Weekend Reading

With a long weekend fast approaching, we thought we'd share some fun reads you might enjoy while you're basking in free time this Labor Day. (Yes, we know it's Monday, but we wanted to give you time to check these out of the library before you leave town.)

Ilse's suggestion:

Another Day in the Frontal Lobe: A Brain Surgeon Exposes Life on the Inside by Katrina Firlik

When it comes to science and medicine, the brain has always been a topic of particular interest to me. Another Day in the Frontal Lobe takes the reader inside the life of a neurosurgeon by describing Firlik's career path and experiences working with brain injuries and other medical issues. Filled with anecdotes and written in a fluent and engaging manner, the book offers a view of Firlik's field that will be interesting to scientists and prospective scientists (or neurosurgeons) alike.

Matt's pick:

The Political Mind: A Cognitive Scientist's Guide to Your Brain and Its Politics by George Lakoff

Politics are tricky. When up against a wall, I often find myself asking "Why don't people get it?!" Lakoff, a linguist and cognitive scientist, explains some of the science behind political beliefs and why its so hard for people to change their minds. Lakoff touts his book as a thesis about "the science behind how our brain understands politics." I found the chapter on how our brains develop 'frames' to be especially helpful for future science communication.

Heather's choice:

Intuition by Allegra Goodman

We often hear about the plight of the post docs and PhD students just trying to make the next big discovery, and this novel gives us a look at "real" life in a cancer research lab. Now, I've never worked in a lab, but lots of friends of mine have, and this seems like a pretty good view of the politics of discovery, the various dimensions relationships can have in the lab (and out of it) and the personal journey of researchers who are just trying to save lives.

Happy reading everyone!

French Fry Day

Here at New Voices, we all seem to have an affection for the potatoe-y goodness known as french fries. Luckily (or unluckily?), we aren't alone. The average American eats four portions of french fries per week, which is about 16 pounds a year. So today, we're taking a closer look at one of the most ubiquitous foods in the United States.

The Science of Making the Perfect Fry, by Ilse
French fries of choice: Fresh French Fries from the Minnesota State Fair are far and away the best.

The quality of a French fry depends heavily on chemistry and engineering. “In Search of the Perfect Fry” points out that once you have the basic ingredients (potatoes, oil, and a fryer), everything from the temperature of the potatoes and the oil to the length of time that the potatoes are in the oil affects the way the fries turn out. As fries cook, water is released from the potatoes and replaced by oil, causing the fries to cook from the outside in. A process called heat transfer, which is basically the cycle of bubble release from the fries, occurs at this point.

Much more than ingredients and cooking specifications determine how fries taste. Most people add salt for flavor, but scientists have also developed chemical formulas for the oil fries are cooked in that affects the flavor. The use of alternative ingredients such as rice to make fries or fortifying fries have also been considered as ways of making them slightly healthier.

Why We Can't Get Enough, by Matt
French fries of choice: 1st place- Nando's dipped in a combination of Hot & Garlic Peri-Peri sauce. (If you live near D.C., you have to try Nando's!), 2nd place- Five Guys fries dipped in hot sauce, 3rd place- McDonald's

"Addicted to French Fries?! No, I can stop any time. . . . "

Actually, the science suggests you may not be able to stop. The American Heart Disease Association notes that food cravings and addictions may be caused by low serotonin levels in the brain. The “mind-mood-food” connection could explain why you have to have those french fries now.

Other research has shown that eating carbohydrates “increased arousal” and “demonstrated positive effects” on mood (subscription required). French fries are loaded with carbohydrates. A medium french fries from McDonald’s has 48g of carbs—16% of the recommended daily value. That may explain why eating french fries makes you feel so happy.

Greasy Goodness Economics, by Heather
French fries of choice: Anything with crispy outsides and soft centers served with tarragon vinegar, a bit of salt and ketchup.

Americans spend more than $75 billion on fried foods every year. That's a lot, but not even close to the more than $90 billion spent annually on medical expenditures related to being overweight or obese.

