Author: naylorsa

The dark side of running a lab

Image courtesy of Ludie Cochrane
Image courtesy of Ludie Cochrane

A lucky few scientists make it through graduate school and a post-doctoral fellowship AND manage to secure a position running their own lab. Once they begin the day-to-day grind of operating a research enterprise they often realize there’s way less time for science and more administrative tasks to do. This administrative burden can be a drain on creativity and scientific productivity. The National Science Foundation (NSF) issued a request for information (RFI) to learn what aspects of administration are affecting scientists at work, and hear their suggestions for change. The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), a coalition of many scientific societies, administered a survey sent out to all 26 member societies to collect the data for NSF. The answers they received painted a picture of what it’s like to be a scientific investigator. Continue reading “The dark side of running a lab”

Hey Ladies!

Image courtesy of the National Cancer Institute
Image courtesy of the National Cancer Institute

Why are women turning down opportunities to present their scientific work at international meetings? A study in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology uncovered a lower representation of female scientists at the annual European Society for Evolutionary Biology meeting in 2011. The numbers of women were lower in the category of all presenters (48%)(including posters) and regular oral presentations (41%). However, only 25% of plenary speakers were women. But this disparity isn’t because women weren’t asked to present. Continue reading “Hey Ladies!”

When immune cells attack…

A neuron wrapped in many layers of myelin
An electron microscopy image of a neuron wrapped in many layers of myelin

…it’s usually a good thing! Immune cells normally protect our bodies from foreign objects or marauding bacteria. Sometimes, this finely tuned protective machinery can go haywire. An example of this is the disease Multiple Sclerosis.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is thought to be caused by confusion of a person’s immune system. Their immune cells mistakenly attack the protective coating of their nerves (myelin) and progressively strip it away leaving the nerves vulnerable and exposed. When someone has MS they often come to their doctor with symptoms of neurological dysfunction that can vary widely depending on what nerves have been damaged. They could have trouble walking or have a tingling pins and needles feeling in their arm. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure and most remedies are not effective in alleviating the progression of the disease. A new phase one clinical trial may provide some hope. Continue reading “When immune cells attack…”

Get ya some….Experience

Image courtesy of Elyce Feliz
Image courtesy of Elyce Feliz

Would you like to know what those evil reviewers are saying about your first RO1 submission? Want to learn what separates fundable and unfundable grant submissions? Apparently, there’s a program for that! The Early Career Reviewer Program recruits new principal investigators (PIs)(regardless of whether a researcher has ever received NIH funding) to join study sections relevant to their field and participate in the review process. Continue reading “Get ya some….Experience”

Technology vs Poverty

Image courtesy of Carl Parkes
Image courtesy of Carl Parkes

Technology and poverty seem to be intrinsically at odds with one another. Technology is a luxury, right? While the “smartphone” has been hugely influential in wealthy nations, simple pay as you go cell phones have also transformed poor, rural areas and they are being used to monitor market prices of crops via text messages. This critical information can help a farmer decide what to bring to market and where, to get the best prices. The stripped down basic cell phone could greatly improve a farmer’s income. It’s possible that science and technology could be key components in alleviating poverty all over the world. Continue reading “Technology vs Poverty”