MIT professor studying the mechanics of metastasis

Professor Roger Kamm at MIT was my advisor when I was a mechanical engineering student at MIT.

Roger Kamm, the Cecil and Ida Green Distinguished Professor of Biological and Mechanical Engineering, and his doctoral student Ioannis Zervantonakis are studying the mechanics of metastasis. They are using a 3-D microfluidic device developed in his lab, including a recent study on the effect of flow on tumor-cell migration.

Read more here.

President Clinton speaking about health care at #DellWorld 2012

Today at Dell World, Bill Clinton went on stage and spoke to the audience about the evolution in technology. Roughly 20 years ago when he took office (1993 to 2001), the average cell phone weighed 5 pounds. He sent 2 emails during his presidency.

Technology has advanced considerably since then, hasn't it?

Now, at the age of 66, Clinton is busy with the Clinton Foundation - set up to improve global health, strengthen economies, promote healthier childhoods and health and wellness, and protect the environment.

Here at Dell World, Clinton spoke about the childhood obesity epidemic that is being fought through better nutrition and changes in dietary habits. He spoke about the advances in pediatric cancer research that are possible due to collaborative data sharing. He mentioned the Health Matters conference that's organized by the Clinton Foundation.

Clinton also spoke about global economic issues around inequality, the importance of non-zero-sum, and how the future depends on creative networks of cooperation. He also entertained the audience by wearing some stylish cowboy boots, thus proving that he's a real cowboy.

Bill Clinton will be speaking at HIMSS 2013, so I look forward to seeing him again in a few months.

Medify makes medical research easy

Author:  Thuc Huynh, MD

Finding reputable health information online is no easy task. Do a search for "medical research" on google and you'll get 101 million web pages. Narrow it down to a disorder like "acne medical research" and you still get 3.5 million hits. Medify believes they have an answer.

Their website aggregates data from well-known research facilities like the National Institute of Health and then extracts key information from research articles to create an organized, easy to understand summary page equipped with interactive graphics. From there, users can quickly compare the thousands of research articles by a number of variables.

Take our example of "acne." Medify identifies that 448 treatments have been studied for acne vulgaris by 1,317 experts. It also displays the hottest research topics on acne vulgaris and a list of newly released patient studies.

A powerful feature of Medify is it's charting tool. From our acne vulgaris search, clicking over to comparison shows us a graph of current research based on their strength of evidence. Medify determines this strength by an algorithm which takes into account factors such as progress in clinical trials, number of studies, and number of patients. Users can further personalize their search with demographics or adding more search terms.

Submit an abstract for Medicine 2.0 at Stanford

Medicine 2.0
Stanford University
September 16, 2011 – September 18, 2011

Call for Abstracts, Presentations, Interactive Demos, Startup Pitches and Panel Proposals

EXTENDED Submission Deadline for All Abstract Types: March 15th, 2011 (midnight, EST)

Medicine 2.0 '11 will contain a mix of traditional academic/research, practice and business presentations, keynote presentations, and panel discussions to discuss emerging issues. We strive for an interdisciplinary mix of presenters from different countries and disciplines (e.g. health care, social sciences, computer science, engineering, or business) and with a different angle (research, practice, and business).

U.S.–Russia Forum in Health Sciences

The Foundation for NIH and Eli Lilly Launch $1.265M US-Russia Science Partnership

Bethesda, MD (September 23, 2010) — The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) and Eli Lilly and Company today announced the launch of the U.S.–Russia Forum in Health Sciences to encourage collaboration on shared priorities in health related research. The joint venture was unveiled during a visit to the NIH by Russia’s deputy health minister, Dr. Veronika Skvortsova.

The U.S.–Russia Forum is being established through the Foundation for NIH, with $1,265.000 million from Eli Lilly as the founding private partner, and the Fogarty International Center and Clinical Center as the lead NIH participants. The objective of this public-private partnership is to facilitate collaboration that will improve public health by strengthening activities related to disease control and prevention, clinical and translational research, manufacturing practices and regulatory science, and emerging technologies in the field of health care.

Pfizer and Washington University Announce a Groundbreaking Collaboration

Pfizer and Washington University Announce a Groundbreaking Collaboration

NEW YORK, N.Y., May 17 - In a first-of-a-kind collaboration between academia and industry, Pfizer Inc. will give scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis unprecedented access to information regarding more than 500 pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical candidates in a partnership that focuses on discovering new uses for existing compounds. Under the five-year agreement announced today, Pfizer will provide $22.5 million to Washington University and give its scientists access to research data on a large array of Pfizer pharmaceutical candidates that are currently or were formerly in clinical testing.

You can read the full press release here (PDF). 

I miss IAP at MIT

The month of January is an interesting month at MIT. It's an optimal month for students and it's called IAP.

The Independent Activities Period (IAP) is a special four week term at MIT that runs from the first week of January until the end of the month.

When I was a student at MIT, I spent every January at MIT. Some students would stay at home and return for spring classes in February. I was always at MIT and I always participated in IAP activities. Some of the most memorable include:

• Charm School (yes, all the nerds at MIT really need help with charm and etiquette)
• Ballroom dance workshops
• Programming (yes, some crazy students try to cram programming into a single month!)
  