Researchers estimate that a net change of 100 calories per day - equivalent to cutting out about 1/2 of a small serving of french fries - could help adults stop gaining weight. Better yet, if we could cut out even one of our four average servings of fries per week, we could save an average of $104 a year on french fries, reduce our calorie intake by about 400 calories a week, and potentially save up to 37% in annual medical costs.

Source: Investment in research saves lives and money Obesity fact sheet

So now we know that...

• there is a science to making the perfect french fry - either at the fair, a restaurant, or at home.
• it's not our fault we can't stop eating them.
• we could save ourselves some serious money and calories if we could stop.

But, there's no argument that the industry does a lot for our economy, so while we at New Voices would never advocate for anything so blatantly unhealthy, we figure nothing's too bad when eaten in moderation. Speaking of which, it looks like lunch time....

Chronicles of a Science Policy Intern: The Intern Project

Photo Credit: Yves (in Vietnam)

When I started at Research!America in early July, one of the aspects of the internship that I was most excited about was the intern project, which is essentially a research project on a relevant topic of the intern’s choosing.*

The research process—selecting a topic, conducting preliminary research, revising or narrowing my topic, conducting further research, and drawing conclusions—is something with which I am rather familiar and thoroughly enjoy. After all, as a recent graduate I’ve spent the better part of my life doing it, albeit at varying levels of complexity and depth. So I looked forward to the chance to investigate a new topic and have decided to use this opportunity to tell you about my experience thus far.

The first step in the research process—selecting a research topic—is often the part I find most challenging. There are so many interesting subjects out there that it can be difficult to pick just one.

Fortunately, every once in a while I come across a topic that stands out from the other possibilities. This was one of those times. As a triple major in chemistry, history, and Asian studies, I am someone who has always enjoyed making connections between seemingly dissimilar subjects. When I started hearing about the supposed divide between scientists, the public, and policymakers; something related to science communication and collaboration between scientists and policymakers seemed a natural choice.

Though I won’t bore you with the details, conducting preliminary research was a lot of fun. (Yes, I know I'm a nerd.) I searched indexes and databases, read articles and books, and focused my topic.

Now I am at the point where I am almost ready to conduct my own research. Based on what I read, I decided that the logical thing to do would be to conduct my own survey. And that has proven to be a much greater challenge than I anticipated. Formulating questions appropriately and differentiating between need-to-know and want-to-know questions has taken a lot of time and thought. I’m very grateful for the guidance I’ve received throughout.

My survey will be distributed online soon and I welcome and encourage your participation. I’ve already learned a great deal in the process of research and writing my survey and am eager to see the results.

Check back for my survey when you visit New Voices! I’ll keep you posted on how things turn out.

*If you're interested in past intern projects, check out Flygal's posts on a knowledge-based economy and Emily's work on climate change and health. And look out for Matt's upcoming posts about his project.

We tip our hats to Senator Edward Kennedy

We tip our hats to you, Senator Kennedy

We join our colleagues and friends in recognition of a true champion for health and research, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who passed away today at the age of 77. Senator Kennedy left a long legacy of legislative accomplishments that have undoubtedly improved the health and well being of millions of Americans. In 2008, Senator Kennedy was awarded Research!America’s prestigious Edward C. Whitehead Award for Medical Research Advocacy in recognition of his many accomplishments.

Some of Senator Kennedy’s most notable legislative accomplishments include:

• The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
• The Americans with Disabilities Act
• The Orphan Drug Act, which encouraged the development of medicines for rare diseases
• Multiple pieces of legislation to strengthen the Food and Drug Administration

Most recently, Senator Kennedy served as the Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee.

Senator Kennedy was a fervent supporter of research to improve health. In Senator Kennedy's own words:

“In the 1990’s, Congress recognized the immense potential of NIH research to bring about the cures of tomorrow, and we doubled the NIH budget. In recent years, however, the increases have stopped and there have even been reductions, which makes no sense. . . . We’re at the dawn of a new age in health research that holds great promise for the prevention, treatment, and even cure of major diseases. That’s why I’m fighting hard to increase the NIH budget and ensure that our country’s position as the leader in health research and innovation remains strong.”

