Break Your Cultural Biases & Say Goodbye to Trans-Atlantic Camel Riders!

By Oreoluwa O. Adedoyin, PhD

"Did you ride a camel on your way from Africa to the United States?”

“How did you survive travelling across the Sahara desert?”

“Did you grow up seeing lions and tigers roaming around?”

As a college-educated immigrant from Nigeria, I was dumbfounded, and momentarily speechless, when I heard these questions from American elementary students during a university organized cross-cultural education tour. On the tour, about 8 years ago, we were visiting one of the counties in the Appalachian region of Kentucky. I was surprised that elementary school students could contemplate and verbalize such questions in an era of easily accessible information through the Internet, although perhaps some of these children did not enjoy this service in their homes and/or schools. 

During a period of quiet self-reflection, as we headed back to campus, my own questions were:  How do you answer 5 and 6-year-old elementary school students who may not have met or interacted with someone from a different country or continent, and who looks different from them? How do you respond to children or young students who are genuinely curious, but do not know how to ask a question without relying on inaccurate and stereotypical biases?

Research shows that children develop misconceptions about other people through uninformed assumptions, socialization of perceived cultural superiority, and reinforced negative media portrayals. When false and unfounded perceptions about other races, immigrant groups, or ethnic nationalities are left unchallenged by the different social institutions (such as the home, school, media, etc.), these false impressions become ingrained as a belief system. This belief system can evolve into a prejudicial view, cultural scaffold, and an indivisible part of children’s thinking process throughout their lifespans.

In fact, we all are probably guilty of this prejudiced thinking, or “implicit bias”, about race, ethnicity, and gender, no matter how “color-blind” or “objective” we think we are, according to Dr. Molly Carnes, doctor of internal medicine, epidemiologist, and a leader in raising awareness about the negative impact of stereotypes in science, engineering and leadership.

This past spring, I heard Dr. Carnes speak on “Breaking the Bias Habit ® as part of Mentoring Week at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Currently, I am a UAB postdoctoral trainee in the Division of Nephrology, School of Medicine, working under the mentorship of Drs. Jim George and Anupam Agarwal. Events like Mentoring Week keep me thinking long after the speakers have left.

Why does the bias habit matter?

 
It matters because Dr. Carnes cites numerous studies that show how it is part of human nature to make “group assumptions” that are simply not true. Unfortunately, these assumptions can be argued as one of the several reasons why fewer women and minorities are not pursuing careers in science and engineering fields as well as in leadership positions. It is unsurprising that these untrue assumptions may inadvertently contribute to lower pay for women and minorities in research or academia. These convoluted assumptions overtime are passed from one generation to another, which may be the reason why elementary school students would confidently ask if an African immigrant female with a slight English accent must have ridden on camels across the Sahara desert to get to the U.S.

As I listened to Dr. Carnes, I thought about how we can begin to address cultural biases. The world is regarded as a global village, and with unprecedented access to the Internet, very many questions can be answered with a few simple clicks and online searches. However, using just the resources on the Internet to answer such questions may be affected by pitfalls of half-truths or totally false information for young students (and even adults).

Another strategy is to encourage traveling to other parts of the world to see other people groups and their unique ways of living first-hand. Travelling presents another opportunity to break cultural biases, though this might be quite expensive. However, where and when affordable, it may provide a new socialization and learning experience for school kids such as I encountered years ago.

Still, I strongly believe that cultural immersion experiences are unique experiences that can help remove misconceptions, educate, and enlighten the public about other cultures or countries. As I pondered over this issue, I was reminded of an old Turkish adage: “If the mountain won't come to you, you must go to the mountain.”

So, how do we go to the mountain? I suggest that the community of international students, postdocs, and faculty in institutions of higher learning like UAB see themselves as ambassadors of their countries of origin.  Wherever they go, they should help educate and enlighten people about their countries of origin in these new or host communities.

