EMBO Gold Medal 2004 goes to Spanish scientist
The 2004 winner of the EMBO Gold Medal is Mara Blasco, Director of the Molecular Oncology Program at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncolgicas (CNIO) in Madrid. The EMBO Gold Medal is awarded annually to an outstanding young scientist for exceptional research carried out within Europe. Maria Blasco receives the award in recognition of her landmark work in the area of telomeres*. The scien...UCSF scientist Joe Derisi named MaCarthur Fellow
Joseph DeRisi, PhD, of UCSF, has been named a 2004 MacArthur Fellow, one of the highest honors bestowed on an individual in the United States.... ...A molecular biologist, DeRisi has designed new tools for exploring the activity of genes, and used them to make major advances in understanding such infectious diseases as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and malaria. He is an associate profe...DuPont scientist named one of the world's top young innovators by MIT's 'Technology Review' Magazine
WILMINGTON, Del., Sept. 21, 2004 DuPont scientist Dr. Maria Petrucci-Samija has been named to the 2004 list of the world's 100 Top Young Innovators by Technology Review, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Magazine of Innovation. ... ...Dr. Petrucci-Samija, 33, represents a growing core of young scientists working on emerging technologies at the DuPont Experimental Station global...Genetically modified bacterium as remedy for intestinal diseases
Ghent Researchers from the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) at Ghent University are joining the fight against chronic intestinal disease with a genetically modified bacterium (Lactococcus lactis). The modified bacterium is able to produce medication right in the intestine. This is often the crux of the problem: a number of medicines are presumed to be effective, but unt...Joslin President awarded medal from international diabetes organization
BOSTON - C. Ronald Kahn, M.D., President and Director of Joslin Diabetes Center, has been awarded the 2004 Claude Bernard Medal by the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) at the organization's 40th Annual Meeting in Munich, Germany. This prestigious award recognizes innovative leadership and superior contributions in the field of diabetes research and is the highest scientific...White House to honor UNC School of Medicine scientist for 'early career' achievement
CHAPEL HILL -- Dr. Brian Strahl, assistant professor of biochemistry and biophysics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, will attend a White...House ceremony Thursday (Sept. 9) afternoon in honor of his selection for the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.... The annual award is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outsta...Joslin Diabetes Center adds first affiliate in California at Irvine Medical Center
BOSTON Joslin Diabetes Center, the world leader in diabetes research and care, announced today its affiliation with University of California, Irvine Medical Center. Located at Gottschalk Medical Plaza on the UC Irvine campus, Joslin Diabetes Center at University of California, Irvine will offer the latest advances for treating diabetes and its complications, as well as patient education and rese...Probing the surface of white blood cells to enhance immune system medicine
HANOVER, NH White blood cells are the principle mediators of immune system function, yet efforts to influence their role in illness have been hampered due to a lack of understanding of the surface structure of these cells until now. Dartmouth Medical School researchers characterize the structure of white blood cells and challenge assumptions about how a certain immunodeficiency disorder affects...2nd media alert First Scientific Conference on Childhood Leukaemia
Monday 6 September Friday 10 September 2004, Church House, Westminster, London, UK...... News briefing: ...10.30am for 10.45 a.m. Monday 6 September, Charter Room, Church House, Westminster, London, UK...... NB: fuller details of the news briefing with speakers and topics available shortly...... CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA is Britain's leading charity dedicated to the conquest of childhood leukaemi...Illustrated guidebook published for Chinese biomedical scientists and students
Of the half million students from foreign countries studying in the United States, the largest proportion originate from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. China is among the top six countries of origin of foreign-born scientists and engineers employed in the U.S. Like many similar institutions, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the world-renowned center for cancer and genetics research in Long...NIH roadmap for biomedical research focus of chemists at American Chemical Society meeting
PHILADELPHIA As part of an effort to identify opportunities and gaps in biomedical research defined by the National Institutes of Health Roadmap for Medical Research, Jeremy M. Berg, director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, will discuss the role of chemists at the 228 national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the worlds largest scientific society.... ...Dr. Berg...Medication reconciliation, pharmacist involvement vital to reducing medication errors, study finds
CHICAGO Obtaining complete and accurate medication histories of patients and instituting a medication reconciliation program are vital to reducing medication errors, a new study conducted at Northwestern Memorial Hospital has shown. The study demonstrated that when hospital pharmacists perform medication reconciliation, taking steps to ensure patients receive the correct medication and accurate...Flame retardant levels much higher in farmed salmon
Farm-raised salmon contain much higher levels of flame retardants than most wild salmon, and some wild Chinook have the highest levels of all, according to new research. Building on an earlier study of chemicals in the two types of fish, the findings suggest that consumers should choose their salmon carefully....... , a peer-reviewed journal of the American Chemical Society, the worlds largest sc...Excess levels of nitrogen, phosphorus linked to deformed frogs
