November 30, 2010
Saturday, February 5, 2011 8:15 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Uris Hall, Weill Cornell Medical College 1300 York Avenue / 69th Street, New York, NY 10021 This symposium will examine the complex ethical and psychological aspects of scientific innovations in reproductive … Read More
November 29, 2010
A few drops of baby’s blood dabbed on a card are used for California’s mandatory newborn screening for 77 serious genetic diseases, but parents might be surprised what the state does with that genetic material after the tests are completed. … Read More
November 29, 2010
Afflicted with a rare blood disorder, Barry Katsof relies on an intravenous medication every two weeks that affords him the active lifestyle of his pre-symptom days almost a decade ago. The only problem is the drug therapy comes at a … Read More
November 29, 2010
President Obama on Wednesday ordered a vast review to ensure the ethical treatment of people who take part in research backed by the federal government. His action is a response to the revelation this year that American scientists intentionally infected … Read More
November 29, 2010
Researchers at the Autonomous University of Barcelona have come up with an ingenious solution for keeping track of embryos and egg cells during in vitro fertilisation procedures: microscopic bar codes. (New Scientist)
November 22, 2010
In part one of this article, I submit that the fundamental rights of Bernard Rappaz as outlined in the Swiss constitution have been violated, based on article 10 of the constitution.[2] To force-feed him is to violate his autonomy as … Read More
November 22, 2010
For only the second time, the U.S. government has approved a test in people of a treatment using embryonic stem cells – this time for a rare disease that causes serious vision loss. (Associated Press/a>)
November 22, 2010
The black market in counterfeit drugs is worth billions, but it does untold damage to the health of the poorest populations. Nayanah Siva reports on international efforts to tackle the problem. (The Lancet)
November 22, 2010
The festival is concentrating on psychiatric neurosurgery, that is, brain surgery to correct psychiatric disorders. To some, it may seem like science fiction or a holdover from a less enlightened era. However, neurosurgery has made a resurgence in Scotland today. … Read More
November 19, 2010
Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. is reversing a controversial Bush administration policy under which numerous defendants have waived their right to DNA testing even though that right is guaranteed under federal law, Justice Department officials said Wednesday. (Washington Post)
November 19, 2010
The campaign to legalise assisted suicide in Scotland suffered a setback yesterday when a key Holyrood committee said it could not support new right-to-die legislation. (Scotsman)
November 19, 2010
The Scientist speaks with the chair of a presidential bioethics commission, which decided this week that synthetic biology should not be too harshly regulated by the U.S. government. (The Scientist)
November 19, 2010
A Democrat and a Republican teamed up in the Senate on Thursday to offer legislation that would give states the flexibility to implement their own healthcare approaches when the federal overhaul goes into full effect in 2014. (Reuters)
November 19, 2010
Nurses currently form the largest sector of health care providers, with more than three million currently registered; but few have led or even been involved in the formal policy discussions regarding the future care of patients. To address this discrepancy, … Read More
November 19, 2010
Building on its experience as one of the first government agencies to embrace social media, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched a service on how to use popular social media channels for public health education. (American Medical … Read More
November 19, 2010
A frazzled mother on a crowded flight tries to coax a screaming baby to sleep as surrounding passengers stare — some in empathy, some in barely disguised annoyance. When the child doesn’t calm down, the parent discreetly pulls a bottle … Read More
November 19, 2010
In the endless, twisting arguments about whether science or religion can ultimately answer the questions of our times, a social scientist, Rice University sociologist Elaine Howard Ecklund, has some questions: (USA Today)
November 19, 2010
January 20, 2011 9:30am – 5pm ESRC Genomics Policy & Research Forum, University of Edinburgh This workshop is co-organised by Dr Christine Knight, Policy Research Fellow, and Dr Malcolm Smith, Bright Ideas Programme Visiting Research Fellow (January 2011), ESRC Genomics … Read More
November 18, 2010
As Robert Frost’s poem posits, humankind will always seek to extend its reach. In a literal sense the poem, only a few lines of which we’ve quoted, is about a peach tree planted too far north. But its message has … Read More
November 18, 2010
A presidential bioethics commission concluded this week that the U.S. government should not clamp down too hard on research on synthetic biology. But the commission struggled with what to do about amateur synthetic biologists who aren’t covered by current regulations. … Read More
November 18, 2010
Fear of political embarrassment has contributed to the gulf between policymakers and researchers in the field of health services, according to a leading expert in the field. (SciDev.Net)
November 18, 2010
When Leidy Sanchez and her husband, Carlos Reyes, went to the hospital last week to deliver their baby, a nurse got her a gown, hooked her up to a fetal monitor and asked an unexpected question: Would they like to … Read More
November 18, 2010
State Financial Woes Force Some Poor Patients to Raise Funds — or Do Without Life-Saving Surgery (ABC News)
November 18, 2010
Recently, pro-life and pro-choice thinkers met at Princeton University for a frank, open-minded discussion of their differences and possible areas of collaboration. It was a useful conversation, illuminating several steps each side could take to advance a common agenda. (Slate)
November 17, 2010
Nature Biotechnology (Volume 28, Issue 11, November 2010) is now available by subscription only. Articles include: “What’s Fueling the Biotech Engine—2009-2010” by Saurabh Aggarwal, 1165 – 1171. “A Shadow Falls Over Gene Patents in the United States and Europe” by … Read More