For example, I grew up as part of the Yoruba ethnic group in Nigeria the most populous African country with over 160 million people and multiple ethnic groups. Though the official language is English, there are at least over 500 different ethnic languages, spoken in Nigeria. Despite our differences in cultures, languages, cuisines, and religions, we were taught to cherish and appreciate our unity despite our diversity. Thus, whenever I participate in such cultural exchange outreach programs I try to teach the kids about the Nigerian culture, respectful greetings, showcase some traditional attires, share folk tales and songs, as well as cultural dance steps especially from my Yoruba tribe.

“If we truly want to break an old bad habit, it is not enough to be well intentioned”, says Dr. Carnes. Old habits should be assessed and in the words of Dr. Carnes: “It takes awareness, motivation, self-efficacy, the expectation of positive outcomes and plenty of practice to develop a new habit of mind, one that is culturally rich, inclusive, and bias-free”.

That is why it is important to provide opportunities for younger students to interact with people from a different culture, race, country, or continent which may help these students develop tolerance, and debunk misconceptions/false media portrayals. These cross-cultural learning and exchange opportunities will enable these students to appreciate that we after all, are all humans with similar passions, goals, and hobbies even though we may look different, or have a different accent.

Imagine what we could do, create, problem-solve, and forge together if we really respect how rich, diverse, smart and valuable other people from other countries and other cultures are?

And lest I forget, I didn’t ride across the Sahara desert in a camel to get here. I flew in an airplane!!!

Master Science as a Second Language: But Don’t Forget your First

Text and Photo by Nicholas Potochick

“Inhibition of non-canonical translational initiation reduces elongation rate in eukaryotic ribosomes lacking non-essential ribosomal protein eS25 by adopting irregular translocational conformational states…”

 Zzzzzzzz…See … I lost you, didn’t I?

That’s my problem. In fact it’s the problem of a lot of scientists. Science naturally deals with a lot of complex jargon that requires communication of important ideas to be precise and technical. Yet this language can be difficult to grasp, or just incredibly dull, to those who aren’t experts. Hence, while science-ese serves a purpose among scientists, it becomes a fool-proof cure for insomnia when we try to talk to non-scientists.

So, let’s try this again. Take two, this time without the sleep-inducing language.

“I study a protein that helps your body interpret very specific types of genetic code, and without it, your cells can’t read that code. My research is important because some potentially dangerous viruses mimic this type of genetic code to trick your body into making viruses. Oh, and you know what else uses these special genetic codes? Cancer.”

I bet that caught your attention.

When science is written only for scientists, as it is in academic journals, it’s hard for the average person to understand the importance of the work done in a research lab. When we scientists don’t take the time to translate our work back to our native language, we don’t communicate why it matters. When we don’t show why it matters, our research doesn’t get funded. And we don’t make progress towards treating cancer and curing diseases.

Getting the picture?

“The protein I study is found in the ribosome, the machinery of the cell that converts RNA into proteins. I know what the protein does when you are sick, but what does it do when you are well? I use a method called Polysome Analysis to see how effectively the ribosomes are converting RNA. Specifically, I use chemicals to throw a wrench into the ribosome’s gears while it performs specific tasks. This method enables me to see if cells without the protein of interest are getting worse at reading RNA. It’s important to know what something does before you remove it, or you could end up make people sicker instead of better.”

Is it becoming clearer?

One reason for the disconnect between science-ese and the common tongue is because, in the past, scientists were not taught how to talk to the public. For example, I was not urged to take a course in science communication when earning my bachelor’s degree in biology at Oakland University. Currently, I’m earning a PhD in Biomedical Science at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), and up until recently, all of my focus was on learning my science.

Today, however, I am involved in innovative new programs encouraging new scientists to explore opportunities away from the research bench and engage the public. I enrolled in UAB’s Experiences program through the university’s Office of Postdoctoral Education. This program offers a science communication boot camp that provides hands on instruction for learning to talk and write about science in a way that is accessible to the public. It also helps us expand other critical job skills, such as research administration, policy making, and entrepreneurship, which may be sought after by biotech companies.

