superhero for a day

Sometimes when I am in lab, I like to pretend that I'm saving the world. I know that it's silly, but when the only action that you get is the wrist action of pipetting, you need to keep the mind occupied.

My presence in lab is simply a ruse. Underneath my lab coat is a shirt with a K plastered across my chest. I'm here to find the cure to cancer, to nab the nasty mutant gang that masquerade under names like c-myc or large T. They have hijacked the control center at p53 and withstood the SWAT team's battery of gemcitabine and irinotecan. Today, I found that they are hiding in their cells. It's a place that I would call hell. They call it HeLa. I've tracked them on the MAPK and almost caught them phosophorylating on the AKT. Still not sure whether Ras was a wild goose chase. Those before me have sent some of the culprits to Apotosis but others have committed a mitotic catastrophe.

It's a dangerous world out there. Many innocents have died fighting and will continue to die at the hands of the cancer gang. Someone has to stop it before it metastasizes.

Life in the city

I blame my suburban-yuppie-ness on Woodbury. How else can you describe enjoying going to a coffee shop chain, ordering a latte, and sitting down to read? Tonight it was one of those nights that I had to leave my room. Journal articles needed to be read and my room was more welcoming to naps than scientific stuff. Somehow the Central West End is lacking in cute, independent coffee shops though.

It may sound strange, but I will often casually read license plates as I walk down the street. Looking at different states or creative phrases or the random letter combinations generated that may actually have a meaning. I did love it when my dad had FBI on his car. Or the car I saw once with DNA. Tonight my favorite license plate was "MI BMW" on a sporty, white BMW. Possessiveness, pride, or a joke. Take your pick.

I did read an interesting article today in JAMA, found through the Talking Point Memo Cafe. It appears that approximately 10% of physicians today are affiliated with an investment firm, such as a hedgefund. Conflicts of interest will most certainly arise. I'm a bit surprised at how many physicians are already involved with this sector, but it does make sense in terms of expertise and field of training. A recent issue of The Economist examined the pharmaceutical industry and its future challenges. Between both publications, it appears that the intersection between public and private research is a hot topic. What are the responsibilities that physicans have towards their patients, research, society, and themselves? Does medical research necessarily have to be within public domain, just because research will ultimately affect society? Personally, it is interesting to note the potential jobs that are opening up for particular degree holders, away from traditional faculty appointments.

In other health care news, it doesn't appear that Medicaid will be fixed anytime soon. More cuts might be in the near future, and legislators are working to reshape the qualifications for eligibility. Judging from the article that I read, it doesn't sound promising. A task force has been appointed, indicating that recommendations may not arrive for awhile. Meanwhile, the bureacracy continues and the elderly continue to sacrifice in order to get and stay on the program. It is a strange dilemma how a large percentage of senior citizens live on a government-based program and pay for privatized nursing home care.

Words of the Day

What's hot
Air conditioning (yes, please)
Cappachino coolers
NPR
Straw hats (I bought one on Saturday!)
String cheese
Sunrises (5:30 am, when the sun is a round red ball)

What's not
Applications
Bubble gum
One pot syntheses (of the cooking food variety)
St. Louis College of Pharmacy (I need a new view from my window)
Vioxx (NO idea about the particulars of the COX-2 inhibitors controversy)

KB Squared

Lately, I've made an effort to read more about the challenges of the health care industry. Found an interesting article in the Washington Post on the paradigm of Western biomedicine. Treatment, in this case, centered around psychiatric drugs and how their clinical trials lack cultural diversity. Now, I do tend to agree with the premise that a drug that addresses the biology behind an imbalance in serotonin levels would treat patients across cultural lines in relatively the same manner. However, in the article, multiple psychiatrists focused on the "superiority" of psychiatric illnesses, even going so far as to compare it to AIDS therapy. Which makes me wonder. What seems to be at stake is how people perceive the disesase and more importantly, how cultures believe that the disease should be addressed. Advocates can decry the levels of cultural insensitivity. However, economics and a natural arrogance in one's own form of treatment (in this case, Western psychiatric drugs) remove the universal nature of health care.

forgotten occasion

I had occasion and time to update my resume this morning. Had to add my St. Louis experience, which inevitably meant that something else had to be cut. Glancing over the dates and the work experiences made me realize that I have gone somewhere every summer since before my senior year of high school. All in the name of science. The first summer, I wasn't paid but I didn't pay anything. After that, I got smart. People paid me to show up. However, it makes me wonder. What kind of real-world experiences have I had? If you count living on your own and cooking for yourself, then I suppose that counts. Yet I would argue that the lab is a pretty insular job. You are a lab rat, aka a student. The only jobs that I have held that are non-science related are babysitting/pet-sitting or paid for by the college.

