Articles by Robert Finn

This issue of The Scientist chronicles many promising areas of cancer research, comprising a wide range of approaches to the treatment and prevention of our second-leading cause of death. But before any of these disparate approaches can begin to affect the rate of cancer mortality, they must pass through the bottleneck of human clinical trials. The pace of new ideas through the clinical trial process can seem maddeningly slow to patients and researchers alike. It takes far too long to get safe

With the explosion of biotechnology and an ever-increasing emphasis on technology transfer from the basic-research laboratory to industry, more and more life scientists are examining the potential economic benefits of their work. Some choose merely to license their patents, but others decide to establish for-profit ventures. Scientists who are also entrepreneurs warn that starting a company is a serious undertaking. It takes a dedicated person with the right temperament who's willing to put in

It seems like such an obvious idea once it's stated: With the explosive growth of scientific literature and the concomitant fragmentation of the scientific community into narrow specialties, there must be undisclosed connections lurking. Suppose one field of science has linked medical condition A with symptom B, and a completely different field has linked dietary deficiency C with that same symptom B. The literature then would contain an implicit logical link between A and C, but unless a resea

HONORED ACHIEVERS: Anne and Paul Ehrlich, winners of this year's Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, have collaborated on ecological research since the 1960s. On Friday, April 17, at a black-tie dinner in Los Angeles, noted environmentalists Paul R. Ehrlich and Anne H. Ehrlich will receive the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement. They will be awarded a gold medallion and $200,000 for a collaboration that began in the early 1960s with field work on butterflies, continued with

Controversies have always been a part of science, but scientists who have found themselves embroiled in hot debates often find them distasteful. Researchers say that at worst, scientific arguments can result in acrimony, with allegations of dishonorable behavior among combatants. Despite the potential for ill will, others insist that disputes can be conducted with mutual respect. Some scientists say controversies can invigorate and enhance interest--and result in important advances--in the cont

'ABSOLUTELY AMAZING': Yerkes' Harriet Robinson notes that research in the field has grown at an extraordinarily rapid rate. With more pathogens developing resistance to antibiotics, and with the increasing vulnerability of human populations to infectious diseases, vaccine research has taken on a new urgency. Among the technologies being developed for the vaccines of the 21st century is the novel idea of using naked DNA-a simple loop of DNA containing an antigen gene-to induce an immune respons

WORTH WAITING FOR: Kwaku Ohene-Frempong of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America says "gene therapy is the ultimate cure of sickle cell disease." Back in 1949, Linus Pauling determined that sickle cell disease-an inherited blood disorder that afflicts 1 in 400 African Americans-is caused by a defect in one of the genes that codes for hemoglobin. Now people with sickle cell disease are finally reaping the benefits of a half-century of research. Within the last two years, several treat

With the passage last year of Proposition 215 in California and similar measures in Arizona and other states, voters have indicated their belief that marijuana should be made available for medicinal purposes. In response, the Office of National Drug Control Policy requested that the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences undertake an 18-month study to assess the science base, the therapeutic use, and the economics of medical marijuana. The study will not be completed until th

Committee service is one of those time-consuming chores that are part of virtually every academic scientist's life. While many researchers regard committee work as distasteful drudgery, others relish their service. Experienced scientists say that service on internal and external committees, when performed with a strategic eye, can help advance one's career. They also note that there are ways to make serving less onerous and to make committee deliberations more efficient. Of course, not every

IDENTITY CRISIS: PCPS's John Porter investigated a case of inadvertent E-mail forgery that embarrassed everyone involved. John R. Porter, an associate professor of biology at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science (PCPS), likes to tell two stories that illustrate some of E-mail's advantages and disadvantages. Porter exploits the advantages in teaching an undergraduate cell biology course. One of his assignments calls for the students to read some recent articles in an area of c

More women are attaining policymaking positions, but the pipeline issue and significant barriers to advancement remain Women are becoming increasingly visible at leadership levels in science. M.R.C. Greenwood, the former associate director in the Office of Science and Technology Policy, likes to point out that in recent years women have headed the two most important Cabinet departments related to science-the departments of Energy and Health and Human Services. Additionally, she notes, women h

The cornea used to be the Rodney Dangerfield of the eye. Once jokingly dismissed as a mere dust cover by scientists who study the retina, the cornea is gaining new respect as research reveals its complexities. IMPETUS FOR INTEREST: UC-Davis's Mark Mannis maintains that advances in technology and molecular and cell biology are spurring interest in cornea research. "Probably the reason for the interest, first of all, is the burgeoning technology in refractive surgery and in implantation devices

Researchers who choose to conduct their careers at four-year liberal arts colleges maintain that it's entirely possible for them to be productive scientists, contrary to popular belief. But to be productive they must overcome many obstacles, including heavy teaching loads, the absence of graduate students and postdocs, difficulty in being competitive in obtaining grant support, and lack of daily contact with colleagues in closely related fields. Additionally, they often must suffer the slings a

This summer the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved three devices intended to replace or supplement neurological function in people who are disabled. Two medical device companies are now marketing "brain pacemakers" to control epileptic seizures and to quiet the tremors of Parkinson's disease, and a third is selling a device that allows paraplegics limited control of their hands. Other neural prosthetics, most notably the cochlear implant, which can return a sense of heari

The position of academic department head is one of the most critical in a university, standing as it does between the faculty and upper-level administrators. It's a difficult and time-consuming job, and perhaps more challenging in the life sciences than in other academic departments. Faculty and administrators agree that a good department head can significantly enhance academic life for both students and faculty, while an incompetent one can make life miserable for everyone. CALL FOR INPUT: F