“In conclusion, we found that normal, healthy cells without our protein aren’t seriously harmed, but cells producing certain viruses and certain types of cancer are. Now we need to continue this research to figure out how best to use this knowledge to help people prevent or fight disease.”

Not bad, huh? With a little practice, I think I can become completely bilingual.     

 

What I’m Working On: A “Sweet” Cure for Skin Cancer

By Erin M. Burns, PhD, MSPH

“We are going to have to do something to cover up those tan lines!”

“Your back is so tanned, you look like a native islander!”

“Erin, you are going to get skin cancer!”

I am blonde and wear a fair-skinned coat in winter. But these are just a couple of exclamations I heard through my high school and college years as a bronzed, sun-worshiping lifeguard at our neighborhood pool. As Spring Break approaches on college campuses, and students I know head South with bikinis and beach towels, I think about the chances they are taking. And I worry.

Luckily, I am not one of the nearly 3 million Americans diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) annually with an update. But as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), I am researching preventive treatments for this type of skin cancer to help decrease the statistics and help change the way we think about health, beauty and yes, I know this is ambitious, Spring Break.

NMSC is the most common cancer and nearly completely preventable with the regular use of sunscreen. However, many people believe that they look better and healthier with a tan and continue to sunbathe or use tanning beds. Billions of dollars are spent treating NMSC each year. Although surgery successfully treats most NMSC, the surgeries can be disfiguring and nearly 9,000 people die annually. Needlessly.

Here is where my research comes in. We are working on treatments to prevent the development of skin cancer in the first place, even if people have been tanning for years, like I did in my youth. Our laboratory at UAB has been investigating a specific type of honey, and we found that by drinking water with this honey, tumor development is significantly decreased in our animal model (manuscript in progress).

This treatment has not been tested sufficiently in humans yet, but this sweet treatment could help reduce skin cancer incidence. In the future, as you are getting ready for a week at the beach for vacation, or Spring Break, you may be packing a beach umbrella , sunless tanning lotion, and a jar of honey.

In fact, now that I think about it, Winnie the Pooh was right: “The only reason for being a bee is to make honey. And the only reason for making honey is so I can eat it.”

Have a Sweet Spring Break!

What I'm Working on: LA Anxiety? Welcome to the Jungle

By Dr. Alex Van Ness

The running of the bulls in Pamplona? Indiana Jones fleeing the boulder?!? Yeah, they’ve got nothing on me.

I’m talking about the recent International Stroke Conference (ISC) in Los Angeles, California. I have to admit that learning of this location provoked something akin to PTSD in me. The last time I was in Los Angeles for an ISC meeting, I was traumatized.

Imagine, if you will, a budding physician-scientist walking back from the conference center on a sunny California afternoon, mulling over the latest clinical trials, pulling a stuffed laptop case. Suddenly, a red double-decker bus comes out of nowhere, blasting some sort of horrible sound that passes for music. I turned and looked, unable to ignore the music any more than I could an ice pick in my brain. The bus was large and filled with ponytail sporting Tweens, all of whom appeared to be screaming or singing along to a throbbing and undecipherable jingle.

Streetwise, I tucked my head and tried to ignore them, while continuing down the sidewalk to my hotel. The next thing I knew, something, a projectile of sorts, hit me in the right shoulder. When I looked around, the only possible culprit was the double-decker bus. On the ground, lay a red bundle. Instinctively, I picked it up, stuffed it in my bag, and kept walking. I didn’t even make it another block before I sustained another direct hit—this time by a white tube-like structure. Again, I saw no one around me except the ponytailed troop on that double-decker bus. Realizing that the second piece of ammo was a T-shirt, I deduced that the singing ponytails were sniping me using T-shirt guns.