You have to wonder, is this the correct path for the FDA (Future Doctors of America)?

Addendum

Not sure if this link will work, but here is the article that I mentioned in the last post on politics and genetics.

go ahead, make my day

No, it's not merely the FISH motto or a command to make me feel special (which I unabashedly would not refuse), but rather the fun link that someone sent me. AFI has yet another list published of the top 100 movie quotes. Fun times.

It's funny how the minor events are the memorable ones. I'm never going to forget sitting on the pavement, listening to Sedaris tell a story - with a passing ice cream truck in the background. The sounds of the "Donut Song" ringing out and in my mind I'm singing, "Well I walked around the corner and I walked around the block." Or an email will come and it will simply bring a smile to my face. No rhyme or reason as to why or who. A line talking about a 2:2 and asking what are "finals?". Sometimes these items are enough to make me believe that not everything is really important.

The other day, I read an interesting article in the NY Times the other day about politics and genetics. "... a team of political scientists is arguing that people's gut-level reaction to issues like the death penalty, taxes and abortion is strongly influenced by genetic inheritance. The new research builds on a series of studies that indicate that people's general approach to social issues - more conservative or more progressive - is influenced by genes." Some may argue for an evolutionary advantage, but I wonder sometimes if that is too simplistic and ambiguous? Are the researchers arguing for a political pre-disposition or the phenotypic response of an individual to his or her environment? Hopefully I'll be able to find the article. If you find it, please let me know.

leisure

Normally I hate writing about the events in my life. However, I have had some wonderful wholesome evenings of late. Last night was storytime at Left Behind Books with David Sedaris. He read some new stories, one unpublished and one published in last week's New Yorker. Of course, my favorite part tends toward the audience's questions when you really get to see the speaker at his or her most dynamic (or insufferable, I suppose). Definitely could see that his sense of humor was genuine.

Tonight, three of us went to the church dinner and eucharist for grad students/young professionals. Paster John conducted an evening service with a shortened service. Following the eucharist (which we administered to each other), we had dinner and then concluded the service. The notion of literally mixing the communion and fellowship with God and each other was not novel, but certainly appealing after a long day of work.

I think that these activities keep me sane and keep me focused. I've often asked myself what the good life is. The answers in freshman IPHS and the surrounding discussion of the philosopher-king never appealed to me. Nor do I care for the picture of lounging and eating all day. No, I prefer to work hard doing the day on something that I genuinely enjoy and then go home and indulge the other side of me, the cultural earnest Midwestern Lutheran who loves baseball and a good Ian McEwan or Michael Chabon book. Here in St. Louis it's hard sometimes to find others who desperately love the non-science as much as they love the science. Yet for me, the privilege and the ability to embrace both sides of the coin whole-heartedly is redeeming.

Because oooh, HP and the HBP comes out on July 16th!

Credit on demand

I was reading an article on the rise of selling personal identification information on the black market. Ironically, an advertisement for Visa credit cards was playing in the column next to the article. Hardly comforting.

crossroads

I know that I work hard, and lately, I've been wondering for what it is that I work. I'm at the point in my life where I need to apply for something following my charming four years in the OH countryside. I've looked at dual degree programs in order to do cancer research for awhile now, and suddenly I wonder whether I can just walk away from that. Even though gastric cancer is the 14th leading cause of death in the world and its major risk factor, Heliobacter pylori, infect 30-50% of the US population and 70-90% in third-world nations, the research that surrounds this gram-negative bacteria is worlds removed from everyday life. Can or should a person justify a lifetime spent examining pathways that unlock the mysteries of the mind when Swaziland has an HIV infection rate over 40%? Where should duty lie?

I participated in a v. good retreat during my freshman year, and ever since, I feel the need to constantly ask myself whether I place my ambition over my own happiness? I have been blessed with some amazing opportunities, and it only seems natural that I don't want to disappoint those who have helped me get there. Perhaps I am plagued with self-doubt that I will make the wrong decision. I've been told that I can do anything that I want to do, and the older I get, the more I appreciate the responsibility and untruth in that statement. I feel compelled to help in ways other than donating my twenty bucks for Race for the Cure. The rub lies in the manner to do so.

