Biomedical Odyssey

Life at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Brain and heart on a wooden balance scale.

Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Twitter Post

October 15, 2019

Neil deGrasse Tyson’s tweet about the El Paso shooting was more than insensitive — it was bad science.

Mary Soliman ⋅ A Day in the Life, Perspectives in Research Communication, Social Media, twitter ⋅

A conceptual image of DNA strands in a test tube.

Cancer Diagnosis — It’s in Your Blood

September 23, 2019

The benefits of detecting and treating cancer at early developmental stages have long been observed by clinical oncologists. Colonoscopies as well as other methods for early detection have been estimated to prevent as many as 60% of deaths attributable to colorectal cancer by identifying and removing precancerous growths1. More broadly, patients with early stage cancer […]

Roshan Chikarmane ⋅ Perspectives in Research Cancer, cancerSEEK, diagnostics, early detection ⋅

Tubes of blood samples rest atop laboratory form.

A Blood Test for Alzheimer’s Disease? Breakthroughs and Limitations

September 13, 2019

Recently, researchers at Washington University, St. Louis made a significant breakthrough in developing a blood test for early indications of Alzheimer’s disease. But what exactly is Alzheimer’s disease, how prevalent is it, and why do we seem to be so far away from a treatment or cure? In this post, I provide an overview of […]

Erika Dunn-Weiss ⋅ Perspectives in Research alzheimers disease, blood test, Neuroscience ⋅

Main blood cells shown in scale, isolated on white background.

A Primer on Platelets — Tiny but Mighty

September 3, 2019

When I tell people I study platelets, I am not often met with excitement. Most people know platelets as those tiny things that form clots, and if they have a fully functional clotting cascade, they aren’t bothered that much about them. When I mention that I study how platelets play a role in the immune […]

Claire Lyons ⋅ Perspectives in Research blood, platelets, red blood cells, White Blood Cells ⋅

Astronaut on the surface of the moon standing near the rocket ship and touching it with one hand and with other hand akimbo with dark sky and stars in the background. Vector space icon.

50 Years Since Humankind’s Giant Leap

August 13, 2019

On July 20, 1969, the Apollo 11 Lunar Module Eagle touched down on the surface of the moon. Approximately 650 million people around the world watched in awe as Neil Armstrong took his historic first steps on the moon on national television. Michael Collins, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin had set out on an eight-day-long […]

Carli Jones ⋅ Perspectives in Research moon landing, NASA, Physics, space ⋅

A young woman stands behind a chainlink fence.

Their DNA Will Remember: The Long-Term Effects of Childhood Detention

July 19, 2019

One of the hottest topics debated in the 2020 presidential race so far has been immigration reform. There has been widespread outrage centered on the separation of families and the horrible conditions and long stays in detention centers along our southern borders. Detainees hope they’ll be released as soon as possible, but for the children […]

Lisa Learman ⋅ Perspectives in Research epigenetics, pediatrics, PTSD, trauma ⋅

A gloved hand holds a dengue vaccine vial.

The Dengue Vaccine Controversy Explained

July 9, 2019

Dengue, a virus endemic to Latin America and Southeast Asia, infects about 400 million people and causes about 25,000 deaths each year by dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). To date there is no cure for dengue, and its toll hits hardest in areas with poorly developed medical systems. Due to the deadly consequences of this virus, […]

Talia Henkle ⋅ Perspectives in Research dengue, FDA, infectious disease, Vaccine ⋅

An overhead view of students collaborating around a table.

The ‘GRExit’: Cause and Effect

July 3, 2019

Within the past few years, a growing number of biomedical Ph.D. programs across the country have been ditching the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) as an admissions requirement and moving toward a more holistic approach. With arguably little information about each applicant to use for admissions decisions, admissions committees rely on GRE scores as part of […]

Carli Jones ⋅ Perspectives in Research Graduate program, graduate students, GRE ⋅

dr. Pickard

Responsibility Without Blame: An Interview with Philosopher Hanna Pickard

June 3, 2019

Hanna Pickard, D.Phil., is a professor and chair of philosophy of psychology at the University of Birmingham, and is a recently announced Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Distinguished Professor. Her work focuses on philosophy of mind, moral psychology and clinical ethics. Her philosophy is grounded in real-world issues, informed by her clinical experience and biomedical research, and […]

Erika Dunn-Weiss ⋅ Perspectives in Research addiction, interview, philosophy, substance use disorder ⋅

An illustrated interpretation of the left and right halves of the brain.

Left- vs. Right-Brained: Why the Brain Laterality Myth Persists

May 22, 2019

You might have heard artists say they’re right-brained or mathematicians say they’re left-brained. Maybe when you were a kid someone noticed you were left-handed and told you that meant you were creative. The idea that some of us are “left-brained” and others are “right-brained” is extremely popular. But, like so many other appealing ideas, the […]

Lisa Learman ⋅ Perspectives in Research Brain, Neuroscience ⋅

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