That was it.  A woman has her limits.  I accelerated and veered left, shaking them off the trail to my hotel. Just when I thought I had escaped, I was surrounded by high-pitched screams. Looking over my shoulder, I confronted a herd of girls running right at me (not unlike that terrible scene from “The Lion King.”)  I quickly realized I was trapped between the charging pigtails and a performance stage. I did what any sane academic would do… I grabbed the handle of my laptop pull case and ran for my life!

I didn’t stop until I reached the hotel lobby, a sweating, panting heap. I must have looked shaken, because the bartender inquired about my well-being. Astutely, he offered me a drink, and I ordered a Tanqueray and tonic with two limes.While I was still gathering my bearings at bar, one of my colleagues approached me and asked what was wrong. I described the traumatic event. After comforting me with a series of snorts and laughs, she inquired about the projectiles that struck me.

I took them out of my bag, holding them at arm’s length for her to see. Chuckling, she asked if I knew who Justin Bieber was. Who??? He is a pop icon starring at a concert nearby, she explained, happily securing the T-shirts in her backpack for her daughters. I said I hoped that her daughters would appreciate the genuine artifacts, given that I had risked my life acquiring them. She was pretty sure that they would since “he’s to die for.”

Tips and Tricks: Trying not to get bogged down, literally and figuratively

Posted by Taylor Roberge

As a biologist, this past field season for me has been quite successful, sometimes through no fault of my own. In addition to the ongoing diamondback terrapin recovery program, several of our deadline projects were completed successfully, thanks to the gracious help of several friends and colleagues. These victories included evaluating the effects of nest microhabitat on hatchling turtle phenotype, as well as an intensive trapping effort along coastal Alabama. Our goal with the trapping was to recapture reared turtles and assess whether raising and releasing post hatchlings is a cost effective conservation strategy. As my field work draws to a close, one thought comes to mind: Writing season has begun! Looking at the backlog of research writing coming due makes me feel like I’m back in the marsh, and stuck up to my waist in pluff mud (especially now that I can see the holidays approaching).

Removing a fyke net during a very low tide

Luckily, I have found some time managing and writing strategies, which in my opinion, make things a bit more manageable and less overwhelming.

 

• Make a list or a plan (if you haven’t already). Include any deadlines or associated time lines. If a project is more open-ended, set some realistic timelines so that you have a goal to shoot for. If left too open-ended, it'll never happen. See these tools to create a Writing Project Plan and a Publication Plan (from writing coach Dr. Jennifer L. Greer in the Professional Development Program at the UAB Graduate School) if you really want to get organized, or if you are working on high-stakes projects, like a grant or a thesis or dissertation.

 

• Prioritize writing projects. There is no one good way to do this other than to make sure you are sticking to hard deadlines. I like to group complementary projects together so I can kill two birds with one stone, as they say, when researching literature. I also like to make sure I disperse some of the projects that I’m not so excited about writing with those that I am excited about to help break things up. If I get bored, I move to another project. 

 

• Set a writing schedule (and stick to it). This strategy seems like a no brainier but can be one of the hardest parts to stick to. For me, writing for a short (2 hours) a day is more productive than trying to binge write and get burnt out on a project.

• Check off specific tasks for quick gratification. I find it much more satisfying to be able to physically mark through projects as I finish. So I make paper lists of my writing tasks I can hang near my desk as a reminder of what is coming up as well as what I have completed.

 

Let me know how these tips work for you to make your writing more productive If you have any other tips that help to prevent you from having a panic attack when you look at your writing to-do list, let us know in the comments. Writers rule. Especially when it's too cold for a biologist to truck through the muck.