Mukhtaran Bibi

An amazing, continuing story about Mukhtaran Bibi that needs support from all people. Information is by no means limited to this blog.

1/50,000

Participated in the Race for the Cure. St. Louis has the second largest race in the nation, so it was incredible to be part of 50,000+ people, running/walking around the city blocks. Transportation inevitably was a bottleneck. Three of us managed to catch the fifth train that passed, though two members of the group had to wait for a sixth train. Not for lack of trying, might I add. Yet my memories of participating in the race in MN before consists of the throngs of people. This race was no exception. Cheers erupted as the P.A. system announced the countdown to start. Running with so many people did consist of zigzagging, looking for openings between small groups. On one hand, it was much like playing follow the leader through the streets. Part of the appeal was running along the riverfront, past the Arch. Yes, the large concrete wall is ugly, but as a flood wall, it is rather important. At the end, it was fun to see how many businesses were supportive of the event. Breakfast foods from Yoplait and Panera were just a couple of the businesses, though many were handing out goody bags. Handing out pink roses to survivors who completed the race was an excellent idea. All shades of pink were well represented this morning between shirts, hair, bags, signs, etc. Great way to spend a Saturday morning.

Coffee addict

I probably lie in the anti-Starbucks camp, so I found an article about student loans and starbucks rather amusing. the justification that the student uses to encourage her chain-store habit is also highly amusing. of course, debt is not amusing.

cultural snob

Brooks talks about the changes in how we perceive culture over the decades:

"Back in the late 1950's and early 1960's, middlebrow culture, which is really high-toned popular culture, was thriving in America. There was still a sense that culture is good for your character, and that a respectable person should spend time absorbing the best that has been thought and said."

He continues, further in the article, to discuss why the "middlebrow" culture died. From adjectives calling this trend "insidious" or "stultifying," by intellectuals, the middle-class moved to appreciate the values of self. Interestingly enough, the clash between these two values was presented in Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead between Ellsworth Toohey and Howard Roark. The result in the book may be radical by some accounts, yet the book does ask the question whether both so-called critical and public perception of culture necessarily represses creation and the sense of self? Is culture dictated by society, the media, or character?

The Economist also had an interesting commentary on American perceptions and worries about classes in society: the middle class builds and sustains its meritocracy. Meritocracy, by its very definitions, rests upon the individual. With class deeply rooted nowadays in education, what constitutes culture has changed. Yet are the marks of "culture" based upon higher education or the familial transmission of priveleges and background? However, the NY Times editorial argues that culture is now focused on people, replacing opera and literary analysis in the weekly magazines.

Nowadays, we probably do not look to the upper echelons of society in order to dictate what is classy. Yet a "mass market" best seller list is far different than books that sell well based on literary merit. (Thanks Left Bank Books). Some would argue that it's snobby to dine at trendy restaurants, but isn't it better than the chain restaurants? Why not spend a day at the art museum rather than the local Blockbuster?

Whatever happened to class?

lists

I like lists. Here are a few recent quirky ones that crossed my mind today:

Groceries to buy:
Milk
Orange juice
Onion
Spinach
Envelopes

Kar's loot from her departmental picnic:
2 Cans of coca-cola
18 Green apples
0 Red apples
Bag of ruffled potato chips
Ten gallon container cheese-balls (off-brand)

great events

Settling into a comfortable routine here in St. Louis. Sometimes I pretend that my life is excruciatingly boring. I work in a lab for approximately eight hours per day. I buy only healthy foods and eat a peanut butter sandwich every day for lunch. I come home and read the NY Times and some journal articles and then fall asleep, only to repeat the timetable all over again.

However, then I realize that I'm really content and happy with the happenings of my life. Just tonight, I had a great dinner of light Asian appetizers in the Central West End followed by a trip to the cutest independent bookstore. Left Bank Books is apparently the only independent full-scale bookstore in St. Louis. It gives claim to offering every book in print, an art gallery with local artists, and a generally liberal, progressive feel.

The first time that I was at Left Bank Books, I almost got lost reading a used book about obscure women scientists. Today, Kar and I went to pre-order the Harry Potter book and find out details for the store's street party on July 15th. And we discovered that David Sedaris is giving a reading/talk/book signing on Tuesday evening!

