I was planning on writing about a NY Times article that I found earlier this week, but the recent events got me thinking about the experiences we are all likely to go through as we train to become scientists.

For me, this past year was tough. My training just wasn’t going well. There was a long period of time where my project was just not going the way I had hoped it would and the story wasn’t coming together. I was lost in the details and had a hard time seeing the big picture. I know there are always ups and downs in science, but it is often hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when you are knee deep in negative data. In an effort to keep my sanity during the down times, I pursued other interests. I started blogging, which has been a very rewarding experience for me. It felt good contributing to the network and being part of a different kind of scientific community. I also joined an intramural university softball team, which allowed me to meet students with other interests but common struggles. This time was very important for me as a scientist. I really learned the meaning of the word perseverance.

Recently, the tide has turned. My data has started falling into place. I can see my project coming together and there is even talk of graduation (though I still have a ways to go). I want to jump up and down and tell everyone that my slump may be over. But, as this post suggests, I am being cautiously optimistic. This is another lesson one must learn when training to become a scientist. Just as things can shift in the right direction, they can shift right back.

I am hoping my Ph.D. continues to progress and I can one day complete my training successfully. But for now I am just going to continue to gather data and work towards graduation day, because that is the first day I will be able to throw caution to the wind.

Science is a way of proving the world around us. Testing a hypothesis in a controlled environment is the most effective way to prove or disprove a phenomenon. Often, it is essential to test the idioms one uses in their everyday life to ensure that their manner of thought is correct. For example, I used to work in a lab that studied eating behaviors, mainly satiety and portion size. During my time there we carried out several studies looking at how portion size effects calorie consumption. We wanted to know if more calories on the plate led to more calories in the belly. Sounds simple, right? Although one could assume that having more food available would increase calorie consumption, it was important for it to be proven in a controlled environment in order to eliminate possible confounding factors (like the social context of calorie consumption). More than just proving common sense, using these study results, one can make a knowledgeable recommendation to a patient or subject; particularly, eating larger portions could be a contributing factor to weight gain, so portion control is a must.

That brings me to my point. Yesterday’s Café Science speaker was hand hygiene expert Elaine Larson, RN, PhD, FAAN, CIC. Though I was unable to see her speak yesterday (delayed return after traveling), I have seen her speak on this topic in that past, and she has been elemental in demonstrating how compliance with hand hygiene is the most important factor for preventing infections in the hospital setting. She has also contributed to our understanding of how hand hygiene can help to prevent the transmission of infections from patient to patient and how it contributes to overall personal health. Larson has taken common sense to next level, as she studied a widely practiced preventative technique (hand-washing) in a controlled environment in order to improve hygiene practices and health.

So the next time you recite your favorite idiom, remember that many common sense practices have strong scientific data, like that of Larson’s work, to back their claim.

This week I finally made it to the AMNH to see the new show at the planetarium, Journey to the Stars. Extreme Mammals was sold out by the time I got there (bummer), so I’ll have to catch that one another time.

But back to the point of this post. As I sat there, watching the roughly half-hour show, I realized that no matter how old you are, the planetarium remains the most awesome way to watch a film. Forget IMAX, this is SKYMAX. Maybe it’s just because I rely on films at the planetarium to educate me on astronomy (well, at least partially), but I am just blown away by how much information they can stuff into a short film and how very clearly the information is portrayed in this format. A planetarium is really the ultimate model for learning about space.

The idea for the planetarium dates back to Archimedes, who is said to have possessed a primitive planetarium device. Today, content for planetarium movies such as Journey to the Stars, parallels that of major films but often employs scientists as part of the production team. The Journey to the Stars production team included science visualizers, digital artists, producers, engineers, sound designers, educators and more. Science visualizers?!?! I want to do that. The executive producer is Earth scientist, Dr. Rosamond Kinzler, who according to the AMNH website has “led major award winning digital projects that engage audiences that range from children, families, and the general public at home to science educators seeking graduate accredited courses online to visitors at informal learning centers across the country.”

So the next time you happen to make it to the planetarium, remember that there is likely an impressive production team and a whole lot of history making the show so great (and by “great” I mean fun and educational).

