What do pandas, Wall Street and parasitic worms all have in common? They’ve all been part of the most trending endocrinology stories of the year! As 2015 comes to a close, we look back at some of the weird and wonderful stories from the world of hormones. Here we round up the news that got most people talking about our wide and varied discipline.
Continue reading “2015 in review: ten endocrinology stories that got the world talking (part 1)”
The Society for Endocrinology are looking for a clinician to join the editorial board of The Endocrinologist. Here, the former Editor, Miles Levy shares some of his highlights and insights into his term working on magazine. For more information about the vacant position please see the Society for Endocrinology website.
Dr Miles Levy interviewed by the Society for Endocrinology’s Fiona Docherty.
Continue reading “Could you be The Endocrinologist’s new Associate Editor?”
More than 50 people crammed into a small intimate room in the back of Bristol’s Tobacco Factory – not in front of any PowerPoint slides or microphones, just a Professor of Medicine holding a pint… On Monday 27 April, Professor Stafford Lightman took us through what makes us keep eating, sleeping and waking – with a stark public health warning.
In 1962, a French caver decided to study the movement of a glacier through an underground cave. Though he knew he’d be shrouded in darkness, Michael Siffre decided to carry out an experiment and left his watch behind. For two months he woke, slept and ate in the darkness. His assistants took and analysed each of his urine and stool samples to monitor his health. Despite having lost track of all time, Michael still followed a 24-hour pattern of waking, eating, sleeping and doing it all over again. Continue reading “Eat, Sleep, Wake, Repeat”
As result of being a member of the Society for Endocrinology Public Engagement committee I have had requests to do press interviews. When called I have the usual thoughts of ‘but I’m not an expert’. Conversely I get very frustrated, even being compelled to rant on social media, about poor representation of endocrinology in the main stream press. So when the opportunity arose to attend a training event organized by the Science Media Centre, at the Wellcome, off I went. Public engagement/working with the media is increasingly important. Professor Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust, declared that if you want to be successful in obtaining a Wellcome Trust grant engaging with the public was essential. He used coverage of Ebola and mitochondrial donation as examples of where the media can influence public perception/debate and policy. Continue reading “Science and the Media”
Ever read a science- related story in the media and thought that it had been exaggerated or misreported? Since the general public rely on the media to keep them informed, these misleading messages can be very damaging, especially when dealing with complex health issues. A famous example is the controversy regarding the measles mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Introduced in 1988, the vaccine was a huge success and ended the endemic transmission of measles. However 10 years after being introduced, a research paper in the Lancet, although later revealed to be severely flawed and with ulterior motives, linked the vaccine with autism. Once sensationalised by the media this paper resulted in a huge public health scare. Many parents then opted against their children being vaccinated, and by 2007 the transmission of measles was re-established. Examples like this give a good indication of how effective the media is as a link between scientific research and the general public, and hence how harmful misreporting of science can be. In November 2014 I attended a Standing up for Science media workshop. The workshop, composed of panellists, group work and discussions, focussed on how we, as scientists, can prevent the public from being badly informed on matters which are perhaps extremely important to them. The panels were split into three sections and taught us about the process by which science is taken into the media and the factors which can result in it being incorrectly portrayed; including the perspectives of scientists, journalists and media relations officers. Victoria Murphy, from Sense About Science (SAS), and Lindsey Robinson, the Voice of Young Science (VoYS) representative, concluded the workshop by informing us of how SAS can help us to stand up to the media if we feel we should. Some of the information from SAS can be accessed through their website. Continue reading “Standing up for Science”
Voice of the Future 2015 took place in the Boothroyd Room at the Houses of Parliament in early March 2015. The format of the event is the reverse of the normal select committee, with the members of the House of Commons Science & Technology Committee (amongst others) acting as the ‘witnesses’ and the UK’s next generation of scientists, engineers and mathematicians acting as the ‘interrogators’ (although this was not exactly water-boarding!). This year’s event was broadcast live on BBC Parliament, highlighting the increasing importance of engaging the public with government, especially for the next generation. Early Career representation in the horseshoe was provided by Zaki Hassan-Smith (Birmingham), Tijana Mitic, Sam Mirczuk (RVC) and Karla Oldknow (Edinburgh). Continue reading “Being a Voice of the Future”
President of the Society for Endocrinology Professor Stephen O’Rahilly is leading the endocrine and metabolic rare disease theme of the National Institute for Health Research’s Rare Disease Translational Research Consortium.
The number of people living with rare endocrine diseases in the UK is estimated to run into hundreds of thousands, but fresh hope is on the horizon, thanks to new research. Continue reading “Rare Disease Day 2015”
As part of our charitable remit, the Society for Endocrinology has the pleasure of supporting and promoting the work of a number of patient support groups. This blog post is written by Ellie Magritte from the on-line resource dsdfamilies.org which supports families, children and young people living with a disorder/difference of sex development (DSD).
As the parent of a growing daughter who has a Y chromosome, I find myself both bemused and excited on a daily basis at how kids are able and ready to accept information which for so long seemed so scary and complex to me. Continue reading “Knowing me, knowing you”
by Omar Jamshed
In 2014, an outbreak of Ebola ravaged West Africa while the world welcomed the first baby born using a transplanted womb. The year also saw doctors growing vaginas in a lab and a debate on the merits of fat in our diets.
In a year packed full of huge science stories, it’s easy to miss the more weird and wonderful news. Here we have collated five endocrine stories that may have gone under your radar last year. They include news that men with bigger bellies last longer in bed and that hormones may shape the “gender” of our brain. Continue reading “Review of 2014: five endocrinology stories you may have missed last year”
The Endocrine Post 