Penn Science Policy and Diplomacy Group

by Chris Yarosh It is very easy to become wrapped up in day-to-day scientific life. There is always another experiment to do, or a paper to read, or a grant to submit. This result leads to that hypothesis, and that hypothesis needs to be tested, revised, re-tested, etc. Scientists literally study the inner workings of life, matter and the universe itself, yet science often seems set apart from other worldly concerns. But it’s not. The terrorist attacks in Paris and Beirut and the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis have drawn the world’s attention, and rightfully so. These are genuine catastrophes, and it is difficult to imagine the suffering of those who must face the aftermath of these bouts of shocking violence. At the same time, 80 world leaders are preparing to gather in freshly scarred Paris for another round of global climate talks . In a perfect world, these talks would focus only on the sound science and overwhelming consensus supporting action on climate change, and...

To watch this event in real time, please follow this link (from 530 - 7pm, 11/4) How prepared are Philadelphia’s institutions to communicate with the public in the event of a future epidemic? What specific challenges were successfully or unsuccessfully addressed during the Ebola crisis that could provide learning points going forward? Are there successful models or case studies for handling communication during epidemics that are worth emulating? These questions will be up for debate on Wednesday at the University of Pennsylvania in a forum open to the public. The event will be held in the Penn bookstore (3601 Walnut St.) upstairs meeting room from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 4. To learn more about this event, please read our preview article .

by Chris Yarosh This past March , the National Cancer Institute (NCI) announced a new funding mechanism designed to stabilize the biomedical research enterprise by creating new career paths for PhD-level scientists. That mechanism, called the NCI Research Specialist Award (R50), is now live. Applications (of which there will likely be many) for the R50 will be accepted beginning in January, with the first crop of directly-funded Research Specialists starting in October 2016. More details about the grant can be found in the newly released FOA . Why is this a big deal? In recent years, there have been increased calls for reform of the biomedical enterprise. More people than ever hold PhDs, and professor positions (the traditional career goal of doctorate holders) are scarce . This leaves many young researchers trapped somewhere in the middle in postdoctoral positions , something we've talked about    before   on this blog . These positions are still considere...

** Link for live streaming of this event can be found here ** by Hannah Shoenhard, Jamie DeNizio, and Michael Allegrezza Craig Spencer, a New York City doctor, tested positive for Ebola on October 23. The story broke online the same day, and by the next morning, tabloids were plastered with images of masked and gowned health workers with headlines such as  Bungle Fever and Ebola! Late-night comedy, Twitter, local news: the story was inescapable, the hysteria palpable. All in all, only eleven Ebola patients were treated on U.S. soil. But the media’s reaction affected the lives of anyone who watched television or had an internet connection. The Ebola epidemic in Africa has died down. Liberia is Ebola-free, while Sierra Leone and Guinea continue to report cases in the low single digits per week. Most promisingly, a new vaccine has been shown to be highly effective in a clinical trial. Given the vaccine, it seems that the likelihood of future epidemics on the scale of the o...