What I’m Working On: Tips and Tricks to Better Blood Pressure Control

Are you fed up with having elevated blood pressure and have tried lifestyle modifications to get your blood pressure down without success? Did you know that almost half of Americans have trouble controlling their blood pressure despite cheap and even free well-tolerated medications available to treat elevated blood pressure? We know that hypertension must be controlled to prevent  morbidity and mortality, but before the hypertension landmark trials done at Veterans Affairs Hospitals in the late 60's and early 70's, we thought that uncontrolled blood pressure was not a problem. As the story goes, due to our lack of knowledge about hypertension, many died from uncontrolled blood pressure, which is also called the "silent killer." For example, our president Franklin D.  Roosevelt loss his life to a stroke after suffering from uncontrolled blood pressure. Before that, Tuskegee University founder, Booker T. Washington, died from hypertension due to the lack of treatment available.

If you have hypertension or know someone who does, I have some advice for you. But first a disclosure, I am not a medical doctor. I am a hypertension coach. I lead the Circulation Network at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), a hypertension support group for employees and their families. I have over four years of experience attending in a hypertension specialty clinic, have investigated hypertension self-management since 2008, and have over 20 years of experience as a registered nurse specializing in cardiovascular disease and hypertension self-management. I also have been a lead research coordinator on the landmark clinical trial, Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT: https://www.sprinttrial.org/public/dspHome.cfm). Most recently, I developed an effective quality improvement effort in one Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) at the Birmingham Veterans Administration Hospital. I am now spreading these quality improvement efforts to other PACTs in primary care.

What I know for sure is that, for many people, blood pressure can be controlled by routine lifestyle modifications, including a healthy diet and a regular exercise routine. If this does not work for you, you may want to ask your doctor about well-tolerated anti-hypertensive medications that help most people manage high blood pressure. A small percentage of people have what is called refractory hypertension, which is blood pressure that is difficult to control despite an adequate regimen of blood pressure medication. Generally, unless you have secondary causes of hypertension or you have refractory hypertension, you should be able to maintain blood pressure control.

So, why. then, are so many people -- one in two hypertensive people -- walking around with uncontrolled high blood pressure? We really do not know why only about 50% of Americans who have been diagnosed with hypertension have controlled blood pressure. We do know that lack of access to prescription medication, medication costs, poor medication adherence, physician inertia, and other barriers are reasons to consider.

As a coach, I believe that not knowing your blood pressure target goal, not understanding the seriousness of the consequences of failing to maintain your target, not knowing what actions to take and when to take actions and the lack of motivation to take action might underpin those barriers. I tell my patients "You can meet your target and maintain control of your blood pressure with 5 simple tips and tricks." The tips are listed below and the tricks are in parentheses.

1)    Know your BP target goal. (Ask your doctor if your target goal is 120/80 mm Hg, 135/85 mm Hg, 140/90 mm Hg, 150/90 mm Hg, or some other target goal. Your target goal may vary from that of other people you know based on your individual health profile. Maintain your target goal, and make an appointment to see your doctor if your blood pressure is not controlled).

2)    Understand the seriousness of the consequences of failing to maintain your target. (The consequences of uncontrolled blood pressure are serious, including resistant hypertension, stroke, heart attack, kidney disease, and blindness, to name a few. For insight, talk with someone who has had any of these complications, or talk with someone whose family member has suffered any of these complications).

3)    Know when to monitor your blood pressure. (The national blood pressure guidelines recommend that most people with high blood pressure should monitor their blood pressure at home. Ask your doctor if home blood pressure monitoring is right for you and ask when should you monitor your blood pressure. If your blood pressure is uncontrolled, ask your doctor if your medication needs to be adjusted. According to the national hypertension guidelines, the average person will need at least 2 medications for blood pressure control).

4)    Know what actions to take (Ask your doctor what actions to take for elevated blood pressure, what would be a severe reading, and what actions to take for severe readings. Take your medication as prescribed, and report any medication side effects as soon as possible to get the most effective and most tolerated medication for you. Join a hypertension support group to get ideas of how others cope with hypertension. Consult a Hypertension Health Coach to work with you and your doctor to maintain your target goal blood pressure. See links below).