We couldn’t agree more.

We tip our hats to you, Senator Kennedy.

How To: Make Your Voice Heard at a Congressional Town Hall Meeting

If it’s August (and last time I checked, it is), then there is a probably a congressional town hall meeting happening near you. New Voices posted yesterday with an updated list of congressional members holding town halls. With health care reform in the national spotlight, town hall meetings provide you an opportunity to ask your elected officials important questions about the role of research in health.

But how do you even ask a question at a town hall? And what should you ask?

Here are some tips and resources to help you make your voice heard.

• It is important to have a brief statement that conveys your personal story. The keyword here is brief, meaning 1-2 sentences. Consider sharing some of your background that supports your question. For example, if you want to ask a question about how health care reform will affect your work as a biochemist, you could say, “I’m a biochemist researching the causes of cancer. I work every day to better understand this disease. . . .” This provides your elected official with some context about what’s prompting you to ask you question.

• Asking a question also gives you the opportunity to briefly share your views with your elected official. Again, the keyword here is brief, 1-2 sentences. If you think it is important to increase funding for research, don’t be afraid to say so (in 1-2 sentences). For example, "_____ is important to me because _____." After you’ve provided your opinion, ask a direct question.

• Try to sit near the front of the room to make yourself visible. Be patient and polite when trying to garner the attention of person who controls the microphone. The meeting organizers may request that you write your questions down instead.

• Bring materials to leave behind in case there isn’t time for your question. With increased interest in congressional town halls, it may not be possible for everyone to ask a question. Bring printed materials with you that summarize your questions and asks your elected officials to respond. Here is one set of printed materials that you can leave behind to ask your elected officials to respond to the Your Congress-Your Health initiative.

So now that you have a better idea of how to make your voice heard, what should you ask? This is really up to you. Here are some examples of questions from leading patient advocacy organizations.

Parkinson's Action Network: "There are currently no treatments to slow or stop the progression of Parkinson’s disease. How are you working to help provide better treatments and a cure for people living with Parkinson’s disease?"

Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America: "I understand there are a number of substance abuse treatment provisions included in health care reform, and am very pleased about this. But given the fact that drug and alcohol abuse are one of the biggest drivers of health care costs, how is Congress working to ensure that drug and alcohol prevention, and not just treatment are fully addressed in health care reform?"

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: "Will you support the highest possible increase of funds going to NIH . . . ?"

You can also use the Your Congress-Your Health questionnaire as a guideline. Here are some examples of questions from the Your Congress-Your Health questionnaire.

"When it comes to rising health care costs, would you say research to improve health is part of the problem or part of the solution?"

"Considering all aspects of health reform, how much of a priority is it to accelerate our nation's investment in research to improve health?"

Finally, don’t forget that Porter’s Principles provides communication and advocacy tips.

Putting this all together, here are some examples of statements and questions to ask elected officials:

“Hi, my name is Dr. Smith, and I’m from Anytown. I'm a cancer researcher investigating the causes of cancer. I've made some exciting discoveries. Increased funding for research through the NIH is very important to me because allows me and my colleagues to expand our work against cancer. How can health care reform incorporate what my colleagues and I are discovering about preventing and treating cancer? And, how will you support our work in the future? Thank you."

"Hi, my name is Matt, and I’m a student at the U of M. One of my parents was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when I was in high school. Currently, there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, but there is a lot of promising research. Increased research into better treatments and cures as a part of health care reform is very important to me. How can health care reform help people living with Parkinson’s disease, and what do you plan to do to bring us closer to a cure? Thanks."

What are some of the statements and questions you’d like to share at upcoming town halls?

