Where passion for animals, science, and medicine lives…
Have you ever read a vaccine study and quickly tried to skip to the heart of the matter? Perhaps there is someone there, a teacher, a colleague or a vaccine representative. You ask, “What’s the bottom line here? How well does the vaccine work? What percentage of pets are protected?” The other person says, “The Continue Reading
Despite life, work, and intense studying, you have taken time to purchase flowers for that all-important holiday that occurs near the ides of February. We are talking of course, about Lupercalia, the ancient Sabine celebration which the Romans later renamed as Februa. During this time, we purify evil I-can’t-possibly-pass-this-test self-doubts and rejuvenate our health Continue Reading
If you prefer to listen to podcasts, feel free to play the audio version of this blog by clicking on the player above. Podcast: Thanksgiving Food SafetyLength: 2 min 14 secondsWritten and read by the author
The most powerful woman in the world blinded her own son to uphold her beliefs Gorgeous, brilliant, and powerful, the Empress Irene perched upon her throne and contemplated her Eastern Roman Empire. She sought to reunite it with the West through marriage with none other than Charlemagne. Luckily for the great Carolingian king, pleuritis killed Continue Reading
Not a lot of farts, just a soupçon of farts, a light crop-dusting perhaps. Why is this? Our many bacterial nemeses do not like their DNA with farts, so it keeps ours separate. As you may have guessed, a bit of creative license exists here, but you won’t forget this mnemonic device. When do our Continue Reading
Great stories require great villains, which implies three-dimensional, well-developed characters. Often, they generate more interest and fascination than the hero, hence, the prevalence of antiheroes in modern movies and tv. From DC comics, Poison Ivy instills ambivalence. As Batman’s nemesis, we begin hating her, but may discover ourselves admiring her. Her passion revolves around the Continue Reading
Paraphrased, Nietzsche said, “There are no facts, only interpretation.” This could apply to malarial species. If you do some intense data searching, that is, you have a computer, Wi-Fi, and then Google, “number of malaria species that infect people” – typical results include 4, 5, and 6. They could all be correct. Four has been Continue Reading
Welcome back. In the last malaria podcast, we covered the background and challenges malaria presented regarding vaccines. Today, we will lightly touch upon some of the intricacies of Mosquirix, the first-ever vaccine against the disease. You may also know this vaccine by the catchy name RTS,S/AS01. Can hardly imagine why anyone would want to label Continue Reading
The Chinese Nei Ching text dating back more than 4000 years (2700 BCE), attributes malaria to the machinations of three demons: one carrying a hammer, another a bucket of water, and one, a stove. While this helped explain the headaches, chills, and fevers then, today, vaccine researchers might be tempted to count a higher number Continue Reading
Imagine a story. Earth’s population faces extinction from a predator that takes no prisoners. Every fortress invaded; the population dies… to the last individual. No survivors, no mercy, and no solution. Then an outsider steps forth from obscurity with a gift providing hope. Sounds like a great novel doesn’t it? In some ways, the story Continue Reading