Right now, I don't know why I'm considering dual degree programs when I don't know if I can picture myself running a alb. I don't know that even if I do earn a PhD whether this degree is even going to be in the biomedical sciences.

I just know that I love being able to be excited about the small events that come across my path. Like a book reading.

watching the skyline

Gazing out at what could be the St. Louis skyline is rather calming and satifactory, if only I did have a skyline. Nevermind it is really a parking lot with a few lights in the background; it is still better than looking out at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy sign on the other side of the building. Tonight, the ice cream was absolutely delicious. The rose gardens were delightful. And the presentation due tomorrow has yet to be completed. At least an outline must be made tonight.

Since the last few entries have been of a rather negative nature, let me begin by saying how glad I am that I have so many good friends. I'm so blessed to have people who are so generous and kind and inspiring. I'm glad to be able to welcome each day and do my best to remember that each is a unique experience. So much of the world is interesting to discuss and learn about; although we have little time to learn about it all.

I firmly believe that all great cities/towns/villages are great for their quirks. [My hometown is not on this list.] Gambier has the 5000 ft long gravel path and the upside down tree and the bar where you don't need a college ID if your name and birthday are on the list. King Williams Town had the museum with the hippo in it plus some cool architecture and the internet cafe with $1 for 1 hr internet time.

St. Louis has jazz in the Botanical Gardens. Plus, three angels out of an original ten in a reflecting pole (thanks, Alaina). Same kind of smooth, cylindrical posts as the five that meandered to Gambier (albeit, growing in height). Great fun to eat by the rose garden and then wander the paths at dusk. Also great that Kar and I had our picture taken posing as angels. Lol.

Afterwards, was taken to Ted Dawes, the hot spot on any summer night for custard. Mmmmm. Cookie dough medley--concrete. Mmmmm.

Trying

Tonight I'm wondering whether it is possible to truly have a social life while juggling two large academic commitments, a full time job, and being able to pursue hobbies. I really have not read a book for fun yet this summer. Nor have I actually left my room too much each week night. People keep saying that something has to change, but nothing has. Tonight we had a "social event" for summer research students. Good chance to meet people - in fact, I met my next door neighbor!

I've been thinking a lot about integrity lately. Not just the usual bits about the corruption in politics, but rather what it means for individuals. To whom are we responsible to in our daily lives? So much of my faith rests in God, but sometimes I just wonder about the responsibilities to others and myself. It is all too easy to say to not worry about what others think and do what you think is best for you. Yet it is hard when you've asked people favors and do not want their time to go to waste. Nor do you want to completely change your mind after convincing them and yourself that your original choice was right. Except what if it isn't? Is that really being fair? Perhaps the hardest part is admitting that something is wrong. Now that sounds a bit like admitting to an addiction? But can't people just get caught up in participating in activities before realizing that it's not too late to leave? Honesty on a local level...

Happy day

The happy day is when you are told to get out of lab for a seminar about Alzheimer's and genetics and then go to a picnic. An equally happy day occurs the following when you are ordered to again leave lab early in order to have fun. Only this time, it will be jazz at the MO Botanical Gardens.

Just ignore the fact that Thursday, June 16th, promises to be a sad, sad day. A day to ignore the world and a particular website....

Kelly's long public health rant.

Why doesn't our behavior follow the rules of rational thinking?

I admit that I disagree with David Brooks on occasion. I appreciate his insights into the meritocracy of today's college students and his sarcastic look at his own social class. But I don't think that I've ever said, "He has it right." However, reading his Sunday editorial was amazing. This article concerns the problems associated with the spread of HIV. As he said:

"We have tried economic development, but that too is necessary but insufficient. The most aggressive spreaders of the disease are relatively well off. They are miners who have sex with prostitutes and bring the disease home to their wives. They are teachers who trade grades for sex. They are sugar daddies who have sex with 14-year-old girls in exchange for cellphone time." [I'm guessing MTN and Vodacom pre-paid]

.....

I think that everyone in my study abroad program struggled with the question of effective policy implementation and behavioral changes. For their independent study project (ISP), most people conducted surveys and found that youth had a strong knowledge of HIV and how to contract/prevent HIV, but none of this translates into action. Certainly, behavior is more complicated than a rational decision. Knowing that I should not bite my nails does not mean that I have never bitten my nails.

