In the rush of other news including the SfN conference and the Pro-Test for Science gathering I forgot to mention this important development. On Sunday, October 18th, UCLA put a full page advert in the LA Times aimed at educating the public on the important role of animals in lifesaving medical research. On top of … Continue reading UCLA challenges AR misinformation
Category: Science News
Cool heads required!
Every year thousands of babies born in the United States suffer from perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a condition where a lack of oxygen and reduced blood supply during or shortly after birth causes brain damage and can lead to death or serious disability in later life. HIE results from a variety of causes, for example … Continue reading Cool heads required!
Nobel Prize time again (and the Laskers too)
Back in August, Dario wrote about how basic science contributes to medical advances and today the Nobel Assembly chose to recognize the importance of such work by awarding the The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2009 to Dr. Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Professor Carol W. Greider and Professor Jack W. Szostak for their discovery of … Continue reading Nobel Prize time again (and the Laskers too)
Working toward a cure for paralysis
We have been pleasantly surprised by the magnitude of the positive responses received from our recent publication in Nature Neuroscience regarding the demonstration of several interventions which resulted in the recovery of well controlled locomotion after a complete spinal cord injury. It has been characterized as a major breakthrough in facilitating the level of recovery … Continue reading Working toward a cure for paralysis
Blind Dogs Lead Researchers to Treatments
Leber’s congenital amaurosis (LCA) is a form of blindness that affects about 1 in 80,000 people. This inherited disease, in which the retina progressively degenerates, results in severe loss of vision, and frequently patients can only see well enough to count fingers or see bright lights. Unfortunately, many of these patients also experience eye pain from … Continue reading Blind Dogs Lead Researchers to Treatments
Mending a Broken Heart
An interesting item in the news today about research on repairing the damage to the heart caused by a heart attack. The report in PNAS can be read by those with a subscription at: While there have been several attempts to bioengineer cardiac tissue for transplant in vitro using starting from cells seeded onto a scaffold, … Continue reading Mending a Broken Heart
Open Letter to Dr. Greek
This is a copy of a letter written to Dr. Greek long ago (July 2003) in response to his request for a written contribution from me. Everything I say in this letter is the honest truth of what I think now, as I did then, with regard to cognitive neuroscience in the non-human primate. At … Continue reading Open Letter to Dr. Greek
Animal Care Technicians
Many misconceptions exist about exactly how animal research is conducted in laboratories. Some of the misconceptions come from a lack of awareness whereas others come in the form of intentional misinformation on the part of animal rights groups. Successful research relies on the dedication of many individuals with a variety of roles, from primary investigators … Continue reading Animal Care Technicians
Speaking of Research 