5)    Know the Life Simple 7 and adopt at least one behavior  at a time  (Use a health coach who has education and training in hypertension self-management to motivate you to adapt these behaviors to maintain blood pressure control).

Resources

1. American Heart Association: American Heart Association backs current blood pressure treatments http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/PreventionTreatmentofHighBloodPressure/American-Heart-Association-backs-current-BP-treatments_UCM_459129_Article.jsp#.VkeE4Mqz5e8.

2. American Heart Association: Symptoms Diagnosis: Monitoring of High Blood Pressure http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/SymptomsDiagnosisMonitoringofHighBloodPressure/Home-Blood-Pressure-Monitoring_UCM_301874_Article.jsp#.VkeGAcqz5e8.

3. American Heart Association: Life Simple 7

              http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/Lifes-Simple-7-Eat-Better_UCM_449577_Article.jsp#.VkeGZsqz5e8)

4. Minority Health and Disparity Research Center HealthSmart Center Hypertension Health Coach http://www.uab.edu/healthsmart/18-news-and-events/72-lower-your-high-bp

5. Publix Free Medication Program http://www.publix.com/pharmacy-wellness/pharmacy/pharmacy-services/free-medication-program

6. University of Alabama Circulation Network Hypertension Support Group

              https://www.uab.edu/humanresources/home/wellness/prevention-health  

              management/circulation-network

7. $4 Medication http://www.walmart.com/cp/1078664?povid=5431+|+contentZone1+|+2014-11-01+|+1+|+LN-Value+Image+4+Dollar+Prescriptions

Writing for the Public: Scientific Storytelling

By Stephanie Robert

Storytelling is an ancient form of communication. Before written language existed, oral storytelling was the primary method of sharing knowledge and experiences between generations. For example, in this country, Native Americans developed a rich body of stories to explain everything from creation, birth, and death to the coming of the Europeans. Without written records, their stories entertained while informing, effectively creating a lasting memory that could be recalled and retold.

A common attribute shared by successful scientists is their ability to tell a story. As a biochemist, I am completing doctoral studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), focusing on the mechanisms of brain tumor associated seizures and epilepsy. One quality I most admire of my PhD mentor is his ability to paint a picture with words that captivate both fellow scientists and non-scientists alike. Believe me, I am taking notes on more than biochemical mechanisms.

I realize that effectively communicating research is fundamental to science; yet, to many of us scientists, creating a narrative with data seems foreign and unfamiliar. When writing for the public, this means rising to the challenge of getting on the average person's level. That is why the novelist John Steinbeck, in researching his naturalist's guide, The Log from the Sea of Cortez, wrote: "We have not known a single great scientist who could not discourse freely and interestingly with a child.”

Luckily, there are a multitude of online resources offering tips on effective science communication, however, I have found that the most valuable resource is learning from mentors who have themselves mastered this skill. Working together on many abstracts, publications, and oral presentations, my PhD mentor molded me into a scientific storyteller, and I encourage every young scientist to seek out a mentor that can do the same. This skill is not only important for grant writing and publications, but it is our responsibility to communicate effectively with the public and share our discoveries with them.

As scientists, we must learn to be storytellers. We must not only gather data, but also develop a narrative of what our discoveries tell us about the world. Science is our story, and it is incredibly important that we learn how to tell it, because it really is an amazing one.

A few resources:

12 Tips for Scientists Writing for the General Public 

http://www.americanscientist.org/blog/pub/12-tips-for-scientists-writing-for-the-general-public

Scientific storytelling helps researchers communicate their findings in a competitive publishing environment
http://www.scilogs.com/from_the_lab_bench/scientific-storytelling-helps-researchers-communicate-their-findings-in-a-competitive-publishing-environment/

Storytelling of Science (YouTube series with some of today's famous scientists)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpeVWqjQEoc 

A Space Odyssey: Tips and Tricks for Science Writers to Avoid Disaster

By Kim Davey and Karen Albright

“I’ve just picked up a fault in the AE35 unit. It’s going to go 100% failure in 72 hours.”

