Op ed submissions

TrueNorth chip holds great potential for patients. This new type of computing system could improve medical imaging devices, and connecting several TrueNorth chips into a complex neuronal network would allow for the development of neurobiological models. This will tremendously facilitate human understanding of brain functions, including the ones linked to anxiety disorders. In combination with cognitive-computing technologies, this human brain-like system integrates vision, audition and multi-sensory fusion, and can process data in real time with less power than a conventional computer. It could revolutionize the way we analyze data and make decisions. [Human Brain Microchip Is 9,000 Times Faster Than a PC ] … [Read more...] about Lab-On-A-Chip Tech is Revolutionary, Yet Universities Cling to ‘Dark Ages’ Animal Models (Op-Ed)

Were he alive today, Salk would no doubt be focused on developing a noninfectious Ebola vaccine. But I believe another danger, a much larger threat to Americans than Ebola, would be of greater concern to him — with the potential to undermine civilization's greatest advance in health. That threat is the small, but growing, minority of parents refusing to vaccinate their children.  … [Read more...] about Salk’s 100th: Anti-Vaccination Would Trouble Polio Hero (Op-Ed)

Recently, we were honored for this approach to treating patients. Critical Care Nutrition at the Clinical Evaluation Research Unit in Ontario, Canada, named the burn team at Ohio State's Comprehensive Burn Center among the "Best of the Best" in its International Nutrition Survey. Ohio State ranked sixth among more than 100 hospitals evaluated worldwide, and the first hospital in the U.S. to rank in the top 10. … [Read more...] about The More Severe-Burn Patients Eat, the Faster They Heal (Op-Ed)

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by impaired social and communication abilities, and rigid and repetitive behavior and interests. One of the major challenges to research is that the manifestation is so varied, giving rise to the notion of the autism "spectrum." One child with autism may be silent, aloof (not seeking out his parents even when hurt or upset) and apparently locked into repetitive play, such as lining up toys or spinning coins for hours on end. Another individual may talk incessantly about his own special interest in football scores, be indiscriminately over-friendly, and unable to tell the difference between a joke and a lie. The wide range of manifestations makes it hard to research causes or treatments for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Instead of a gene for autism, for example, there are very likely hundreds of genes that can combine in dozens of ways to predispose a child to ASD. Many researchers now talk about "the autisms." … [Read more...] about Autism Truths and Myths: The State of the Science (Op-Ed)

Beyond offering medical care, we want to provide options for continuing education courses and job opportunities to help patients transition into their new lifestyle. We try to focus on helping people not only develop the skills they need to survive in a medical setting, but the skills they need to thrive in the broader community.  … [Read more...] about Hospitals Adapting for Adults With Autism (Op-Ed)