Choosing Your Words

Image credit: surrealmuse

If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: choose your words wisely. This general rule of communication applies to everything from talking to friends and family to drafting a journal article.

Working as an advocate (and a blogger) means that my words have to be chosen precisely. This doesn't mean that I spend hours poring over posts before sharing them with the world, but all of us here at New Voices make a considerable effort to pick clear, concise, meaningful words that enhance our posts. And in advocacy, having a simple, memorable message is worth the time it takes to develop it.

Words have different meanings to different people. Even if we avoid jargon, common terms can make varying impressions on members of an audience. In a recent article in The Permanente Journal, "From Our Lips to Whose Ears? Consumer Reaction to Our Current Health Care Dialect," the authors discuss how common health terms like medical home, best practices, evidence-based medicine, treatment guidelines, coordinated care, value, and teamwork resonate with the American public. The study showed that most words were not received well, despite their "simplification for public consumption". Perhaps American humorist Erma Bombeck puts it best:

"...Doctor and patient do not speak the same language. They speak Latin. We speak Reader's Digest."

An expert on words, Frank Luntz recently spoke to Republicans on how to frame their health messages. His advice is based on information culled from the American public and has made lasting impacts on how we talk about certain issues in this country (think: climate change, death tax, etc.). How does he - and others like him - do it? Check out this 2004 PBS Frontline special The Persuaders. [It's worth the time to understand the research behind the social science.]

You probably don't need to message test everything you want to say before you say it, but it is good to remember that the words you share may not always have the effect you intend them to.

Just a little food for thought.

U.S Competitiveness and Innovation

In my last post, I talked about how we are moving towards a knowledge-based economy and what that term means.

In today's post, I want to talk about U.S competitiveness, especially with respect to a knowledge-based economy.

Several reports about U.S. competitiveness and innovation in the global economy have been compiled. Although they all use slightly different methodologies, they all reach the same basic conclusion. We are not doing enough to spur research and innovation and we need to wake up before its too late.

The latest report is from ITIF an independent think-tank, here in DC. ITIF specifically focused on the science and technology (S&T) sector, so I'll give some details from their report- The Atlantic Century, which uses 16 different parameters like innovation, productivity, S&T policy, trade policy, etc. to grade and rank 40 different countries on how innovative and competitive they are.

The crucial data from the report are summarized below:

Table 1: How innovative and competitive are we?

Out of 40 countries, we came in 6th. Perhaps, not time to push the panic button yet, but far from the magical #1 slot that most people believe we enjoy.

The report goes further and examines what these 40 countries have been doing to actively encourage innovation and competition in their countries over the past decade.

Table 2: Has our score improved?


This is the most striking result of their analysis- we came in dead last. Out of the 40 countries they studied: the U.S was doing the LEAST to spur innovation.

The results are particularly distressing because countries like Singapore and Luxembourg - already ranked higher than us in innovation and competition - are also doing more than us (a lot more) to spur innovation, meaning we'll have much farther to go to catch up.

The cornerstone for the future of U.S. competitiveness and innovation lies in supporting our research infrastructure, and more specifically researchers. In my next post, I'll discuss the most common path to becoming a scientific researcher in the U.S. and the time and financial investment it requires.


This is Part 2 of 6 in our Human Capital and Knowledge-based Economy series.
Part 1 - A Knowledge-based Economy
Part 2 - U.S Competitiveness and Innovation
Part 3 - The Making of a Scientist
Part 4 - From Training to Practice: Joining the Faculty
Part 5 - A Race to Save the Lab Rats
Part 6 - Advocating for Human Capital

Climate Change and Health: Water-Borne Diseases

The Chicago skyline from a boat on Lake Michigan, as captured by christopherdale.

The posts in our climate change and health series have been discussing the range of consequences climate change may have on human health.

Increased precipitation could cause flooding & lead to water supply contamination, spreading water-borne diseases such as cholera & parasitic illnesses.

A report published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in October 2008 predicts increased risk for water-borne illness around the Great Lakes, potentially affecting 40 million people, due to an increase in climate-related extreme rainfall that could overwhelm storm water and sewage systems, potentially diverting raw sewage to Lake Michigan - a key source of drinking water.

While some regions will be effected by extreme precipitation, others will experience drought. These drier conditions can also spread water-borne illness as a single infected source could be shared by more people than usual.