It's like a scene out of a Stephen King novel, begun in the nineties and continued at a more rapid pace in the oughts: scores of deformed frogs flopping around as best they can, found often near cattle ponds and other wetlands throughout North America. ... Researchers looked for chemical pollutants or hormonal changes in the frogs as culprits. But recent evidence linked the deformities...Transcriptional gene silencing in nucleus shown by UCSD/VA medical researchers
A new gene-silencing technique that takes place in the nucleus of human cells, has been demonstrated by researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine and the VA San Diego Healthcare System. The technique, called transcriptional gene silencing (TGS), provides a new research tool to study gene function and, if continuing studies prove the concept, it could potent...BioMed Central to consult funders and librarians over Open Access payment model
BioMed Central, the Open Access publisher, announced today that it is to consult with librarians and funding bodies about future mechanisms for funding Open Access publishing. The consultation workshop will take place in London on 31 August. The conclusions of the meeting will be published in September....... The workshop will focus on four key discussion points:...... Payment model for Open Acc...From science fiction to reality: Nanomedicine brings fresh hope to the medical world
Palo Alto, Calif. August 2, 2004 Emerging nanomedicine technologies could dramatically transform medical science as we know it today with their potential to address unmet medical needs and provide targeted therapy.... ... Nanomedicine technologies could find an increasing place in various areas and applications of the healthcare sector including drug delivery, drug discovery and development, di...LA BioMed Medical/Research Briefs, July/August 2004
... ... ... ... ... ...In coalition with major health and business groups throughout California, LA BioMed has indicated its support for the California Stem Cell Bond Issue Initiative that recently qualified for November's ballot. The initiative will allocate money from a $3 billion bond to fund promising, California-based stem cell research. ... ...The initiative will distribute an average of...Ottawa's leadership in biomedical and health research has paid off
Montreal Canada is one of the world's top research nations, thanks to Ottawa's commitment to research and leadership role in funding biomedical and health research over the past 5 years, according to an article published today in the prestigious journal EMBO reports. ......But to keep up the momentum and continue to grow in innovation and high-quality research, the federal government needs to de...New world record magnet for chemical and biomedical research
Tallahassee, FL The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, funded by the National Science Foundation and the State of Florida, has achieved another world record in magnet development with the successful testing of its 21.1 Tesla, superconducting, ultra-wide bore, NMR magnet. The magnet reached full field on July 21, 2004, and will remain at field for years -- and even decades -- to come. A tea...University of Pittsburgh medical center among first to implant heart assist device
PITTSBURGH, July 20 The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) today is discharging its first patient who was successfully implanted, on July 2, with the Heartmate XVE Left Ventricular Assist System (LVAS). It was implanted as a permanent implant in lieu of a heart transplant, as opposed to the traditional use for this type of device....... The patient, 58-year-old John Didion, has recov...Annals of internal medicine tip sheet, July 20, 2004
... ...After reviewing literature on heart patients traveling by airplane, authors discuss effects of air travel and security devices on pacemakers and implantable automatic defibrillators; preflight screening; and in-flight venous thrombosis. They make recommendations on safe air travel after heart attacks and prevention of in-flight deep venous thrombosis. ... ...Authors also present a nine-it...UGA named recipient of $5.6 million grant from NSF for corn improvement
Corn is by far the most important cereal grain grown in the United States, and a project at the University of Georgia that could one day lead to the development of artificial corn chromosomes has just been awarded a five-year grant by the National Science Foundation for $5.6 million. ... ...Artificial chromosomes could provide breakthroughs in corn production. For instance, genes protecting crops...Acamprosate: potential medication for treating alcoholism
... Acamprosate is a medication used in Europe and elsewhere to prevent relapse in alcoholics.... New findings, in conjunction with previous research, indicate that acamprosate should be safe to take when people are drinking, and should not make them want to drink more or behave differently over and above the effects of alcohol alone.... ...As scientists and clinicians learn more about the chang...Medical implants work better when you rough them up, study finds
COLUMBUS, Ohio Medical implants from catheters that deliver long-term life support to joint replacements may work better when their surfaces are on the rough side, new research suggests....... Implants often have surfaces that soft tissue, such as skin and connective tissue, cannot attach to, said Andreas von Recum, the study's lead author and a professor of biomedical engineering at Ohio Stat...UCLA researchers recreate patterns formed by mammalian cells
In early development, how do cells know to put the right spacing between ribs, fingers and toes? How do they communicate with each other to form symmetrical and repeated patterns such as zebra stripes or leopard spots? ......For the first time, UCLA researchers have recreated the ability of mammalian cells to self-organize, forming evenly spaced patterns in a test tube. Published in the June 22...Stanford launches public lecture series on genomic medicine