On a more somber note, entering HIV infection and premature death into the equation is not the first consideration. Living for the present is as equally important as the future, perhaps even more so. To buy the tight Levis or the Forschini shirts or Truworths jewelry required for social status, teenage girls seek a sugar daddy. For many, it's a mutally beneficient relationship. Pride, for these girls, come from their perception by their peers, not unlike that of a typical suburban American middle school.

It's not a coincidence that the areas with highest HIV rates are those with lowest employment. Nor is it a coincidence that the breakdown of what were once deeply embedded cultural traditions and pride in one's history as a Xhosa or Tswana or Sotho has occured. One does not see a future beyond what one has. Similarly for prostitutes, when one gets more money to not use a condom, money that is needed to live, HIV infection and an AIDS-related death in 15-20 years seems too far off. One needs food for tomorrow. But these are facts that everyone involved in public health and HIV/AIDS work in sub-Saharan Africa knows.

Satistically, it seems like the easy choice to suggest that people be tested for HIV. Those who are tested practice safer sex practices for up to two years longer than those who are simply told the dangers of unsafe sex practices. The World Health Organization lists clear benefits to HIV testing: one can plan for the future, know whether to increase protective measures, and also enter upon a regiment to receive treatment if necessary. Yet people are, by and large, not being tested in droves, although this number has increased with the increased availability of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).

Which is why I'm not sure that David Brooks was right in his assessment of the situation. He correctly says that "The AIDS crisis is about the sanctity of life. It's about people who have come to so undervalue their own life that ruinous behavior seems unimportant and death is accepted fatalistically. " However, he goes on to say that:

"It's about these and a dozen other things - trust, fear, weakness, traditions, temptation - none of which can be fully addressed by externals. They can be addressed only by the language of ought, by fixing behavior into some relevant set of transcendent ideals and faiths. "

Brooks and I would agree that a personal, moral compass is needed. I think that Brooks is referring to the transcendent ideals of the church. However, I would take it to mean something more. There are unmet needs at work. Listening to the stories in the HIV Wellness clinic made me realize that the decision to be tested rested on two components: hope and pride. That what is effective policy are the efforts to increase self-esteem in the individual by increasing one's pride in one's self, one's culture, one's faith (as it may be), and one's nation.

An HIV prevention plan is a plan that instills pride in one's self so that one's life is worth living (and ensure that one does not become infected with the virus). I don't care if it's religious or cultural or what. To increase the standards of living and the overal economic prosperity of the poorest further confirms that one's life has value and promotes more constructive behavior. The antiretroviral regiment for those who qualify coupled with an aggressive campaign against secondary infections (availability of flucanozole, INZ, etc, for treatment and prophylatic purposes) provides hope after one has been infected.

By doing so, one retains hope that one's life is not only worth saving, but can be saved.

Irrepairable damage

The washing machine ate one of my favorite shirts. Literally, the side was shredded beyond mending. It got caught between the rotating mechanism and the wall. Not a good combination... So much for trying to save money and stuffing more clothes in the washing machine. This is on top of losing one of my two favorite scarves earlier this morning. Not a good day for clothes.

On a positive note, I did find a polo shirt online that may serve as a replacement; Kelly and I also found cute flip flops on sale as well.

Earlier today, someone facetiously said, "Who ever said that 'Money doesn't bring happiness' never saw me shopping." Maybe there's some truth in that statement. However, is it really that the material good brings happiness? Many will argue that it cannot. Yet even if the material good brings momentary happiness, is that not enough sometimes? Aren't there times where you just need to do something different and forget about the stark realities in life? Or is that only relegated to the movies and alcohol?

The other night I had an interesting discussion about "making a difference" versus "saving the world." Everyone makes a difference in the world. Whether it is positive or negative is up to the individual (or the subsequenct historians). One interesting point that came up was about "the world" component. Saving the world does not involve the entire globe. It may be one community. Or could it be one individal? How much sacrifice should it take? How much sacrifice does it take?

In other notes, I've been enjoying the Central West End of St. Louis. Dinner, movie, shopping, party, ice cream, and long walks. Walking across town to Clayon, MO was very nice and very warm this morning on my way to church. An hour later and having picked up very pink cheeks, it was very nice to be there. Well worth the walk.

I also dumped almost a third of the rice I cooked into a dirty sink.

There are some days that are worth forgetting.

