More than a scientist — I have been a writer for as long as I can remember. We had creative writing projects in Kindergarten or 1st grade, where we’d color in the car or some other general object and then write three sentences about it using the new words we’d learned for colors and shapes…

Post-publishing highs and lows — I just finished writing my second book. Actually, the writing was over almost a year ago. Since I am also the publisher (I started the company in 2019), the editing, formatting, visual elements, and proofing have been the work in this final year of “writing”. All have been hinting that…

Premature fusion of bones in the human body — A rare disease is one that affects fewer than 200,000 Americans (according to the Orphan Drug Act) or fewer than 1 of every 200 people in Europe. Approximately 10,000 rare diseases affecting 1 in 10 Americans are currently known. One of these is Apert syndrome, which is apparent at birth. About - Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center The National Library of Medicine's Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) is used to classify and organize diseases and…rarediseases.info.nih.gov

Discovering the misfits among the nobility in my family tree — As I’ve been researching for the second volume of My Lineage from the Roots Up, I’ve found that several of my ancestors on that side of my tree were caught up in rebellion. It seems it’s in the blood — that side of the family is from Appalachia, where they…

Under normal conditions, the body regulates inflammatory responses via hormones and cytokines. When inflammation is localized, such as in a joint, injection of anti-inflammatory hormones can help the body alleviate the inflammation by reducing the local inflammatory mediators. One such drug is cortisone. First, to understand how cortisone shots work…

Despite its limitations, the OpenAI bot could be a helpful research assistant — Despite the excitement — both positive and negative — about the latest iteration of OpenAI’s research into AI, it has limitations and, as with any other resource, should be used appropriately and cautiously. Those of you who remember the days of newsgroups and dial-up may find the features of ChatGPT…

Nearly two decades of evidence shows we have the tools to get rid of the virus if we just make them accessible — In 2011, I reported on a major advance in the care of people with HIV and their partners — effective prophylactic antiretroviral therapy. At the time, individuals diagnosed with HIV were presented with a life-shattering possibility of transmitting the eventually lethal virus to their spouse/partner. Abstinence had been the only…

Was the childless succession due to ambition or a curse? — While writing My Lineage from the Roots Up, I’ve been able to trace my family tree back to a few medieval families. One of these families is that of William the Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke. He served as Marshal, and then Regent, of England under four monarchs. Though his…

Osteocalcin plays a role in testosterone synthesis — Sex steroids, or androgens, have well known functions in reproduction and fertility, specifically the ‘male’ hormone testosterone. A lesser known function is the effect of testosterone and other steroid hormones on the development of the skeleton. About a decade ago, a previously unknown bidirectional regulation was reported between the gonads…