SUMC in the News (10/09/07)

Press releases

'Stanford Medicine' explores why willpower alone won't change bad health habits
Why don’t we do what’s good for us? The fall issue of Stanford Medicine magazine explores this question in a special report on health behavior and why sheer grit only takes us so far.

Print media coverage

Chronicle of Higher Education, 10/12/07
Score 2 for academic freedom
This article discusses university/industry collaborations on research projects. John Cooke, professor of medicine, is mentioned here.

New York Times, 10/09/07
How baboons think (yes, think)
This article discusses the mental processes of baboons. Robert Sapolsky, the John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Professor, is quoted.

San Jose Mercury News, 10/09/07
Hutchison: There is help for parents of girls who are 'scary skinny'
This column discusses family-based treatment for adolescents with eating disorders. James Lock, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of the eating-disorders program at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, provides comment.

Oakland Tribune, 10/09/07
Nurses strike to begin Wednesday
More than 5,000 nurses are expected to strike at 15 Northern California hospitals tomorrow, in the largest such walkout in a decade. Larry Shuer, professor of neurosurgery and chief-of-staff at Stanford Hospital & Clinics, is quoted in this article, which also appears in the Alameda Times Star, Burlingame Daily News, East Bay Daily News, Fremont Argus, Hayward Daily Review, Palo Alto Daily News, Redwood City Daily News, San Mateo County Times and San Mateo Daily News.

Medford Mail Tribune (Medford, Ore.), 10/09/07
Virtual worlds help disabled regain hope
An increasing number of sick, disabled and troubled people say virtual worlds are helping them fight their diseases, live with their disabilities and sometimes even begin to recover. Stanford is referenced in this article, which originally appeared in the Washington Post.

New Zealand Press Association, 10/09/07
Study looks at magnetic treatment for depression (No online version available)
This article discusses the use of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to treat depression. Bret Schneider, a consulting assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and of neurosurgery, is quoted.

Bloomberg.com, 10/09/07
Nobel winner Capecchi survived WWII, targeted disease in mice
This article profiles Mario R. Capecchi, who won the 2007 Nobel Prize in Medicine for groundbreaking discoveries that led to a technique for manipulating mouse genes. Andrew Fire, professor of pathology, who won last year's prize, is mentioned here.

New Scientist, 10/08/07
Invention: Heart-reinforcing corset
A reinforcing band made from two different polymers could prevent dangerous expansion of the heart and reduce the danger of congestive heart failure. The band was developed by researchers led by Bilal Shafi, a medical fellow in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery.

San Jose Mercury News, 10/08/07
Californians eagerly invest in stem cell research fund
This editorial on the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine mentions that Californians are showing that they haven't lost their enthusiasm for stem cell research. Although Stanford isn't referenced, the piece may be of interest to readers.

Los Angeles Times, 09/30/07
Study suggests DDT, breast cancer link
Women heavily exposed to the pesticide DDT during childhood are five times as likely to develop breast cancer, according to a new study from UC Berkeley. Peggy Reynolds, a consulting professor of health research and policy and an epidemiologist at the Northern California Cancer Center, provides comment in this article, which also appears in the Houston Chronicle.

WebMD.com, 09/29/07
The dry-skin workbook
Katie Rodan, adjunct clinical assistant professor of dermatology, is quoted in this feature on treating and preventing dry skin.

Broadcast media coverage

KGO-TV, 10/09/07
The medical school will showcase a variety of students' community outreach projects at the annual Fall Forum on Community Health and Public Service. The event is being held at 5 p.m. today in the Arrillaga Alumni Center.

NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (PBS), 10/08/07
Irving Weissman, the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Professor for Clinical Investigation and director of the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine; Michael Clarke, the Karel H. and Avice N. Beekhuis Professor in Cancer Biology, and Christopher Scott, director of the Program on Stem Cells in Society in the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics, were featured in this segment on stem cell research in California.