Upcoming Congressional Town Hall Meetings

As Congress approaches the end of the August recess, we wanted to update the list of upcoming town hall meetings to include the members we've heard are holding meetings between tomorrow (8.25.09) and Labor Day.*

Alabama
Rep. Bobby Bright
Rep. Parker Griffith

Alaska
Sen. Lisa Murkowski

Arizona
Sen. John McCain
Rep. Jeff Flake
Rep. Trent Franks
Rep. Harry Mitchell

Arkansas
Sen. Blanche Lincoln
Sen. Mark Pryor
Rep. John Boozman
Rep. Mike Ross

California
Rep. Judy Chu
Rep. Susan Davis
Rep. Anna Eshoo
Rep. Sam Farr
Rep. Mike Honda
Rep. Dan Lungren
Rep. Kevin McCarthy
Rep. Jerry McNerney
Rep. Jackie Speier

Colorado
Rep. Betsy Markey
Rep. Jared Polis

Connecticut
Rep. Joe Courtney
Rep. Jim Himes

Delaware
Sen. Tom Carper

Florida
Rep. Allen Boyd
Rep. Kathy Castor
Rep. Ron Klein
Rep. Bill Posey

Georgia
Rep. John Barrow
Rep. Nathan Deal
Rep. Phil Gingrey
Rep. John Linder

Illinois
Rep. Danny Davis
(check out Davis' responses to Your Congress-Your Health)
Rep. Phil Hare
Rep. Timothy Johnson
Rep. Janice Schakowsky

Indiana
Rep. Dan Burton

Iowa
Sen. Chuck Grassley
Rep. Bruce Braley
Rep. Steve King
Rep. Dave Loebsack

Kansas
Rep. Lynn Jenkins
Rep. Dennis Moore
Rep. Jerry Moran

Louisiana
Rep. Bill Cassidy
Rep. Steve Scalise

Maryland
Rep. Donna Edwards

Massachusetts
Rep. Stephen Lynch

Minnesota
Rep. Michele Bachmann

Mississippi
Sen. Roger Wicker

Missouri
Rep. Sam Graves

Montana
Rep. Denny Rehberg

Nebraska
Rep. Lee Terry

Nevada
Sen. Harry Reid

New Jersey
Rep. Rush Holt

New Mexico
Sen. Tom Udall
Rep. Ben Ray Lujan

New York
Rep. Eric Massa
(check out Massa's responses to Your Congress-Your Health)
Rep. Paul Tonko

North Carolina
Rep. Larry Kissell
Rep. Patrick McHenry
Rep. Sue Myrick
Rep. David Price

Oklahoma
Sen. Tom Coburn
Rep. Tom Cole
Rep. John Sullivan

Oregon
Rep. Peter DeFazio

Rhode Island
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
Rep. Jim Langevin

South Carolina
Rep. Bob Inglis

Tennessee
Rep. Phil Roe
Rep. John Tanner

Texas
Rep. Joe Barton
Rep. Michael Burgess
Rep. Gene Green
Rep. Randy Neugebauer

Utah
Rep. Rob Bishop
Rep. Jason Chaffetz

Vermont
Sen. Bernie Sanders

Virginia
Rep. Jim Moran
Rep. Tom Perriello
Rep. Rob Wittman

Washington
Rep. Brian Baird
Rep. Jay Inslee
Rep. Adam Smith

Wisconsin
Sen. Russ Feingold
Rep. Paul Ryan

Click through on the links to get to a member's homepage and find out the details for their upcoming meetings. Some are even phone-in sessions, so if you can't get out to the meeting you can still participate.

Stay tuned tomorrow for some tips about how to get engaged in a town hall meeting!


*If you have time to get out today, call your members' offices to see if they are one of the 20+ having meetings today!

Research in this Lab is Funded by ARRA

Download/print a copy of this sign for your lab!

You've probably seen signs on roads nationwide advertising that the construction projects are being supported by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act dollars. But why should road construction (usually increasing traffic!) be the only thing Americans associate with the stimulus funds?

In every state across the country, communities are already seeing the benefits of more than $1.3 billion dollars awarded in NIH ARRA funding for over 6018 projects.

Research!America has developed an interactive map that details how the NIH ARRA funding is distributed on both the state and district level.