Stanford University is offering a series of free monthly lectures designed to enhance public understanding of the Human Genome Project and the revolution in genomic medicine. The lecture series, titled ''Sequencing the Human Genome: What Does It Tell Us About Ourselves,'' will be held in Fairchild Auditorium on the Stanford campus.... ...The first lecture, "Biomedical Innovations: Confronting the...AMA Alzheimer's Media Briefing
... ... BREAKING NEWS: How risk factors for stroke are related to cognitive decline of Alzheimer's... ... BREAKING NEWS: Distinguishing different types of dementia... ... CAN WE PREVENT ALZHEIMER'S?: Using tantalizing clues from recent studies to reduce risk... ... ADVANCES IN TREATMENT: Recent discoveries about Alzheimer's disease process leads to new treatment strategies... ... SOCIETAL CO...Digital Biology Week: Building a national infrastructure for biomedical computing
BETHESDA, Md. -- How can scientists turn the vast amounts of data generated by the Human Genome Project into promising new medical treatments tailored to the individual? Will it ever be possible to develop computer simulations that accurately model the complex inner workings of the human brain and other vital organs? What are the scientific and technical roadblocks that researchers will need to o...Stanford sleep experts treat medical condition behind violent 'sleep sex'
STANFORD, Calif. - In a new study, Stanford researchers describe a treatable medical condition which causes people to commit violent sexual acts in their sleep. Referred to as "sleep sex," the nocturnal activities cited in the study range from disruptive moaning to rape-like behavior toward bed partners. ... ...The researchers believe this condition stems from glitches in brain waves durin...New pulmonary hypertension guideline challenges use of common medication
A new evidence-based guideline for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) cautions the use of calcium channel blockers, a commonly used treatment for high blood pressure, in unstable patients due to the potentially fatal side effects associated with the medication. PAH is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the lungs become constricted, limiting the blo...Mitochondria in spinal cords is ALS target according to UCSD medical researchers
The selective killing of spinal cord neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, occurs when tiny cellular components called mitochondria actively recruit a mutant disease-causing protein into specific neuron cells, according to new research by University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine investigators....... Published in the July 8, 2004 i...American Chemical Society media registration
Media registration is now open for the 228th national meeting of the American Chemical Society August 22-26 in Philadelphia. ... ...Media can apply for credentials online at:... ... ...General information about the meeting is available at:... http://center.acs.org/applications/ccs/app...USC researcher named General Motors Cancer Research Scholar
LOS ANGELES, June 29, 2004 Judd Rice, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Keck School of Medicine of USC, has been named one of five General Motors Cancer Research Scholars for 2004.... ...Along with the two-year, $200,000 grant given to Rice, USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center also receives a 2004 or 2005 Gen...Germans must research the history of reproductive medicine during the Nazi era
Berlin, Germany: Researching the history of reproductive medicine during the Nazi era is still taboo, a leading German professor will tell the 20th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology today (Monday 28 June). ...... However, it is vital that such research is conducted, because if Germans do not understand what motivated the behaviour of doctors in the pas...New public policy & aging report highlights facts and fiction about anti-aging medicine
Can the aging process be decelerated or reversed and, if so, should it be? This scientific and moral quandary is investigated in detail in the Spring 2004 issue of the Public Policy & Aging Report, the quarterly publication of the National Academy on an Aging Society.... ...This installment of PP&AR includes 6 articles that address the scientific debates, social consequences, and ethical issues a...Device that rapidly detects nerve agents named one of 'greatest army inventions' for 2003
PITTSBURGH, June 22 Pittsburgh-based Agentase, LLC's Nerve Agent Sensor was named one of the 10 "Greatest Army Inventions" of the past year by the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command. The Sensor is a hand-held device that rapidly changes color in the presence of a contaminant such as sarin, one of many nerve agents that are feared to be used in chemical warfare or terrorist a...Fox Chase Cancer Center's Alfred Knudson Jr. named 2004 Kyoto Prize winner
Cancer researcher Alfred G. Knudson Jr., M.D., Ph.D., (pronounced ka-nud'-son) of Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pa., has been named winner of a prestigious Kyoto Prize for 2004. The Kyoto Prize is considered among the world's leading awards for lifetime achievement and is given to those who have "contributed significantly to mankind's betterment." Knudson will receive a cash gift of ab...The Mediterranean connection: ecological effects of El Nio in the Northern hemisphere
The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the El Nio/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are being increasingly acknowledged as major climatic sources of ecological variability. In a forthcoming issue of Ecology Letters, Pablo Almaraz and Juan A. Amat provide the first evidence of co...June 8, 2004 (Washington, D.C.) Conservation International (CI) and National Geographic Traveler magazine announced today the winners of the 2004 World Legacy Award, given to environmental and social leaders in tourism. The award will be presented to four winners at a ceremony hosted by Her Majesty Queen Noor tonight at the National Geographic Society world headquarters in Washington. ... .....