As scientists, we all hope to make significant advancements in our field of research, whether it be helping to develop a therapy or better understand how a particular pathway or system functions. The desire to make advancements in our understanding is what drives most scientists. However, every once in a while you hear of a scientist who is driven by the desire to help himself/herself; they are sick and doing research in order to find a novel therapy for their condition. While unfortunate, it is often these scientists that are the most inspiring to both fellow scientists and the greater community.

This past week I saw an article describing a former Columbia University medical student named PJ Lukac who was diagnosed with a glioblastoma, an aggressive and fatal brain tumor. After undergoing surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, Lukac decided to go work as a research assistant in the laboratory of Dr. Markus Bredel (the director of the Brain Tumor Institute’s research program) at Northwestern University in order to help find more effective treatments for his cancer.

Bredel’s lab recently identified a network of gene mutations that are key to forming glioblastoma and published their work in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Haploinsufficiency of one tumor suppressor gene, ANXA7, causes the tumors to become more aggressive. This research helps us to better understand how these tumors form and will aid in the development of targeted glioblastoma therapies.

In the mean time, Lukac has described working in the lab as the “two or three of the best months” of his life. He continues to work to find a therapy for his condition. He is truly inspiring.

It’s six months today since the start of the New York hub. Thanks to all our readers (both in the New York community and beyond) for helping to make the hub a success.

Being a Community Leader for the New York hub was my first go at blogging. Because of it, I now feel much more immersed in the New York science community. The Community Leader experience has helped me to meet a lot of interesting people in the New York science community and get a better feel for writing and discussing science. In addition, I now feel like a part of the Nature Network community and have enjoyed meeting everyone and regularly reading many interesting blogs. If I hadn’t started blogging, I would have missed out on a wealth of scientific news and research.

I am happy to say that I will be continuing to blog for he New York hub, since I enjoy it so much. But I will have to slow down a bit since I will be entering what many consider crunch time, the final (I think) year of my Ph.D. So, we are currently looking for another person to join the New York hub blogger team, along with Barry and myself. If you think this is something you may be interested in, you can contact Corie Lok, the Senior Editor at Nature Network at c.lok@boston.nature.com. Corie will be able to tell you the details of the Community Leader position, but it will likely involve blogging regularly and helping to manage the forum and calendar for the site.

Of course, feel free to ask me any questions. You can contact me at cfs2105@columbia.edu or post your questions to the blog.

Bed bugs… uh! Just the sound of those words makes me quiver. Living in New York, a highly infested area, you are constantly hearing about bed-bug devastation.

My friend had to throw out all of his furniture.

I know someone who had to dry clean every piece of clothing they own.

Sounds scary expensive, and infestation is on the rise.

After having a bed bug scare about a year ago, I have attempted to learn as much as possible about avoiding an infestation and how to deal with them should your home become infested. But alas! What took me nearly a year to learn, the New York Times has recently packaged into a nice little article. This article offers many invaluable tips on how to identify if you have a bed bug problem, how find the right exterminator (avoid those who will scam you) and tips on preserving you mattress and clothing. I found it helpful, especially since the average infested family spends nearly $5000 getting rid of bed bugs. I can’t afford that on a graduate stipend.

If that isn’t enough bugginess for you, check out this discussion board where people offer their tips and stories of bed-bug mayhem. I only got though a couple of posts before I had to stop, but I did find out some new information about (more) natural ways of killing bed bugs, by means of using diatomaceous earth, which actually wears through the bugs’ shells and causes death by dehydration. It’s loaded with a lot of valuable information if you are bed-bug phobic like me.

I’m glad I got those mattress covers. Picture courtesy of wikipedia.

There are two great science events taking place in NYC this week, one tonight and one tomorrow.

Café Science

July 13th, 2009

6:00-7:00 PM

Picnic Café, 2665 Broadway (between 101st & 102nd)

First Come, First Served

$10 cover (cash only) includes one drink

Environmentalist Steward Nilda Mesa will discuss Greening an Urban University: Oxymorons, Windmills and Carbon Footprints.