- Hal from 2001: Space Odyssey

(Photo Credit: Nasa on the Commons- Flickr)

Granted, 2001 Space Odyssey is science fiction, but as a science/research writer, do you sometimes find yourself on a crash course with a writing disaster? Perhaps you received feedback that identifies a number of ‘'faults" in your writing. Or, you have 72 hours to meet a submission deadline and feel that failure is eminent. Or, you are exploring territory that no one has ever mapped before.

The point is: Scientific writing can feel like a space odyssey. Especially to aspiring scholars. Luckily, we were able to avoid a collision on recent projects and would like to provide a few tips and tricks to help you do likewise on your next manuscript mission. These insights are based on our combined professional experience, our teamwork in an online research writing course, GRD 728, from the UAB Graduate School's Professional Development Program (PDP), and recommendations from R. Day and B. Gastel (2011) in their book How to Write and Publish Scientific Paper.

Tip 1: Create a flight plan - or manuscript outline.

• Trick 1: Create an outline of the points that you want to address in your manuscript, including issues of title, authorship, journal selection, or analyses. Ideally, the outline will include table shells and figure legends that will appear in the manuscript. It will also incorporate "writer's math" writer's math" to ensure that you don't overwrite or underwrite, based on the maximum word limit your journal allows for your article type. 

Tip 2: Identify and consult with your co-captain and flight crew.

• Trick 2: Identify a mentor or trusted colleague on your research team. Ideally, s/he will be close to your level of experience. Begin the conversation by sharing your outline with him/her. Ask if s/he would be willing to review your outline (which is something they can do quickly if it is a high-level skeletal document, 1-2 pages, with bullet points on each paragraph topic.) For more on strategic outlining, see our companion wiki resource, WritingIntheZone.

Tip 3: Review your flight plan – or manuscript outline.

• Trick 3: Meet with your mentor or colleague to discuss your outline. Listen carefully to the feedback you receive concerning your outline. Do not take personal offense to changes suggested. If they seem reasonable, incorporate them. If they don’t seem entirely reasonable, counter with a different suggestion. Negotiate back and forth until both parties can agree on the outline. (This can be done via e-mail, but in-person or on the phone is preferable.) Remember, your team is helping you avoid disaster.

Tip 4: Begin your mission – or writing.

• Trick 4: Create a first draft of your manuscript using the agreed upon outline. Circulate this draft to your mentor or colleague and repeat the process of back and forth negotiation-- offers, counter offers, etc. until both parties agree on a working draft. 

Tip 5: Ensure you are on course by checking with your flight crew.

• Trick 5: Circulate a clean copy of the agreed upon working draft of your manuscript to the remaining co-authors. Welcome their feedback, but request that they provide it within 2 weeks or 10 working days. (Time will vary depending on situation.)

Tip 6: Meet with the commander to finish your mission.

• Trick 6: After everyone has had a chance to review the edits/comments of the other authors, meet with the senior author (or commander). As a team, discuss the feedback and make decisions on what to incorporate and what not to incorporate. Depending on the project, team members, and the project dynamics you may want to repeat steps 5 and 6 after meeting with your team.

One final piece of advice. Spaceships, like writers, have finite fuel resources and equipment tolerance levels. So trips cannot exceed a certain number of days, weeks, or months. Determine a target deadline at the start of your mission and budget your research, writing, reviewing, and editing time accordingly. If you really want to to meet a deadline and work efficiently, define mission specifications by creating a writer's SMART plan, as describe in the blog, GradHacker.

Then, after hitting the send button to submit your manuscript, enjoy a smooth reentry into life on earth. 

Reference:

Day, R.A. & Gastel, B. (2011). How to write and publish scientific paper (7th ed.). Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood.

