A brief report: Yale Research Symposium on Complementary and Integrative Medicine

The 2010 Yale Research Symposium on Complementary and Integrative Medicine highlighted original research in related areas by Yale faculty and provided a forum to discuss and debate issues of evidence and plausibility. In this brief report, we describe selected presentations on such diverse foci as nutritional influences on cancer, acupuncture for low back pain, protein intake's effects on bone consumption, Chinese herb-derived adjuvant chemotherapy, and the relationship between anger and cardiac arrhythmia. This symposium demonstrated that rigorous research methods are being used to study unconventional therapies and that an integrative medicine approach requires a solid scientific foundation.     

The Global Crisis of Malaria: Report on a Yale Conference

An international conference, “The Global Crisis of Malaria: Lessons of the Past and Future Prospects,” met at Yale University, November 7-9, 2008. The symposium was organized by Professor Frank Snowden and sponsored by the Provost’s office, the MacMillan Center, the Program in the History of Science and History of Medicine, and the Section of the History of Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine. It brought together experts on malaria from a variety of disciplines, countries, and experiences — physicians, research scientists, historians of medicine, public health officials, and representatives of several non-governmental organizations (NGOs). An underlying theme was that much could be gained from a big-picture examination across disciplinary frontiers of the contemporary public health problem caused by malaria. Particular features of the conference were its intense scrutiny of historical successes and failures in malaria control and its demonstration of the relevance of history to policy discussions in the field.     

An update on hormone replacement therapy: health and medicine for women: a multidisciplinary, evidence-based review of mid-life health concerns

The Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the Yale School of Medicine hosted a daylong continuing medical education (CME) symposium titled "Health and Medicine for Women: A Multidisciplinary, Evidence-Based Review of Mid-Life Health Concerns" in September 2010. A number of speakers discussed current research on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and re-evaluated the results of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), a landmark, randomized, placebo-controlled trial that still sparks debate almost a decade after its conclusion. This article summarizes this discussion and highlights directions for future study.     

Defining health activism: from MADD to mad activists: health activism in the 20th century

Health Activism in the 20th Century: A History of Medicine Symposium at Yale University School of Medicine in October 2010 highlighted a variety of issues concerning the social history of medicine, including race, gender, sexual orientation, and disability. A watershed moment in a burgeoning interdisciplinary field, this symposium could pave the way for extensive future discourse.     

Naturalists and Natural History Institutions of the American West: A Preview

SYNOPSIS. The nineteenth century was a time of active explorationof the American West. This symposium details the individualsand institutions that initiated the natural history studiesassociated with the accumulation of the geographic informationand relates the natural history studies to the growth and developmentof science and the scientific community.     

DNA Repair: A changing geography? (1964–2008)

This article aims to explain the current state of DNA Repair studies’ global geography by focusing on the genesis of the community. Bibliometric data is used to localize scientific activities related to DNA Repair at the city level. The keyword “DNA Repair” was introduced first by American scientists. It started to spread after 1964 that is to say, after P. Howard-Flanders (Yale University), P. Hanawalt (Stanford University) and R. Setlow (Oak Ridge Laboratories) found evidence for Excision Repair mechanisms. It was the first stage in the emergence of an autonomous scientific community. In this article, we will try to assess to what extent the geo-history of this scientific field is determinant in understanding its current geography. In order to do so, we will localize the places where the first “DNA Repair” publications were signed fifty years ago and the following spatial diffusion process, which led to the current geography of the field. Then, we will focus on the evolution of the research activity of “early entrants” in relation to the activity of “latecomers”. This article is an opportunity to share with DNA Repair scientists some research results of a dynamic field in Science studies: spatial scientometrics.     

Putting together the pieces of polio: how Dorothy Horstmann helped solve the puzzle

Dr. Dorothy Horstmann, epidemiologist, virologist, clinician, and educator, was the first woman appointed as a professor at the Yale School of Medicine. Horstmann made significant contributions to the fields of public health and virology, her most notable being the demonstration that poliovirus reached the central nervous system via the bloodstream, upsetting conventional wisdom and paving the way for polio vaccines. In 1961, she was appointed a professor at Yale School of Medicine, and in 1969, she became the first woman at Yale to receive an endowed chair, which was named in honor of her mentor, Dr. John Rodman Paul. In this review, the major scientific contributions of Dr. Dorothy Horstmann will be highlighted from her more than 50-year tenure at Yale School of Medicine.     

