The big 30 — it’s a birthday the average person approaches with considerable trepidation, but the laboratory of Jeremy Nathans is far from average. On July 27, the Nathans Lab held a seminar to celebrate its 30 years of research at Johns Hopkins and to pay homage to the people who have made that research(...)
The Science of Snoring
Posted by | Perspectives in ResearchThere are few disciplines in science and medicine as broadly important, or as inherently relatable, as the study of sleep. During the annual Johns Hopkins Sleep and Circadian Research Day, a disparate group of clinicians, epidemiologists, geneticists and basic researchers gather to share posters and present new findings at the vanguard of sleep research on(...)
Using Our Inside Voices as Scientists
Posted by | Perspectives in ResearchIt’s hard to change people’s minds. Controversial topics such as climate change and vaccines are not exempt from our inherent obstinateness. Scientists assume the solution to persuasion is more effective communication. A wealth of podcasts, Twitter accounts and YouTube channels are dedicated to the digestion and dissemination of scientific information. Even Bill Nye attempts to “save(...)
Teaching About Vaccines — A Miracle of Modern Medicine
Posted by | A Day in the LifeAs an immunologist-to-be, few things frustrate me more than hearing of misinformed antivaccine sentiments. I have been of the opinion for some time now that education about vaccines should begin in high school to give students the tools to properly combat misinformation campaigns. Thus, when I learned that Johns Hopkins was looking for applicants to(...)
Hypnosis: Trick or Treatment?
Posted by | Perspectives in ResearchA couple of weeks ago I indulged in a morsel of nostalgia along with my fellow millennials and went to see Incredibles 2. If you’ve seen the movie, you know that the villain uses hypnosis as a weapon. When I exited the theater and stepped out into the musky night, I was in a post-movie(...)
The F-Word in Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Posted by | Perspectives in ResearchA recent study, published in Nature Genetics, has found an interesting new link between the F-word and metastatic prostate cancer. Before you let your imagination run wild, this is not the four-letter F-word but the other F-word — fat. Fat is an important constituent of all living cells, as it is a critical component of(...)
A Johns Hopkins Celebration of Women in Science and Medicine
Posted by | Events and HappeningsIn a time when women everywhere are fighting for equal pay, equal opportunities and an end to sexual harassment, it is important to celebrate women who have nevertheless persisted and succeeded in their chosen field. The school of medicine’s Office of Women in Science and Medicine (OWISM) aims to do this, and has given women(...)
Landmark RNAi-Based Therapy Achieves Clinical Success
Posted by | Did You See This?DNA serves as a blueprint for the protein repertoire that comprises the human body and its functions. To construct these proteins while also ensuring that its DNA remains safely tucked away in the nucleus, the cell generates disposable and short-lived copies of its active genes, called messenger RNA (mRNA). An array of molecular machines then(...)
Hopkins Medical Students Shape National Health Policy Through the AMA
Posted by | Events and HappeningsThe American Medical Association, or AMA, is the largest association of physicians and medical trainees in the United States. This organization has also established itself as one of the most powerful political lobbying groups in the country, ranking third in dollars spent for this purpose over the last 20 years. Additionally, the AMA has a(...)
Targeting Diabetes with a High-Fiber Diet: It’s All in Your Gut!
Posted by | Did You See This?Right this moment, your gastrointestinal tract is crammed with a vast number of different microbes, together referred to as the human gut microbiota. Don’t be too alarmed though, as this complex gut microbial ecosystem maintains a mutual and beneficial relationship with you. Given the bad reputation some bacteria have as being infectious and antibiotic-resistant, you(...)