In search of joy
Last week I designed a new training plan to lose the extra 6 or 7 pounds of fat I am carrying. I tend to do better with a schedule, so I made a spreadsheet and posted it on my wall …
Category: Research & Science
Biomedical Research Funding
It is a difficult time to be a scientist at an academic institution. For someone like me, without tenure, it’s also a frightening time. Two colleagues sent me depressing articles this week on the state of research in America. The …
Bionic Eyes
One of my biggest fears about aging is loss of vision. This research headline fills me with hope. Australian scientists begin human tests on 'bionic eye' There are some forms of blindness where the optic nerve that carries the visual …
Nature vs. Nurture
Hui Zhou raised some interesting points in the comments to my 15 mile race results post. He even when on to write about some of our very divergent views on this issue. I made a comment about not having natural …
Just Imagine
In my day job, I run a research laboratory that is dedicated to understanding and eventually preventing or treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS; Lou Gehrig's disease). This fatal disease, like so many others, has no effective treatment. People become trapped …
Institute for OneWorld Health
I first discovered the Institute for OneWorld Health, established as a 501(c)3 entity in 2001 by Dr. Victoria Hale, when I was in business school. I was taking a class called Designing and Leading Entrepreneurial Organizations. Each week we would …
Change
I have been pondering this question “How have things changed for you overall in the past 2.5 years?” posed by Kyra a few days ago. Perhaps this is because she is considering going back to school herself and I am …
Ride for ALS
I don’t normally write directly about my work but today will be an exception. As one of the many professional hats I wear, I run a basic biomedical research laboratory that investigates ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Lou Gehrig’s Disease). This …
Thinking not writing
I’ve been pondering many things lately but haven’t yet found any answers. Miscellaneous things I have been pondering: What is the ROI on scientific research? I was asked this by an executive director of a foundation we solicited for money …
Thirty Eight
Most birthdays do not bother me. This one, I feel old. I suspect it is because I have too many metaphorical balls in the air. The next few weeks are very busy. The class I’m teaching is finishing up next …