The Invisible War on the Brain

National Geographic Lee Goldstein, MD, PhD, psychiatry, neurology, ophthalmology Brain trauma from blast force is the signature injury of the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns, afflicting hundreds of thousands of U.S. combat personnel. Although unseen, the damage strikes deeply into a soldier’s mind and psyche.   Quote: To test the theory that blast exposure may have […]

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A New Tactic for Fighting Cancer

BU Today Rachel Flynn, PhD, pharmacology and experimental therapeutics By a quirk of biology, every time an adult cell divides, a bit of DNA gets lopped off the end of the double helix. This seems like a recipe for disaster—imagine a crazed librarian ripping the last chapter off a book every time it got checked […]

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10 Questions: Thea James, MD

Medpage Today Thea James, MD, emergency medicine Thea James, MD, is an associate professor of emergency medicine at Boston Medical Center (BMC)/Boston University School of Medicine, and president of the medical and dental faculty. She is also the co-founder and director of the Violence Intervention Advocacy Program at BMC, which provides victims of violence with services that […]

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Many Insurers Don’t Cover Drugs For Weight Loss

NPR “Shots Blog” Caroline Apovian, MD, medicine and pediatrics In December, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new obesity drug, Saxenda, the fourth prescription medicine the agency has given the green light to fight obesity since 2012. But even though two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese, there’s a good chance their insurer won’t cover […]

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The 15 Numbers Every Investor Needs to Know

Wall Street Journal Thomas Perls, MD, geriatrics In a world full of numbers, it is easy to lose sight of which ones are most important to your personal finances. Just as a doctor checks your vital signs, certain figures are key indicators of your current and future financial well-being. Here are 15 numbers that everyone should know: […]

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Cardio May Help Boost Memory in Older Adults

Boston Magazine Scott Hayes, PhD, psychiatry Some people go for a run or hop on the elliptical in order to “clear their head.” Now, a new study by Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) researchers found that these activities may actually “fill your head” instead. That’s because cardio and memory were found to be related […]

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The Risks of Viral Research

The New Yorker Paul Duprex, PhD, microbiology In 1967, William H. Stewart, the Surgeon General, travelled to the White House to deliver one of the most encouraging messages ever spoken by American public-health official. “It’s time to close the books on infectious diseases, declare the war against pestilence won, and shift national resources to such […]

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