This is Part 6 of 7 in our Climate Change and Health series.
Part 1 - Climate Change and Health
Part 2 - Heat-Related Issues
Part 3 - Malaria
Part 4 - Lyme Disease
Part 5 - Mental Health
Part 6 - Water-borne Disease
Part 7 - Extreme Weather Events

A Knowledge-based Economy

Comic credit: Scott Adams

I hope everyone had a happy Mother's day yesterday. Like Dilbert's mom, the first time I tried explaining what I did to my mom, she was more concerned about how I'd be making any money as a scientist than with understanding my research. Now that I am a policy fellow, the value of my work may be even more difficult to measure.

For the past few months I have been working on issues of building human capital for the knowledge based economy. That is quite a mouthful, so let me break it down:

• Human capital is the basically assets in the form of well-qualified, trained people in other words - labor;

• A knowledge-based economy is exactly that, an economy based on knowledge and the products of knowledge.

So, I've been working on how to increase our workforce (a.k.a people) for a knowledge-based economy (a.k.a the world we live in now).

This is an issue that has fascinated me for some time now, so I was ecstatic when the good folks at Research!America said that I could work on it.

Why is this issue important? For me (and many of you), it is important because I am a scientist, and this issue directly impacts my workforce.

It is also important in the larger context of our economy. Pretty much everyone now realizes that the days of a manufacturing-based economy are over. We are moving towards a knowledge-based economy . We are moving from jobs that largely require manual skills (like assembly line jobs) to jobs that require intellectual skills (like doing research). Our economy is now trading in goods that are more the product of the mind than the hand (eg. trading in fuel-cell technology has more value than selling a car).

We are also a mature economy and the jobs that promise to stay in America are not the manufacturing jobs but rather the intellectual jobs. The rise of inexpensive and reliable telecommunications and transport has led to the export of jobs requiring intensive input of manual labor and a demand for jobs requiring input of intellectual skills. In other words, a company that trades its products globally is minimizing its manufacturing costs by shipping those jobs overseas, while keeping its R&D facilities - and thus those jobs - here in the US.

So, if we are moving to an economy where intellectual skills and research are going to be valuable, don't we need a trained workforce? Do we need more people who can do research? If so, how will we train these individuals? How much will we need to invest and how long will it take?

I'll be exploring these and other questions over the next few weeks throughout a series of posts on building human capital in a knowledge-based economy. Stay tuned!


This is Part 1 of 6 in our Human Capital and Knowledge-based Economy series.
Part 1 - A Knowledge-based Economy
Part 2 - U.S Competitiveness and Innovation
Part 3 - The Making of a Scientist
Part 4 - From Training to Practice: Joining the Faculty
Part 5 - A Race to Save the Lab Rats
Part 6 - Advocating for Human Capital

Model Mothers

Mother Earth

In honor of Mother's Day, we've pulled together links to some of our favorite blogs written by mothers. We hope you'll enjoy their great posts on science, society, academia, research, and of course, motherhood. Please help us add to this list.

Sciencewoman of Sciencewomen

Heather Armstrong of dooce.com

Maria Gracie of Get Organized Now!

The BlogHer network has lots of great blogs written by moms.

And last but not least, Dr. Isis of On becoming a Domestic and Laboratory Goddess. We'll be talking more about her Letters to our Daughters project soon.

Happy Mother's Day - and don't forget to call your mom!


**Special Mother's Day good wishes to New Voices co-blogger Emily Connelly who is celebrating her first full year as a mom in 2009!

Diminishing Swine Flu Panic

A beach in Cozumel, Mexico. Photo credit: Ben.a

Last week I was on vacation with my family. Our trip included stops in a couple of Caribbean locations, including Cozumel, Mexico. Well, it was supposed to anyway. The day before we were scheduled to land in Mexico, the CDC issued a strong warning against non-essential travel to Mexico, which led our cruise line to re-route us to a day at sea.

The effect this had on passengers on the ship was astounding. The staff delivered handouts from the CDC about how to avoid swine flu to all the cabins. People became more and more cautious about sharing things. Hand sanitizing stations appeared next to or outside of anyplace serving food (which - if you've never been on a cruise - is just about everywhere). Any time someone sneezed or coughed in an elevator, a fellow passenger would inevitably ask, "Do you have 'the swine'?" (This got particularly annoying as I had a head cold for three days.)

We were mostly cut off from news sources aside from our daily cruise bulletin about where to find trivia, bingo, or pool volleyball, so almost no one knew the actual symptoms of swine flu (fever, body aches, runny nose, and other basic flu symptoms).

Upon returning home to the U.S. the news was plastered with outbreak stories and updates on places cases had been reported. Of course, precaution and prevention are excellent tools to improving human health. But, the stress and alarm produced in an otherwise healthy climate could not have had a positive psychological effect.