Coffee and such

Drinking coffee is a dangerous business. Probably more so at places like Sips in Mt. Vernon and now Einstein Bagels on Euclid. One is a fantastic, independent cafe, and the other is a homogeneous, amorphous chain. At both, coffee is a dollar, dollar twenty-five with free refills. Therefore, in order to get your money's worth, you have to drink at least two cups. After all, it's just caffeine, water, and brewed bitterness. Plus a minute amount of milk and if you so desire, your sugar fix with real sugar. None of that Splenda and carbon-chlorine bond nonsense. Which, if you take this train of thought to its logical conclusion, means that you can suddenly feel full on absolutely nothing at all. You are attentive; your mind is altered to be high-alert; and you see with greater clarity that indeed, it is Sat. morning and I am eating half of an Asiago cheese bagel. You can take on the world with your precision. No one would know that you aren't naturally this perky until five hours later, you sit to write in your blog and you realize that your left leg is shaking uncontrollably.

And you are now hungry.

teaching

In his book, "Longitudes and Attitudes," Friedman includes a touching editorial about the high school journalism teacher who inspired him. Clearly this is a favorite (and underrepresented) topic for him.

I couldn't imagine myself as a high school teacher, but I do have fond memories of a few teachers. Even if my chemistry teacher was sketchy and my political science teacher effectively killed my intent to double-major in that subject. A decision which I would deeply regret were it not for my chance to study abroad.

A recap of the favorites for those who did or did not know me in those formative years :
1. the biology & anatomy teacher for whom I memorized at least two boxes of histology slides because I couldn't see the difference between smooth muscle and multi-layered epithelial cells
2. the art teacher who ultimately did not let me take her class pass/fail
3. the calculus teacher who covered nine blackboards worth of proofs everyday
4. the English teacher who introduced me to The Great Gatsby
5. the physics teacher who only looked at those who listened in class and who could quote the prologue to the Canterbury Tales

everyday

TGIF. I'm not sure whether expected life in St. Louis to move faster or not. However, today's routine is only to be broken by an orientation in the library. Watching people going to work from my window, I just can't help but think that is what comprises the majority of days. Trying to write about the perfect career, well every job consists of "go to work," "work," and "leave work." The optimist in me says that it's the "work" component which makes each job unique and wonderful. However, trying to decide on a career at twenty-one may not be smart. Met an arrogant med student the other night. Damn cocky if anything. Trying to play "God" through plastic surgery. Definitely a contrast to some of the welcoming grad students I've encountered thus far. Softball. Carpool to picnic. Jokes. And probably something that I cannot remember right now. Listening to the "Rent" soundtrack definitely is not helping matters any.

Also realized that my lab does not know I have a twin. I do not believe I told them anything beyond having a sister. Possibilities. Suggestions? We went to a picnic last week and had some fun with new people. We're not related at all! Twins? Fancy that! It's amazing, we actually met at the program. Wait, our names are similar? Fabulous, you can read a nametag! Are you sure that you haven't had too much to drink?

Ethics in research

Kenyon ought to include this topic in its natural science research courses or as a stand-alone course. If only to explore and discuss some of the issues that scientists encounter in the wider world. To gain a better understanding of the complexities of research outside of asking questions for an experiment. And finally, my favorite, how this work (and its funding) relate to the broader public trust in the scientist. Oh science and society.

Smirk

I need a vacation. My sense of humor is getting the better of me. First, I always read the titles of the journal articles in a review. The one called "Cellular Signalling: a Play in Three Akts" was the best though.

AKT is a serine/threonine kinase implicated in cell growth, I think.

Then I find this. I'm such a hometown girl that I can't resist clicking on anything in McSweeney's with the words Mpls/St Paul. You don't even have to know anything about superheroes or rock stars.

genius babies

Continuing the nature versus nurture direction began earlier. Raises interesting questions as to whether you want children who may have a genetic predisposition to higher intellectual pursuits. It may be a bit early to ask the children of Nobel Laureates whether they want to know their father's accomplishments.

benefits of identical dna

What is it like being a twin? What is it like not being a twin?

Sarcasm aside, the recent successful ovary transplant in St. Louis is amazing. Additional implications for the study of genetics. Curious as to the higher percentage of infertile vs. fertile identical twins..... nature versus nurture.

