Every year, in the interim between the last bites of my Thanksgiving meal and my first cup of coffee on Black Friday, a gnawing uneasiness …
Month: December 2015
Microbiome explorations stoke researcher’s passion
Start talking with physician-scientist Ami Bhatt, MD, PhD, about the microbiome -- the vast community of bacteria, fungi, and life that live on the body …
Chinese children face obesity risk
With the parents gone away, the children have time to play — and eat, according to new research that examines the health of the millions …
An 18-month portrait of a brain yields new insights into connectivity — and coffee
Coffee changes the brain's activity. Wait, wait, don't stop reading, I know you know that. But here's the cool thing: For 18 months, Stanford psychologist …
Brain radio: Switching nerve circuit’s firing frequency radically alters alertness levels in animal models
It's a kick to consider that a part of the brain could act like a radio, with different stations operating at different frequencies, playing different …
When proteins go bad: Quality control inside the cells
Welcome to Biomed Bites, a weekly feature that introduces readers to some of Stanford’s most innovative biomedical researchers. The enthusiasm of Tom Wandless, PhD, in this video is …
Personalised Health Conference explores paradigm shift from treating disease to maintaining wellness
What does it mean to be healthy? This is an important question for the numerous laboratories and hospitals worldwide who dedicate their livelihoods to defeating …
Abraham Verghese: “It’s a great time for physician leaders to embrace design thinking”
Next spring, the School of Medicine and Graduate School of Business here will team up to offer a new, one-week residential program for health-care executives. Called …
Newly identified gene mutation explains why one family experiences unusual pain response to cold
If you’ve ever plunged your hand into a tub of ice water, you know about the overlap between cold and pain: that deep, biting ache …
Harm versus pain, an important distinction for physicians
Stanford Medicine Unplugged (formerly SMS Unplugged) is a forum for students to chronicle their experiences in medical school. The student-penned entries appear on Scope once a …
Gynecologists call for revision of FDA ruling on device to remove uterine fibroids
A group of gynecologists is calling for the Food and Drug Administration to reverse its 2014 ruling banning the use of a device called a …
On communicating science and uncertainty: A podcast with John Ioannidis
If you listen to one podcast this week, pick this one. It's a crisp, thought-provoking exchange between health journalism critic Gary Schwitzer, publisher of HealthNewsReview.org, …
Should doctors give up their white coats?
When you google ‘doctor,’ virtually every image shows a person in a long-sleeved white coat. The crisp white coat with a stethoscope around the neck …
Male infertility linked to host of other ailments
A new study offers some important news to men struggling to have children: Infertile men appear more likely than their fertile counterparts to develop other ailments, …
A dive into patient records uncovers possible connection between cancer treatment, Alzheimer’s
When we think of patient medical records, a lot of us think of billing and coding and maybe of health-care providers communicating with one another about how patients …
At Stanford, Rep. Jerry McNerney discusses life in Congress, science funding and the value of squash
For many of us who work in or around science, it can be baffling to watch some of the decisions made by politicians. Some neuroscience …