own cells to watch the molecular reactions I …
Twitter Stories: How social media saved one man's life
Twitter has launched a great looking new site, Twitter Stories, to show how people are using the service. One story, about @ChrisStrouth, chronicles how Twitter …
How Embrace infant warmers are saving lives in developing nations
As previously reported on Scope, a group of Stanford graduate students recently developed an inexpensive, portable incubator to keep premature babies warm and well in …
Steve Jobs and the next big "intersection"
I just finished reading Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. It's a well-written, elegant and balanced book and I strongly recommend reading it. Jobs frequently mentioned …
Prolonged use of nitroglycerin may increase severity of subsequent heart attacks
A standard treatment for heart attack patients, nitroglycerin is typically prescribed to aid in opening vessels so blood can flow to the heart more easily. …
Modest increases in bike ridership could yield major economic, health benefits
Convincing Americans to ride their bikes instead of driving when traveling short distances during the warmest six months of the year could yield significant health …
Two separate girls! Packard Children’s surgeons separate conjoined twins
Today's surgery to separate conjoined twins Angelina and Angelica Sabuco is progressing well. The twins have been successfully separated, and are now in different rooms …
Using brain-training games to stave off depression in adolescents
Children of parents who suffer from depression may have an increased risk of developing the condition or other psychological problems, in part because the parents …
Lung cancer can affect anyone, but not everyone is listening
In preparation for Lung Cancer Awareness Month in November, my colleague Liat Kobza and I recently set up a camera and asked six Stanford physicians to …