What is the most deadly animal in the world, when it comes to human disease? Some might be surprised to learn that it’s a bug: …
Author: Ruthann Richter
Keeping Zika out of the nation’s blood supply
When the Zika crisis erupted last year, U.S. blood bank officials began to worry: What if the virus were to infiltrate the blood supply, as …
The challenge of being gay and working in countries where homosexuality is a crime
Jason Nagata, MD, sat in a wooden pew in the church in Kenya, listening to the pastor thunder away at the “abomination” of homosexuality. He …
Whither the stethoscope?
When we go for a routine visit to the doctor’s office, we take it for granted that he or she will use a stethoscope to …
Scientists call for end to devastating worm diseases
Consider the lowly worm. For some, it’s just a garden pest. But for more than a billion people in the developing world, parasitic worms can …
Ebola infection may be asymptomatic, study finds
In the heat of the Ebola crisis in late 2014, Stanford’s Gene Richardson, MD, was among the brave physicians who volunteered in Sierra Leone to …
Exploring the promise and challenges of cancer immunotherapy
The immune system is primed to protect the body from outside invaders, like viruses and bacteria. But can the immune system also be trained to …
Unlikely partners, who have helped thousands in Nairobi slums, visit Stanford
He was a homeless youth with no formal education, trying to stay alive amid the poverty and violence of Kibera, Africa’s largest slum in Kenya. …
Cholesterol testing recommended for all, says Stanford cardiologist
When he was in his early 20s, Don Draper had the foresight to have his cholesterol tested. The numbers that came back were astronomical, with …
Building hope in the slums of Africa
In 2007, Wesleyan University student Jessica Posner took a semester abroad to volunteer with a nonprofit in Kibera, Kenya -- Africa’s largest slum -- and …
Bringing an end to smoking
I came of age during the “tobacco wars,” when industry executives were being vilified in Congress and heavily penalized for peddling a dangerous, often deadly, …
Study finds Egyptian doctors are not discouraging female genital cutting
Some women in Egypt are feeling conflicted about whether they should have their daughters undergo female genital cutting and are seeking out the opinions of …
How a link from afar saves children in Latin America
Frances Stock, MD, is the lone pediatric oncologist in her city of Merida, Venezuela, where she cares for about 1,000 patients, some of whom travel …
Just one needle saves a life following Stanford physician’s trip to Madagascar
Stanford emergency physician S.V. Mahadevan, MD, had no idea when he visited Madagascar two months ago that he would help save the life of an …
Massive campaign against parasitic worm disease is cost-effective, new study shows
In 2014, I was fortunate to visit a lovely resort in Uganda on the edge of Lake Victoria, one of Africa’s great lakes. As my …
“We have been very successful in training high-tech innovators in the last 15 years:” A look at Stanford Biodesign
In classic Silicon Valley style, it began with an informal group of about a dozen physicians and engineers wanting to invent new medical devices desperately …