As professionals in science and health, we can often be the "go-to" person when issues like swine flu appear in the media. There are a few things we can do to help diminish the panic that often accompanies startling science or health news.

1. Explain what you know. To be honest, I knew almost nothing about swine flu when the whole situation started, so I kept to myself. As I could, I read up on it, how it spread, and where reported cases were and only then talked about it to others.
2. Refer to the experts. The CDC, flu researchers, medical doctors, and other experts are the best sources of information. To keep hype to a minimum, refer people to websites and experts who are relaying facts in the least sensational manner.
3. Lead by example. Absolutely be cautious yourself and wash your hands more frequently (note this isn't the same as sanitizing) or do whatever is best in the scenario. However, try not to instigate panic by being panicked yourself.

It doesn't seem like much, but just being calm, cool, and collected can make a huge difference. Any other suggestions or swine flu related stories to share?

Call for Comments on NIH Draft Guidelines

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Show Your Support for Federal Funding of Stem Cell Research
Submit Comments on NIH Draft Guidelines

Your voice is needed. NIH is requesting feedback from the public on new guidelines for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, and significant opposition is expected.

President Obama's March 9 Executive Order lifted the Bush Administration's restrictions on embryonic stem cell research and instructed the NIH to develop guidelines for federal funding. Please submit your comments on the guidelines by May 26 to show your support for federal funding of stem cell research - NIH will be considering both the content and the volume of the comments received.

We have provided sample comment text below that any advocate can submit to NIH. However, we encourage you to modify the comments based on your reasons for supporting stem cell research or expertise you may have in the field. To review the guidelines before you submit your comment, go to: http://stemcells.nih.gov/policy/2009draft.

How to Submit Your Comments - Deadline May 26

• To access the NIH comment form, go to: http://nihoerextra.nih.gov/stem_cells/add.htm
• Provide your name, and select 'self' for Affiliation; and
• Copy and paste the text below into the comment box, edit as appropriate, and submit your comments.

Sample Comment Text

It is important for the federal government to support all types of stem cell research. Our nation's leadership in health-related research depends upon such funding, as does the health of its citizens. A majority of Americans (73%) favor federal funding for embryonic stem cell research according to a Research!America poll. The final guidelines for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research must ensure that science can progress to the fullest extent possible.

I am pleased that the draft guidelines would expand the number of embryonic stem cell lines that are eligible for federal funding. However, the final guidelines should allow federal funding of all avenues of stem cell research. Specifically, the guidelines must ensure that any line that is currently eligible for funding should remain eligible so that research underway is not halted. It is also important for the guidelines to support funding of research on stem cell lines derived from somatic cell nuclear transfer. The NIH should continue to monitor developments in the field and to update these guidelines as the research progresses.

Journalist Advocate: Bob Woodruff

Bob Woodruff, known to most of the world as the ABC News reporter who suffered a devastating injury in Iraq, is also an active advocate for research into head and brain injuries. He and his wife, fellow journalist Lee Woodruff, founded the Bob Woodruff Foundation dedicated to helping heal the physical and psychological wounds of war.

Woodruff grew up in middle America and earned a law degree from the University of Michigan. He is fluent in German and Mandarin besides of course, his native English. His break as a journalist actually came because of a chance happening: he was in Beijing teaching law in1989 when the Tianenmen Square incident happened. CBS News hired him as an on-screen interpreter during the incident. This marked the turning point in his career and he decided to become a full time journalist eventually joining Peter Jennings as co-anchor of ABC's World News Tonight.

Most people are aware of the injuries he suffered while covering the Iraqi war in 2006. His miraculous recovery led by several teams of physicians at Germany and subsequently Bethesda
has received much media attention.

Earlier this year, Research!America honored Bob Woodruff with their Isadore Rosenfeld Award for Impact on Public Opinion. Accepting his award Woodruff said,

“War has brought civilian and military medicine together. I wouldn’t havesurvived my injury if it had happened five years earlier because of [the research put into practice by] the medics, doctors and nurses who treated me.”

During his long stay in hospital he leaned on his family and especially his wife, Lee. Lee and Bob wrote candidly about their experiences in the bestselling book, In an Instant.

Bob used his platform as a well-known and respected journalist to not only recount his own experiences, but also to start his foundation. He recognized that his recovery was aided in large part by path-breaking research into brain trauma and injury. He also recognized that sometimes
mental and psychological trauma gets less attention than physical trauma. Thus, his foundation works to promote research on all three fronts -physical, mental and psychological.