• 2.670 Mechanical Engineering Tools (yes, I was a Mech E)
• How to find a UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program)

I sure miss those days at MIT. In fact, there's an event called "Toast to IAP" and it occurs in several major cities throughout the United States. 

1 in 110 U.S. children had autism in 2006

We probably all know someone who has autism. We also probably all know a parent who has a child with autism.

According to a new report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 110 U.S. children had autism in 2006. The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network has improved our ability to monitor the epidemiology of autism. Autism covers a spectrum of disorders ranging from autistic disorder, or classic autism, and the two milder forms: Asperger's syndrome and atypical autism called Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (NOS). That phrase NOS almost reminds me of the term "idiopathic." It doesn't have the same meaning, but these non-specific terms in the world of healthcare reminds all of us that we still have so many unanswered questions about medicine.

NOS = why shouldn't something be specified?
Idiopathic = there must be a reason, even if we don't really know what that reason may be.

When it comes to autism, things can get quite heated and emotional. There are some people who strongly believe that vaccines have contributed to the increase in autism. Others blame different environmental factors. Some simply think we're doing a better job identifying children who have autism, so the prevalence hasn't truly increased - it's just a reflection of increased recognition and diagnosis. They argue that in the past, children with autism simply weren't detected. They flew under the radar. Do you believe that?

One of the most significant gaps that prevents us from effectively answering this question is the paucity of autism research. Parents simply are not willing to allow their children to participate in research. How else will we discover what's causing autism in these young ones?

Pharmaceutical Industry Raises Drug Prices by 9%

According to this story on the NY Times, Professor Schondelmeyer found that prices for the name-brand drugs most widely used by the Medicare population rose by 9.3 percent in the last year. Professor Stephen W. Schondelmeyer is a pharmaceutical economics professor at the University of Minnesota.

We know that it costs billions of dollars to research and develop a drug. Those costs are not trivial. We also know that the pharmaceutical industry is a for-profit industry and certain compounds end up being very profitable. Where is the balance? How do we ensure that new drugs are being discovered and that patients are receiving adequate and affordable treatment?

Stem cell therapy out of a James Bond movie

I'm reminded of a James Bond movie where a certain "health clinic" in Cuba offers gene therapy (among other things) that would probably never be allowed in the U.S.

According to CNN, Dr. Zannos Grekos has a company in the Dominican Republic called Regenocyte Therapeutic. He claims that he has successfully used adult stem cells to treat patients with heart and lung disease. Hmm, I wonder what else he's up to. Stem cell therapy mixed with some gene therapy to change people's faces and appearances? I wonder if he's using any special face lamps...

Here are some interesting snippets from the CNN story:

Dr. Irving Weissman, president-elect of the International Society for Stem Cell Research, told CNN, "There is no such cell. There is nothing called a 'regenocyte.' " "As a stem cell scientist who works in the field of regenerative stem cells, I am disappointed and shocked that somebody would prey on a family that has an untreatable disease with the promise of a therapy that has no scientific or medical basis," Weissman said.

Grekos (a cardiologist) has a busy practice in Bonita Springs, Florida, outside Naples, and runs a company that promotes and administers stem cell therapies in Santiago, a noisy, crowded industrial city in the central Dominican Republic.

A year ago, Barbara McKean of Naples, Florida, paid Regenocyte Therapeutic more than $54,000 for stem cell therapy in the Dominican Republic after suffering from chronic lung disease. She said she believes the therapy was worth the expense.

So, are you willing to be part of a private research project? I suppose the villains in the James Bond movie had no choice. Did you guess the James Bond movie? Die Another Day. Maybe if we start seeing some high-profile officials (drug lords) visit the Dominican Republic for "medical care," then we'll have a really interesting medical clinic to investigate. Until then, we have to wait to see what type of data can be generated from this interesting practice. To read the CNN story, click here.

Link between autism and anorexia?

Is there a link between autism and anorexia? Autism has been a really hot topic over the past several years as celebrities and other high-profile individuals have argued about a link between pediatric vaccination and autism. An article on Time suggests that there may be a genetic link. If anorexia is largely caused by a genetic component, then it could also be linked to autism.

Consider these points from the Time article:

• Both anorexic and autistic patients have a tendency to behave obsessively and suffer from rigid ways of thinking...
• In both conditions, patients have difficulty with "set-shifting," or changing course mentally
• "Both autism-spectrum conditions and anorexia share a narrow focus of attention, a resistance to change and excellent attention to detail," says Simon Baron-Cohen, director of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University...
• Past research suggests that about 15% to 20% of patients with anorexia may also have Asperger's syndrome, an autism-spectrum disorder...
• There is evidence that the "repetitive thoughts and behaviors, rigid routines and rituals and perfectionism" that characterize both autism and anorexia may be traced to the same regions in the brain...
  

So what does all this mean? What if autism and anorexia are somehow genetically similar? From a diagnostic perspective, perhaps this will help guide clinicians to identify patients who may be at risk for developing related symptoms. Eventually, this type of research could impact the way clinicians treat patients who have either condition. To read the article on Time, click here.