Riddle: What university gives out 24 different environmental degrees while being located in a concrete metropolis? Would putting up windmills on Columbia’s campus reduce its carbon footprint, or would it be a quixotic effort? Columbia University, with its three campuses and 44,000 faculty, staff and students, has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 30% by 2017. The University’s proposed Manhattanville campus is in the LEED-ND pilot program, and other ambitious sustainability initiatives have been launched in the last few years. Join us for a discussion of Columbia’s approach to reducing its environmental footprint, and how students, faculty and staff are deeply engaged in this vital work-in-progress in the largest urban center in the U.S.

For more information visit the Café Science website.

Secret Science Club

July 14th, 2009

8:00 PM

Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn

FREE

Paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson will discuss Evolution Revolution: The Discoverer of Lucy & Lectures on Human Origins.

As a species, Homo sapiens is a mere 250,000 years old (give or take). Where did humans come from? How did we evolve? And what were our ancestors like? One fossil find revolutionized the world’s thinking about early human origins: In 1974 paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson discovered the bones of Lucy, a 3.2 million year old early hominid, in the Afar region of Ethiopia. With about 40 percent of her skeleton intact, Lucy represented a new species, Australopithecus afarensis.



The founding director of the Institute for Human Origins, professor of paleoanthropology at Arizona State University’s School of Human Evolution and Social Change, and author of the just-published Lucy’s Legacy: The Quest for Human Origins, Dr. Johanson joins the Secret Science Club to discuss his historic find and the latest discoveries in human evolution:


– What kinds of hominid species existed prior to humans?


– When did hominids begin to walk? To develop big brains?

– Have fossil hunters located the common ancestor of humans and chimps?


– Why is Homo sapiens the only hominid species that survives?

Before & After:

Groove to bone-jangling tunes and video

Stick around for the scintillating Q&A

For more information visit the Secret Science Club website.

Yesterday, the NYU Langone Medical Center announced that it will establish a new neuroscience institute at the Medical Center. The Druckenmiller Foundation generously donated 100 million dollars for the institute. Robert Grossman, MD, dean and CEO of NYU Langone Medical Center, hopes this gift will “take us to a new pinnacle in clinical and research excellence in this field.”

Despite the tough economic times, NYU has received four 9-figure gifts within the last 15 months. They are likely the only nonprofit organization to raise such an immense amount of money in this short period of time. According to Robert Berne, senior vice president for health at NYU, the medical center is “inspired by the many donors who are committed to supporting the transformation of our Medical Center into the world-class institution it aspires to be.”

The summer is here and, after the holiday weekend, New York is quiet (at least for New York). This is true for science too. The seminars have slowed and PIs are away at conferences. We are in need of a little stimulation. Thus, I turn your attention to an essay I read today in the New York Times. The essay discusses the unfortunate but inevitable scenario in which a doctor must start thinking about medicine as a business, rather than just focusing on patient care. The author, Sandeep Jauhar, MD, gives us an inside glimpse into the troubling reality that all doctors must face.

I think it’s well worth the read.

This week I went to see Food Inc., the Robert Kenner film which seeks to expose the dark side of the food industry in the United States. The movie depicts the inhumane treatment of poultry on chicken farms, the less-than-sanitary conditions at concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), the monopolies certain companies have on GMO crops and how farmers are often abused by the food industry. All in all, what you would expect of a movie with an agenda.

While I agree that movies of this nature are necessary to expose the wrongdoings of the food industry, I think the viewer should watch it with a critical eye. After all, this movie has a message of its own, one that clearly pushes for consumers to buy locally grown and organic foods. Although I agree that the consumer market is what drives the food industry to mass-produce food that is unhealthy and inhumane, and that buying foods which hold the food industry to higher standards of health will help to reform our food industry, there will always be a large part of the population which either cannot afford to or do not care to buy these kinds of foods. Thus, I think the ultimate responsibility to improve food conditions falls on the government. Food reform is much needed in this country. We need to stop subsidizing corn- and soy-based foods and improve nutrition education so that consumers are able to make the correct food choices. The movie did its part to demonstrate the need for political action in the United States by illustrating the power of the food industry lobby in Washington and by showing how difficult it is for food safety advocates to affect food policy.

Really, I think this movie served its purpose: Make consumers aware of where their food comes from and how they can do their part to make proper food choices. Sadly, I think food reform will take a back seat to the current economic problems and healthcare reform. Perhaps, in due time, policies will be implemented which improve the quality of food production in this country so that we can all afford to consume a healthy diet.