In addition to research highlights on each state page, there are links to Your Congress–Your Health where visitors are encouraged to send a message to their member of Congress about the issues of research, health, and the economy.

As major recipients of ARRA funding (read: taxpayer dollars) it is important that the scientific community tell the story about the value and economic impact of these research projects.

How is this unprecedented investment impacting your institution and your community? Share your stories in the comments, or email them to hbenson at researchamerica.org.

And, don't forget to download/print a copy of the sign featured at the top of this post to display in your lab!

Majority of Americans Support Stem Cell Research

Stem cell research continues to fill the news as the science progresses in this exciting field of research. We recently learned that scientists have been able to create teeth using stem cells in mice; and another team activated stem cell genes without using a virus, eliminating some problems with earlier models.

With the public focus shifting away from the controversy of stem cell research and toward the scientific possibilities, New Voices was curious about where Americans stand on the issue of stem cell research. We turned to a recent poll commissioned by Research!America for the Your Congress-Your Health initiative. Here are some of our findings.

Support for federally funded embryonic stem cell research has increased

Summer 2009: 73% of Americans support expanded federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
Summer 2005: 57% of Americans supported federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

Support for therapeutic cloning (Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer) has also increased

Summer 2009: 74% of Americans support therapeutic cloning (SCNT).

Summer 2005: 59% of Americans support therapeutic cloning (SCNT).


What explains the change in public opinion? Do more people understand stem cell research? Has the end of President George W. Bush’s term in office affected public opinion?*

Since 2005, the majority of the public has supported both embryonic stem cell research and therapeutic cloning. Today, the majority of the public that support this research has grown significantly.

With that in mind, the minority--those opposed to expanded federal funding for stem cell research--is shrinking. Yet the shrinking minority has become even more vocal in their opposition to federal funding. We say this play out in the public comment period for the NIH stem cell guidelines.

In July 2009, President Obama ordered federal agencies to enact the new rules governing federally funded stem cells, updated by the NIH and originally mandated by his Executive Order. According to an ABC News/MedPage Today report written at the time:

"Of 49,000 public comments submitted to the NIH on its proposed guidelines, at least 30,000 were from groups and individuals who flat-out oppose federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

These were determined to be non-responsive the question, said Dr. Kington, [the then acting Director of NIH]. 'We did not ask them if we should fund human embryonic stem cell research. We asked in what circumstances should we fund human embryonic stem cell research.'"

This leaves the majority of Americans who do support expanded federal funding for embryonic stem cell research with one choice--speak up!! Our voices won't be heard unless we use them.


*Recall that when the 2005 poll was administered, President Bush was holding strong on his restrictions for federally funded embryonic stem cell research. Despite President Bush's objections, the public and Congress supported expanding federally funded stem cell research. Congress passed legislation to expand federal funding for embryonic stem cell research twice, only to be vetoed by President Bush.


This is Part 3 in our series highlighting data from the Your Congress-Your Health poll.
Part 1 - Can you name a living scientist?
Part 2 - Poll Methodology
Part 3 - STEM Education

The Importance of STEM Education

Recently, my co-blogger Heather wrote about the fact that most Americans can’t name a living scientist. Today I’m going to write about something that can help change that statistic: science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

According to Research!America’s 2009 Your Congress-Your Health poll, 76% of Americans think that STEM education is “very important” to U.S. competitiveness and economic prosperity. Another 21% consider STEM education “somewhat important,” and only a very small percentage—3%--think it is “not important.” In fact, there is little question as to whether STEM education is important to our society: it provides numerous benefits in addition to making the U.S. more competitive and is therefore crucial to support, promote, and encourage.

Science, technology, engineering, and math education have several economic benefits for society. Undergraduate and graduate programs in these fields provide highly skilled workers and researchers who can make constructive contributions in their field of employment.