THE THREE G's Meeting the Invertebrate Cell Culture Pioneers: Goldschmidt, Gaw, and Grace

It was my good fortune to meet personally the three invertebrate cell culture pioneers,Richard Goldschmidt,Zan-Yin Gaw,and Thomas D.C.Grace (Fig.1).In 1951 I met Goldschmidt at a symposium in Cold Spring Harbor,but I only knew that he was a prominent geneticist.I had no idea about his insect cell culture work at Yale University and daily contacts with Ross G.Harrison.In 1959 Zan Yin Gaw in Wuhan successfully cultured monolayers of silkworm cells for more than one year.I reported his breakthrough achievement at the 11th International Congress of Entomology in Vienna in 1960,but his work was completely ignored outside China.In 1982 Gaw invited me to Wuhan where he told me that he studied in the United States in the 1930s,working as postdoctoral scientist at the Rockefeller Institute,where he was daily meeting William Trager,and later at Yale University in the Osborn Laboratory,where he was inspired by Harrison.T.D.C.Grace worked in my laboratory at Rockefeller University during 1957 and 1958,then returned to CSIRO in Canberra,Australia.     

Critical mass: The rise of a touchscreen technology community for rodent cognitive testing

The rise in the number of users and institutions utilizing the rodent touchscreen technology for cognitive testing over the past decade has prompted the need for knowledge mobilization and community building. To address the needs of the growing touchscreen community, the first international touchscreen symposium was hosted at Western University. Attendees from around the world attended talks from expert neuroscientists using touchscreens to examine a vast array of questions regarding cognition and the nervous system. In addition to the symposium, a subset of attendees was invited to partake in a hands-on training course where they received touchscreen training covering both hardware and software components. Beyond the two touchscreen events, virtual platforms have been developed to further support touchscreen users: (a) Mousebytes.ca , which includes a data repository of rodent touchscreen tasks, and (b) Touchscreencognition.org , an online community with numerous training and community resources, perhaps most notably a forum where members can ask and answer questions. The advantages of the rodent touchscreen technology for cognitive neuroscience research has allowed neuroscientists from diverse backgrounds to test specific cognitive processes using well-validated and standardized apparatus, contributing to its rise in popularity and its relevance to modern neuroscience research. The commitment of the touchscreen community to data, task development and information sharing not only ensures an expansive future of the use of rodent touchscreen technology but additionally, quality research that will increase translation from preclinical studies to clinical successes.     

What is a Hospital? Future Roles and Prospects for Success: The Business of Medicine: A Course for Physician Leaders

As hospitals consolidate and take on more financial and clinical risk, they face numerous obstacles. While the past can provide answers to solving many of the challenges, some issues are new and require innovative approaches. This article, from a speech delivered to The Business of Medicine: A Course for Physician Leaders symposium presented by Yale-New Haven Hospital and the Medical Directors Leadership Council at Yale University in November 2012, discusses the models for these hospital organizations and the pitfalls they will face in coordinating care. The insights will help these systems overcome potential problems and enhance their chances of success.     

Principles of Calcium Signaling

A three-day International Symposium entitled "Principles of Calcium Signaling" organized by James N. Weiss, Yale E. Goldman, Stéphane Hatem, Lars Cleemann and Nikolai M. Soldatov in honor of the research contributions of Professor Martin Morad was held at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Salisbury Cove, Maine. Support for this meeting was provided in part by GlaxoSmithKline, Leica Microsystems, Nikon Corp., St. Jude Medical, Inc., UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, Dr. Donald S. Orkand, Bob Hillis Family and OML, and Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory. The symposium featured sessions on Cardiac physiology, Ion channels and Calcium signaling.     

Principles of calcium signaling. Salisbury Cove, Maine, June 28-30, 2007

A three-day International Symposium entitled "Principles of Calcium Signaling" organized by James N. Weiss, Yale E. Goldman, Stéphane Hatem, Lars Cleemann and Nikolai M. Soldatov in honor of the research contributions of Professor Martin Morad was held at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Salisbury Cove, Maine. Support for this meeting was provided in part by GlaxoSmithKline, Leica Microsystems, Nikon Corp., St. Jude Medical, Inc., UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, Dr. Donald S. Orkand, Bob Hillis Family and OML, and Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory. The symposium featured sessions on Cardiac physiology, Ion channels and Calcium signaling.     

History of the Department of Cell Biology at Yale School of Medicine, 1813-2010

The Department of Cell Biology at the Yale University School of Medicine was established in 1983. It was preceded by the Section of Cell Biology, which was formed in 1973 when George E. Palade and collaborators came to Yale from the Rockefeller University. Cell Biology at Yale had its origins in the Department of Anatomy that existed from the beginning of classes at the Medical Institution of Yale College in 1813. This article reviews the history of the Department of Anatomy at Yale and its evolution into Cell Biology that began with the introduction of histology into the curriculum in the 1860s. The formation and development of the Section and Department of Cell Biology in the second half of the 20th century to the present time are described. Biographies and research activities of the chairs and key faculty in anatomy and cell biology are provided.     

