May 27th 2021 While much has been written about the various COVID-19 vaccines (prevention), including here are Speaking of Research, less emphasis has been placed on the treatment of COVID-19 patients—both earlier on in the pandemic and even at present. Part of this relates to some inherent skepticism of the value of using existing treatments … Continue reading FDA Authorizes Additional Monoclonal Antibody for Treatment of COVID-19
Month: May 2021
NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins Speaks Truth to Power
May 27, 2021 On Tuesday, NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins and NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci testified before the House Appropriations Committee (Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-CT, Chair). Their testimony addressed questions on the fiscal year 2022 budget request for the NIH. This process occurs each year. (Watch the full hearing here). If we’re going to … Continue reading NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins Speaks Truth to Power
The pandemic isn’t over, but a new pan-coronavirus vaccine developed with monkeys could change that
A new report from The Duke Human Vaccine Institute shows a pan-coronavirus vaccine is possible for protecting against many variants of SARS-CoV-2, including SARS-CoV-1 and bat variants.
Call for scientific journals to adopt accurate language about the sex of nonhuman animals
May 21, 2021 In light of the simple fact that nonhuman animals do not have gender identity, we call on scientific journals to adopt a simple policy that ensures accuracy in publications. One line is all that is needed. "Articles about nonhuman animals should specify animals' species as well as their sex; authors should not … Continue reading Call for scientific journals to adopt accurate language about the sex of nonhuman animals
Why nonhuman primates are essential for addressing Alzheimer’s disease and women’s health issues
May 20th 2021Agnès Lacreuse, PhD Our world is aging at an unprecedented rate. The number of older people is projected to double every 20 years, and reach about 17% of the total population by 2050. These figures are alarming, as age is the primary risk factor for developing devastating diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). … Continue reading Why nonhuman primates are essential for addressing Alzheimer’s disease and women’s health issues
The UK is hoping to pass an animal sentience bill. Again!
The UK is hoping to pass an animal sentience bill after leaving the EU. But they avoid defining 'sentience' and limit 'animal' to nonhuman vertebrates.
FDA approves Pfizer vaccine for 12-15 year olds
May 11th 2021 We are starkly reminded of how sidelining science can lead to #VaccineHesitancy globally as cases of COVID-19 continue to spike, taking us further away from herd immunity and normality. We wrote about the human cost of such sidelining with regards to the US and now similar reports are emerging from Brazil and … Continue reading FDA approves Pfizer vaccine for 12-15 year olds
On Naming Ants
Ants aren't gendered, but the people they are named after may, or may not, be. The ant species named Strumigenys ayersthey. Image credit: D.B. Booher & P.O. Hoenle, 2021.