Does CMV Cause Hypertension?

CMV (cytomegalovirus) is a common virus that infects people here in the U.S. According to the CDC, 50% and 80% of adults are infected with CMV by the age of 40. Reuters is reporting that a study (that involved mice, not people) found that CMV infection causes high blood pressure or hypertension. The theory is that CMV infection may cause persistent inflammation of the blood vessels, predisposing them to conditions like atherosclerosis. The theory makes sense if you consider the fact that many virus infections cause chronic changes that even lead to cancer (like HPV and cervical cancer). So, if chronic vascular inflammation due to CMV is a common cause of hypertension in adults, does this mean that hypertension can be "cured" in some cases with antiviral therapy? Image source: Reuters

Recharging Batteries in Seconds

What if you could recharge your dead cell phone battery in just a few seconds? It may be possible, thanks to some Course 3 (Materials Science and Engineering) researchers at MIT. We haven't seen any major breakthroughs in battery technology over the last decade. It's time we see a major improvement in rechargeable batteries.

Rechargeable batteries are also critical in the world of healthcare. Think about all those implanted cardiac defibrillators that rely on a tiny battery. Plus, other cardiac monitoring devices may use rechargeable batteries. As mobile computers like UMPCs become more commonplace in the medical arena, these devices rely on improved battery life.

Residency or Research?

I got a note today from a medical student who asked: "If I'm deeply interested in research and I don't see myself practicing clinical medicine, what should I do? Pursue residency? Get a PhD?"

This can be tough to answer because it really depends on so many variables. First, how do you know that you won't enjoy some type of clinical medicine? Have you considered all the options, or only the most common ones? Towards the end of the clinical clerkship years, medical students have gotten exposed to most of the common medical specialties, but they probably haven't rotated through specialties like pathology, PM&R, preventive medicine, and several others.

If you're absolutely certain that you don't want to pursue residency, then step back and look at your long-term career goals. For instance, if you want to do clinical research in pharma, then you probably should do a residency, publish some papers, become an academic faculty, and then make the transition. You don't need an MBA to be a researcher for industry.

If you want to work in hospital administration, then you'll need to have practical clinical experience. Hence, you need to do a residency to really understand the nuts and bolts of managing a hospital system.

My advice is always to try residency first. If you give it a fair chance before you pursue other options, because it's often very difficult to go back to clinical medicine.

The road to a PhD can be a very long one, so if you know that you want to focus on basic science research, then you may want to start down that path earlier than later. However, I would still encourage you to give residency a chance (and try to look for some creative options).

MIT and Environmental Health

When I was a student at MIT many years ago, I don't think the MIT Center for Environmental Health Sciences (CEHS) existed. I must have been a student during the stone ages.

Anyways, since environmental health is such a critical part of public health, I thought I'd bring some attention to the CEHS. They are funded by an NIH-NIEHS grant and they have many different projects going on right now. Although I was involved in research when I was an undergraduate student, I wish that I had done more research. I knew people who even spent a year or two doing full-time research after graduating.

Research is the key to innovation and improvement.

Job Post: Medical Director at Omnicare Clinical Research posted on 5/20/08

Here's a job post from LinkedIn


Medical Director at Omnicare Clinical Research

OMNICARE CLINICAL RESEARCH is a leading Phase I to IV contract research organization (CRO) serving the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries. With a global presence in more than 30 countries in Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific we possess diverse therapeutic expertise and a comprehensive scope of clinical services. With our experience of more than 20 years and about 1.100 employees we are a dynamic team of professionals interested in expanding the business and keen to deliver a high quality product. No matter what the project, we have expertise in handling a wide range of studies from pediatrics to geriatrics.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

The Medical Director manages and takes responsibility for medical and scientific aspects of phase I-IV projects in his therapeutic area in OCR International and/or globally, in collaboration with a matrix-structured team of professionals including clinical operations, proposals, business and project management.
* To undertake feasibility work and formal feasibility studies, primarily in his therapeutic area (cardiology or oncology) but also in other therapeutic areas, as needed.
* To collaborate with Business Development in the preparation of proposals as well as attend Bid defense meetings when required.
* To assist in the preparation of clinical development plans in collaboration with Clinical Writers.
* To liaise with expert opinion in relevant therapeutic areas (primarily cardiology or oncology).
* To review clinical documentation (Protocol, Case Report Forms, Informed Consent, etc.) as required by Medical Writers.
* To communicate with investigators and site personnel as needed as a medical monitor.
* To review Serious Adverse Event Reports as required by the Safety Department.
* To conduct a medical review of patients’ safety and laboratory data.

KEY SKILLS

* Ability to work in a team, with sensitivity and diplomacy.
* Able to write clearly and present ideas in a logical fashion.
* Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. Other languages would be a plus.

TRAINING & EXPERIENCE

* A medical doctor (MD) board certified in internal medicine and with at least two to three years clinical experience in cardiology or oncology.
* Full registration as physician and basic clinical research experience preferred.
* Board certification or eligibility in cardiology or oncology would be an asset.
* Travel occasionally upon request.
* Must be familiar with the MS Office Tools (software).