Class and culture

"If Gatsby were to come back today, he would come back as Donald Trump and would want a date not with Daisy but with Britney."
I can't substantiate this claim because I like to see Gatsby as chasing a higher ideal, a higher aesthetic. Daisy could never have met Gatsby's picture of her. Gatsby chased after something he could not see.

genetics and intelligence

Difficult to prove whether or not intelligence is linked to the diseases listed. As for how it would be advantageously linked to DNA repair, I'm not entirely sure. However, the selection process could be reasonable, though I'm not sure if if it necessarily "natural selection" if it is the result of historical, social events and not due to the forces of nature.

Clouds away

My lab loves tea! Apparently, everyone stops work during the day and drinks tea together. Or coffee, but the Indian tea is quite superb. Even if one post-doc put too much sugar in it. Mmmmmm.

Glanced at the headlines this morning. Blair and Bush (but really Blair) seem to be headed towards a plan for African debt forgiveness. Hopefully more will come out before the G8 conference. I find it interesting that one of the major newspapers on the African continent places their opinion alongside an article about how the UN is controlled by countries that treat them like colonies. Certainly, I am interested as to the stipulations regarding debt forgiveness. Will these 20 countries in question have a sustainable development plan? Will there be safeguards to prevent illiberal dictators from padding their accounts with the money that used to pay loans? Or for corruption in general?

Feels like the first day of school

Welcome to Washington University. Today I had what I think will be one of the last orientation sessions. Then lab orientation. Finally lab and the start of what promises to be a mountain of journal articles. As I was talking with a couple of people tonight, I probably sounded like a complete nerd. But these telomeres sound so cool! Think of them as a molecular clock. When they become dysfunctional, then the crisis begins.... Excited yet? The story continues tomorrow.

Cardinals beat the Yankees today. Tomorrow night the game is on at 8:10pm.

telephone call

I spent five weeks breathing the air in a TB clinic. I was doing social science research, not taking INZ. Any bets on the results of the PPD test that was administered today? Consider it a contest between myself and another who had a mishap last summer with mice and a virus.

Not that we ever compete, of course.

Today was not as scary as anticipated. One version of my first day last year left me dazed and confused or almost in tears since lab makes me clueless. The real version left me frantically reading. Today is more like that. I have a faint idea of the project and an even fainter idea as to what gastrin, CCK-2, and COX-2 are. Tomorrow is real-time PCR. To say that I'm excited would mark me as a nerd.

It's too darn hot.

St. Louis has turned out to be an extraordinary city with respects to its sciences and the arts. Have been treated to tours of the Wash U and Barnes-Jewish-Christian (BJC) complex and went to Shakespeare in the Park. That's right, a full-length production of perhaps my favorite work by the Bard. Definitely warranted the 45 min walk and the 90 degree heat. Had a great conversation with K about the different types of power not wielded by Prospero in the play(luck, love, and the audience) and whether there was a religious element or simply a pagan one. Pretentious to the core but damn good fun.

Here's what a $40,000 education in the middle of nowhere has endowed me:
1. the ability to discourse fluently on the merits of Shakespeare and NMR spectroscopy
2. the ability to disdain cell phones
3. an inability to jaywalk
4. an inability to use public transportation
5. an attitude that things can be read and learned in a night

Well, the prospects of med school and grad school have become a bit daunting. My colleagues are a bit, well, rabid, about the MCAT and the AMCAS. Some lovely people, but wow, are people intense. Almost put me in tears earlier this week since it is making me quite stressed. Summertime stress. Ick.

Stir-fry #1 of the summer. Spinach has replaced asparagus as the vegetable of choice.

Pretentious prattle

After much contemplation, I think this blog will work. Between scheduling and activities, postings will probably consist of random thoughts on various articles read. Or hyperlinks to articles and editorials that are interesting. Click on them, read them, and comment on them.

Presently I am considering how Washington University, St. Louis is giving me a pretty nice life this summer, yet wondering why my meals are going to consist mainly of pasta. Pasta and vegetables. No asparagus... yet. Tomorrow is Lab Day #1. It is funny how the program dynamics will change from "summer camp" to "grad school" then. Maybe the intensity will die down a bit as well. Hopefully it won't be all networking or the "world of Higher Shamelessness." Otherwise, it will be one long summer. After all, is this program is designed to give each of us a chance to experience biomedical research - not a formality for entering into Wash U as grad students. Sometimes it is too easy to be caught up in the future and be planning and talking about the next step. Hopefully the other students will see this soon... or at least want to visit the art museum.