This Mental Health Month, we salute Bob and Lee Woodruff for their continuing advocacy for research to improve health.

Research!America President Mary Woolley, Isadore Rosenfeld, MD and Bob Woodruff at the Research!America Advocacy Awards dinner, 2009.

Panel Discussion on Climate, Energy, and Health

Chronicles of a Science Policy Intern

Last week I attended a panel discussion at the AAAS Forum on Science and Technology Policy called Climate, Energy, and Health: Policy Implications. The speakers discussed the intersection of these three big issues, and nearly all of them spoke about climate change’s likely increase in malaria incidence (validating my project!).

Andrew Dobson, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University, spoke about the role of climate change for infectious diseases. He strongly suggested that vaccines won’t work for diseases like malaria and cholera because immunity builds too quickly, and risk groups would need to be vaccinated every year, which is not a practical long-term solution. To make the disease seem more real, Dobson told the group that malaria is like one 9/11 every day, killing roughly 3,000 children per day in Africa. Studies tracking mosquitoes have shown that 99% of their bites are on cows, somewhat limiting the spread of malaria and that many ticks bite squirrels, somewhat limiting the spread of West Nile Virus. Therefore, higher biodiversity leads to lower vector-borne disease transmission rates. As diseases move out of the tropics there will be a less attractive variety of hosts (animals, etc.), so they will focus on humans.

Dan Greenbaum, president of the Health Effects Institute, discussed how climate change is going to affect ozone, making a difficult current public health problem more challenging. Ozone causes health problems such as inflammation in the respiratory tract, increased hospitalizations for asthma, and lung disease. Projections suggest significant effects will start to be noticeable in 2050 but we can take action before that to mitigate effects.

Kirk Smith, Professor of Global Environmental Health at the University of California-Berkeley, spoke about how health and climate change can be tackled together using a “co-benefit” approach by linking them with society, spreading costs, and creating a political bridge. He spoke about how diet preferences have a huge effect on greenhouse gases (GHG) since livestock produce 20% of all GHG emissions and 30% of total methane emissions. Memorably, he stated, “We could actually eat ourselves into climate change.”

Carlos Covalan, senior advisor in Sustainable Development and Environmental Health at PAHO-Brazil, spoke about how 3 billion people use solid fuels, such as wood and biomass, in poor countries for basic energy needs like cooking and heating, significantly contributing to the climate change by producing emissions and particulate matter. He put the issue in perspective by saying: Our energy burden is to pay a bill once a month. Their burden is (for mostly women) to carry huge amounts of wood on their backs 1-2 times per week for fuel.

Reid Detchon, executive director of Energy and Climate at the UN Foundation made the case for why toxic aromatics, like benzene, should be taken out of gasoline. Aromatics replaced lead to provide octane, but could be replaced by biofuels which are potentially low in GHGs and have less negative health effects.


Click here for more about the panel sessions held at the AAAS forum.

Climate Change and Health: Mental Health

Over the past two weeks you've read about a number of health implications of climate change, from cardiovascular and respiratory issues exacerbated by heat to vector-borne diseases like malaria and Lyme disease. Today, we continue the series with a look at the mental health effects of climate change.

Post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression due to extreme weather events or social upheaval are just some of the predicted impacts of climate change on mental health.*

Extreme weather events, sustained droughts, flooding, and changes in traditional food sources are incredibly stressful and many people may choose (or be forced) to leave their homes. Climate change refugees will not only have to deal with displacement but potentially the emotional stress of losing friends and family.

Poor mental health can reduce productivity and increase unrest. Additionally, declining mental health can result in increases in injury and suicide. In the short years following Hurricane Katrina (certainly an example of extreme weather, if not evidence of climate change), suicide rates tripled.

May is Mental Health Month, and here at New Voices we’re going to be posting throughout the month about the importance of mental health research, advocacy opportunities, and profiling leaders in mental health advocacy.

For an introduction to Mental Health Month, we recommend seeing the experts over at Mental Health America; they have some great features including a website dedicated to living well.

*Patz, J.A. Defining the current and future health risks of climate change. Program and abstracts of the American Public Health Association 135th Annual Meeting; November 6, 2007; Washington, DC. Presentation 4077.2.


This is Part 5 of 7 in our Climate Change and Health series.
Part 1 - Climate Change and Health
Part 2 - Heat-Related Issues
Part 3 - Malaria
Part 4 - Lyme Disease
Part 5 - Mental Health
Part 6 - Water-borne Disease
Part 7 - Extreme Weather Events