Medical – Bianca Nogrady

‘I hope you die’: how the COVID pandemic unleashed attacks on scientists

October 14, 2021No Comments

From Nature, 14 October 2021: Infectious-diseases physician Krutika Kuppalli had been in her new job for barely a week in September 2020, when someone phoned her at home and threatened to kill her. Kuppalli, who had just moved from California to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, had been dealing with online abuse … Continue reading ‘I hope you die’: how the COVID pandemic unleashed attacks on scientists

Spare a thought for the sperm

October 6, 2021No Comments

From The Medical Republic, 1 October 2021 When did you last read a study of a new drug or treatment which included any mention of – or even ruled out – potential adverse effects impacts on male fertility? If you’ve been racking your brain for several minutes and still can’t think of one, you’re not … Continue reading Spare a thought for the sperm

Why severe sickle-cell pain has been neglected

September 17, 2021No Comments

From Nature, 25 August 2021: “Dealing with pain is messy,” says John Roberts, an oncologist at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. It can’t be measured objectively through biomarkers or visualized on a scan, the experience of it varies enormously from person to person, and it can be fiendishly difficult to treat. … Continue reading Why severe sickle-cell pain has been neglected

Delta: a deep dive

September 17, 2021No Comments

From The Medical Republic, 2 August 2021: At the start of this year, the covid situation in India was looking relatively good. As the pandemic raged in other parts of the world, India was reporting around 10,000 new cases each day1 – nothing like the hundreds of thousands being diagnosed in the United States. A … Continue reading Delta: a deep dive

Gut microbiome may help or hinder defenses against SARS-CoV-2

September 17, 2021September 17, 2021No Comments

From The Scientist, 31 August 2021: hen SARS-CoV-2 first began rampaging around the world, it was thought to primarily affect the respiratory system. It soon became clear that the virus had more far-reaching effects, including on the gastrointestinal system and its bacterial symbionts. This came as no surprise to Siew Ng, a gastroenterologist in the … Continue reading Gut microbiome may help or hinder defenses against SARS-CoV-2

Australian research faces impending scarcity of lab rodents

July 21, 2021No Comments

From The Scientist, 20 July 2021: iomedical researchers across Australia are reeling in shock from the sudden news that the biggest supplier of laboratory mice and rats in the country—the Animal Resources Centre—will close its doors in around a year, with no plans in place to ensure a continued supply of animals to researchers. Malcolm … Continue reading Australian research faces impending scarcity of lab rodents

How nanotechnology can flick the immunity switch

July 12, 2021No Comments

From Nature, 30 June 2021: Ever since 1796, when English scientist and physician Edward Jenner successfully inoculated an eight-year-old boy with cowpox to protect him from smallpox, vaccines have been a key tool for preventing disease. From smallpox to polio, diphtheria to COVID-19, vaccines have prevented more deaths from infectious disease than any other medical … Continue reading How nanotechnology can flick the immunity switch

Mounting evidence suggests Sputnik COVID vaccine is safe and effective

July 7, 2021No Comments

From Nature News, 7 July 2021: Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik, has been the subject of fascination and controversy since the Russian government authorized its use last year, before early-stage trial results were published. Evidence from Russia and many other countries now suggests it is safe and effective — but questions remain about the quality of … Continue reading Mounting evidence suggests Sputnik COVID vaccine is safe and effective

How a child’s heart health could be decided before birth

June 10, 2021No Comments

From Nature, 9 June 2021: For preventive cardiologist Michele Mietus-Snyder, the quest to understand and address the early causes of heart disease is like going down the rabbit hole in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. “When I’m seeing my adolescent patients, I’m not just trying to prevent heart disease for that child, but for … Continue reading How a child’s heart health could be decided before birth