In March 2016, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital led by Elaine Yu (Mass General) will launch a clinical trial to study the impact of gut bacteria on weight.
Women who take the antidepressant paroxetine early in pregnancy may be more likely to have babies with birth defects, a review of previous research suggests. Roy Perlis (Mass General) is quoted.
Research led by David Ludwig (Boston Children’s) suggests that the low-fat, low-calorie method Americans have been using as diet guidelines for the past 40 years may be leading to weight gain.
Cancer researchers, who met with Vice President Joseph Biden’s staff, offered a number of ideas on how he could be helpful in his remaining year in office, and over the long term, to advance cancer research. George Demetri (Dana-Farber) is quoted.
As in many other fields, women are close to reaching parity in medical schools. Mentoring programs, networking opportunities, and grants for faculty with young kids have made a big difference for women at Harvard. Kathryn Rexrode (Brigham and Women’s), Nancy Tarbell (HMS), Jeffrey S. Flier (HMS dean), GalitLahav (HMS), Ellen Grant (Boston Children’s), Martha Pitman (Mass General), Barbara McNeil (HMS), Joan Brugge (HMS) and Anne Klibanski (Mass General) are quoted.
Entrenched nutrition standards have encouraged low-fat, high-carb diets. Weight loss, we are told, comes down to a simple equation: calories in, calories out. Now some nutrition experts are saying this conventional wisdom, coupled with too much processed food, has made us fatter. David Ludwig (Boston Children’s) is quoted.
Women are rising in rank at medical schools, but still have a long way to go to catch up with their male counterparts, national data show. Harvard Medical School is mentioned.
The work of Ted Kaptchuk (Beth Israel Deaconess), as well as that of many other researchers and practitioners in the field of mind-body medicine, is profiled in a new book.