Vegetation structure and species coexistence

“Vegetation Structure and Species Co-existence” was the topic of a symposium organized in 1992, in Tartu, Estonia. The symposium was dedicated to the memory of Professor Teodor Lippmaa (1892–1943), who made important contributions, especially to the concept of synusia in community ecology. Current views on relation between vegetation structure and species co-existence vary. This variation is partly due to the traditional opposite views of plant community structure (the individualistic and organismic concept); these views refer both to the strength and role of biotic interactions within a community, and to the community structure.     

A Report of the James Watson Lecture at Yale University

In March 2012, Nobel Prize winner James Watson gave a seminar at Yale University entitled “Driven by Ideas.” In his lecture, Watson discussed his personal vision for the future of science, specifically addressing how the scientific community should approach developing anticancer agents. He discussed the use of glycolytic inhibitors as anticancer agents due to the Warburg effect, as well as the benefits of metformin and anti-inflammatory drugs to help prevent cancer. He also compared drugs that target cell proliferation instead of targeting cell growth. Additionally, Watson commented on the mechanisms for how research should be conducted in the laboratory.     

Digital biology: an emerging and promising discipline

This article examines the role of computation and quantitative methods in modern biomedical research to identify emerging scientific, technical, policy and organizational trends. It identifies common concerns and practices in the emerging community of computationally-oriented bio-scientists by reviewing a national symposium, Digital Biology: the Emerging Paradigm, held at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, November 6th and 7th 2003. This meeting showed how biomedical computing promises scientific breakthroughs that will yield significant health benefits. Three key areas that define the emerging discipline of digital biology are: scientific data integration, multi-scale modeling and networked science. Each area faces unique technical challenges and information policy issues that must be addressed as the field matures. Here we summarize the emergent challenges and offer suggestions to academia, industry and government on how best to expand the role of computation in their scientific activities.     

The Philadelphia chromosome: celebration of the 50th anniversary of its discovery

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of its discovery, Tuesday, September 28, 2010 was declared "Philadelphia Chromosome Day" by Mayor Michael Nutter of the City of Philadelphia. On that day, the Fox Chase Cancer Center hosted the "Philadelphia Chromosome Symposium: Past, Present and Future" at the Chemical Heritage Foundation, located just a few blocks from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. The symposium was conceived by Joseph R. Testa, PhD, who also served as scientific organizer for the event. The symposium included sessions on the discovery and molecular characterization of the abnormality and the development of a successful treatment for chronic granulocytic leukemia. Honored guests included Dr. Peter Nowell, Dr. Janet Rowley, and Mrs. David (Alice) Hungerford.     

Trench connection

'Trench Connection' was the first international symposium focusing primarily on the hadal zone (depths greater than 6000 m). It was held at the University of Tokyo's Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute in November 2010. The symposium was successful in having attracted an international collective of scientists and engineers to discuss the latest developments in the exploration and understanding of the deepest environments on Earth. The symposium sessions were categorized into three themes: (i) new deep-submergence technology; (ii) trench ecology and evolution; and (iii) the physical environment. Recent technological developments have overcome the challenges of accessing the extreme depths, which have in turn prompted an international renewed interest in researching physical and biological aspects of the hadal ecosystems. This bringing together of international participants from different disciplines led to healthy discussions throughout the symposium, providing potential opportunities and realizations of where the future of unravelling hadal ecology lies. Hadal science is still at relatively rudimentary levels compared with those of shallower marine environments; however, it became apparent at the symposium that it is now an ever-expanding scientific field.     

Integration of structural and functional genomics

This paper introduces a special issue of Animal Genetics , which is devoted to the recent symposium held at Iowa State University entitled 'Integration of Structural and Functional Genomics'. We describe issues and needs that confront the animal genomics community, and describe how this symposium was structured to address these issues by improving communication and collaboration across species and disciplines. The session topics and oral presentations are briefly described for all invited speakers.     

Discussing epigenetics in Southern California: A report from the International Symposium on Epigenetic Control and Cellular Plasticity,UCI, December 15–16, 2011

With the goal of discussing how epigenetic control and chromatin remodeling contribute to the various processes that lead to cellular plasticity and disease, this symposium marks the collaboration between the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) in France and the University of California, Irvine (UCI). Organized by Paolo Sassone-Corsi (UCI) and held at the Beckman Center of the National Academy of Sciences at the UCI campus December 15–16, 2011, this was the first of a series of international conferences on epigenetics dedicated to the scientific community in Southern California. The meeting also served as the official kick off for the newly formed Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism at the School of Medicine, UCI (http://cem.igb.uci.edu).