Photo Credit:

NASA on the Commons. (1970, June 30). Soyuz spacecraft in orbit [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasacommons/9457864309/

What I'm Working On: Innovative Leadership in Health

Posted by Tonya Breaux-Shropshire

Creativity is a thinking process that gives us the ability to generate ideas, and innovation puts those ideas into practice to create value. Leading companies, such a General Electric and Google, are famous for using innovation to create value. But hospitals? Well, we may be less well-known as innovators, but that is starting to change.

I say that as I move forward with a new quality improvement program to increase innovation in the staff at UAB Hospital and the Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital in Birmingham, AL. This idea began when I met Dr. Rubin Pillay, the futurist and Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Collat School of Business and Assistant Dean for Global Health Innovation at the UAB School of Medicine​ after hearing his inspiring speech in July 2014.

Now, I am a Veterans Administration (VA) Quality Scholar Fellow at UAB with a specialty in hypertension in the School of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division/Vascular Biology and Hypertension Program. I also serve as Adjunct Faculty for the UAB School of Nursing Family, Community Health, and Outcomes. I know a great deal about evidence-based practices in cardiovascular medicine, nursing, and community health.

However, Dr. Pillay’s talk about medical innovation centers made me realize how little I knew about the science in this area, for which he edits an academic journal, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Health. Intrigued, I approached him, we talked, and we decided to propose using his copyrighted tool to assess UAB Hospital and VA Medical Center nurse managers. The objective would be to determine their innovative competencies and provide training targeting the gaps to improve their skill levels. VA leadership has approved the new program and leaders at the UAB School of Nursing are very interested in the idea. A meeting is pending to discuss logistics.

Why should we do innovation training, and why train nurse managers? Because nurse managers need to be equipped to lead and create an environment for new ideas to thrive. And because it works. Dr. Pillay cites numerous example of how training and the adoption of innovation thinking as led to better health outcomes. For example, one hospital clinic in Uganda used his innovation model  to build a quality health service for HIV patients. In another example, his work is well known at the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa where he spearheaded the Oklahoma State University’s new Center for Health Systems Innovation. This center was the first in the nation dedicated to harnessing entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation to improve health and health care systemically.

Perhaps most importantly, at UAB, we live in a world of evidence-based medicine, where science is put to work every day to make our lives better. Evidence-based intervention calls for innovative and trained interdisciplinary teams to improve the likeness of success. It is no surprise that our tagline is “UAB: Knowledge that will change your world.” Stay tuned as we embark on this foray into the science of purposeful change built around new ideas, problem finding, and problem solving.

Image credit: www.reply-mc.com

What I'm Working On: Brain Tumor Associated Seizures



Posted by Stephanie Robert

Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) of the brain
Pixabay.com

Each year, approximately 20,000 adults are diagnosed with a malignant brain or CNS tumor in the United States. The majority of these tumors are thought to be derived from the malignant transformation of glial cells, which are the non-neuronal cells of the brain. These glial-derived tumors are called gliomas. There are many classifications of gliomas, however the most prevalent and deadly are classified as Glioblastoma Multiforme, or GBM. GBM patients typically survive only 12-15 months after diagnosis. In addition to a short survival, over half of these patients experience seizures during the course of their illness. 

In our lab, we study how these tumors cause seizures in patients. We have found that many GBMs express a transporter called System xc- (SXC), which functions to protect cells from free radicals - which is important because they can kill cells if not controlled. In order for this transporter to function, it must release glutamate, which is an excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. This is important because too much excitatory drive will initiate seizure activity by causing abberant neuronal firing. We have found that this release of glutamate into the extracellular space in the brain, affects peri-tumoral neurons and causes seizures. Excitingly, there in an FDA-approved drug, Sulfasalazine, which inhibits the activity of SXC, preventing the relase of glutamate. Since this drug is currently used in patients to treat inflammatory bowel disease, it is a potential adjuvant treatment that can be readily tested in patients with GBMs and other gliomas causing seizures.