The success of the institutions or industries in which these people are employed generates revenue and additional funding that has a huge regional and national impact. One example: according to the 2007 study In Your Own Backyard, NIH funding for Illinois generated 11,914 new jobs and $1,848,000,000 worth of business activity. (Read more about the economic impact of research here).

Educating students in the sciences, technology, engineering, and math also creates people who are capable of finding solutions to the problems faced by the world today. Locally and globally, people with STEM degrees are helping create treatments and cures for diseases, generating ideas for sources of energy, and finding ways to deal with global warming. Their work improves all of our lives.

Since STEM education is so significant to our society, it is crucial for each of us to support. This is a multi-fold endeavor.

A significant aspect of this is ensuring the availability of STEM opportunities to students of all ages. Interest in these areas should be encouraged at a young age and must be sustained; we need challenging and engaging programs that nurture innovative thinkers. If you have a personal connection to science, you can help with this by working to make internships, educational outreach, or other programs available in your lab, classroom, or company. Or you could write to your Members of Congress in support of STEM education.

Ensuring that society is aware of these opportunities is another must. If you are aware of a great STEM program, tell people who might be interested! I wouldn’t have found out about Research!America or this internship if it hadn't been mentioned by a post-doc that I interviewed for information about careers in science policy and public health.

Finally, it is absolutely necessary to foster enthusiasm for the sciences and research. We need to create a culture of excitement and interest in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. We need science ambassadors (to borrow Chris and Sheril's term) on all levels and in all fields to demonstrate how cool science is.

Tell your friends. Get involved. And if you have any ideas or know of any STEM opportunities that New Voices might be interested in, please leave a comment!

Photo credit: Chemical Heritage Foundation

This is Part 3 in our series highlighting data from the Your Congress-Your Health poll.
Part 1 - Can you name a living scientist?
Part 2 - Poll Methodology

Signing Off

“Without research, there is no hope.”

~ The Honorable Paul G. Rogers

Here on my last day as a regular New Voices blogger, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about this quote. It seems hyperbolic at first glance. To suggest that research funding is the key to hope seems to be a tad over-reaching. But, then you stop and think about it. What is hope, but the belief that the future can be better than the present? What is research but the search for a better future? Allow me to ramble a bit.

As a D.C. resident, I try and make the effort to brave the tourists and go to museums. Like many young men, my favorite museum has been - and always will be - the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Walking in and seeing planes and space shuttles from all generations always takes my breath away. Walking around that museum I see dozens of things that had been declared impossible. People said flight was impossible. People said space travel was science fiction to the extreme. It gives me hope knowing that we have done the impossible and been to the edge of science fiction.



During the 40th anniversary of the moon landing there have been numerous articles on the hope that "one small step" gave to a generation. Even now, the idea of walking on the moon sounds vaguely like science fiction. The fact that technology that seemed imaginary could be made real through science makes all things seem possible. If we can land a human on the moon, what is there that we can’t accomplish? That is hope.

Hope can also be personal.

My grandfather had his first heart attack in his 50's, long before I was born. This was when heart attacks were a death sentence and meant months in the hospital. He survived it, but was forced to retire. He would suffer further heart problems that eventually resulted in a bypass. Without the bypass surgery and improved medicines and preventative programs, he never would have lived long enough to meet even one of his grandchildren. Yet despite his heart problems, he lived to be 93 and had met his first great grand child when he passed away last year.

This is what I think of when I think of hope. This is the future that Paul Rogers envisioned: the hope of holding your first grandchild. The hope of walking on the moon. The hope of cars that don’t rely on gasoline anymore and better plants and vaccines for AIDS and cures for cancer. The grand dreams that we all have for the world will be sped along by the research of scientists the world over.

I will always think of my grandfather and the medical discoveries that allowed us to become friends. I hope for every family to be as lucky as I have been.

So, I’ll leave you with that. Without research there is no hope. Tell your friends.

P.S. I’m also hoping for jet packs.


Takao will be returning to Georgetown University Law School to pursue his juris doctorate this fall. New Voices was glad to have his unique voice with us as a regular blogger this summer and look forward to his guest posts in the future.