Insights on International Collaborative Health
In 1998, with just a handful of staff, Johns Hopkins Medicine established a global ambassador, Johns Hopkins Medicine International (JHI), to take its mission worldwide: improving the health of the community and the world by setting the standard of excellence in medical education, research and clinical care. Since then, we’ve grown to help Johns Hopkins(...)
Johns Hopkins scientists cracked the genetic code for cancer and deciphered the genome of more cancer types than any other research team in the world—among numerous achievements in oncology. These discoveries helped revolutionized how we diagnose and treat pediatric cancers. Johns Hopkins Children’s Center provides one of the nation’s Top 10 pediatric cancer programs, according(...)
Direct-to-consumer genetic tests are popular. For a few hundred dollars, companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA promise information about disease risk for customers and their children, details about ancestry, and insights about personal characteristics—like why you may think cilantro tastes like soap. It’s a simple process. Customers just pay, sign a waiver, and send in a(...)
By Dr. James Aw The patient, in his early 20’s, was clinically depressed and struggled with sleep. His family physician prescribed him an antidepressant and medication to treat his insomnia. But his mood wasn’t lifting, and his sleep wasn’t improving. He had difficulty at school and was on a waiting list to see a psychiatrist.(...)
Cancer in the Middle East is on the rise. By 2030, experts predict that the incidence of cancer will double from 2012, thanks to factors such as comparatively limited access to quality health care and detrimental lifestyle choices. I had the honor earlier this summer of speaking at the War on Cancer Middle East 2018,(...)
Why do medical researchers report their findings? One primary reason is it promotes an exchange for ideas. When you read a research article or listen to a research presentation, you typically learn something new about disease diagnosis or management. And it’s a two-way street: Investigators often also learn something from the audience’s comments, which can(...)
Research at Johns Hopkins is a massive enterprise supported by physicians, nurses, pharmacists, technologists, coordinators and many others. We also are enriched by myriad research resources at the School of Medicine, School of Nursing and Bloomberg School of Public Health. We’re very fortunate: This academic ecosystem for research doesn’t exist at many other places in(...)
When you’re ill, it’s a struggle just to change out of your pajamas or heat up a cup of tea. Going into work is out of the question. For patients who are critically ill, traveling for care can feel unbearable. Patients would rather receive treatment locally, where they have family support and can recuperate in(...)
Reasoning defines human intelligence, yet we all too often make choices that utterly defy logic. We’re impatient or irrational—or both—even when it comes to ensuring our own good health. An earlier post covered the huge risk of overprescribing antibiotics. Overuse exposes patients to potentially dangerous side effects, wastes resources, increases antibiotic resistance and spurs the(...)
Dr. Sara Cosgrove The Scottish physician Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928. Since then, antibiotics have transformed modern medicine and saved millions of lives by killing or slowing the growth of the bacteria that cause conditions such as bronchitis and pneumonia. However, shortly after winning the Nobel Prize in 1945, Fleming issued this warning in(...)