Earlier this year we found out that Texas Governor and GOP Presidential hopeful, Rick Perry, had received a stem cell transplant. You can read more about this here. The details of Perry’s transplant remain somewhat obscure, but as best as we can tell he received the transplant here in the U.S., most likely in Houston, […]
Did Stem Cells Ruin Rick Perry’s Chances to Be President? Read More »
Last year around this time I presented my first stem cell awards of the year, in that case for 2010. You can see whom I thought deserved awards here. Now it is time for our 2011 stem cell awards. These awards reflect my opinions and those not mentioned will hopefully forgive me as there is
Stem Cell Awards for 2011 Read More »
A year from now will I still be conducted federally funded research on human ES cells? What about the hundreds of other professors in the U.S. and their thousands of employees? It is not unreasonable at this point to forecast a perfect storm in Fall 2012 that may kill elements of stem cell research that
The perfect storm in Fall 2012 that may kill ES cells research Read More »
Each year at this time I start thinking about what the next year will bring for the stem cell field and make predictions. This year is no different and I’ve been pondering what 2012 has in store for us. You can read my predictions for 2011 here and see how I fared. Not too bad, but overly optimistic
Stem cell predictions for 2012: Science, CIRM, ACT, trends Read More »
Sometimes a top scientist makes news with a quote on research and that happened with Ian Wilmut recently on stem cells. Move away from research on human ES cells (hESC) in favor of very new and still largely unclear trans-differentiation technology? I say, no way. But, Bradley Fikes of the North County Times has reported
Ian Wilmut, Dolly’s dad, says dump hESC? What does this mean? Read More »
What’s it like living with cancer? Exactly two years ago today, I was lying in a hospital bed literally across the street from lab here at UC Davis. It seems unreal in a way, but painfully real it was and still is. On November 30, 2009, I had surgery for prostate cancer. Two years ago,
My 2 years living with cancer, what I learned from Steve Jobs Read More »
What is the Personhood movement ? Remember those folks who were pushing an amendment in Mississippi that would have defined the one cell fertilized egg as a full blown person with all the same rights as a living, breathing, thinking Mississippian? Now the new battlefront for their movement is California. They want to get an
Is a fertilized egg a Californian? Personhood movement brings battle to California Read More »
I usually stick to science on this blog, but Friday’s events on my campus, UC Davis, compel me to take a moment to discuss what happened. I am proud of our school and to be a member of the faculty. I’m proud of our students too. I am shocked and disappointed at the events that
Unprovoked UC Davis Police Attack Peaceful Student Protestors: some perspectives Read More »
Today, an authoritative article was published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) that included some of the most comprehensive polling of attitudes in the U.S. and around the world on embryonic stem cell (ESC) or ES cell research. Their findings indicate very widespread and deep support for ESC research around the globe including in
New England Journal of Med: most Americans support ES cell research Read More »
Many of us have been discouraged by Geron decision to end their stem cell program, which included products based on human embryonic stem (ES) cells, but let’s keep some perspective on this and not give up hope. The opponents of hope want us to give up. They who have waged their own self-proclaimed war on
Perspectives on Geron ending stem cell program Read More »