Author Interviews, General Medicine, PLoS / 23.12.2013

Dr. Beate Wieseler
 Head of Department Dept. Drug Assessment Institute for Quality and Efficiency 
in Health Care (IQWiG)
Im Mediapark Köln GermanyMedical Research.com Interview with: Dr. Beate Wieseler
 Head of Department Dept. Drug Assessment Institute for Quality and Efficiency 
in Health Care (IQWiG)
Im Mediapark Köln Germany MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Wieseler: Our study shows that unpublished clinical study reports, i.e. reports submitted to regulatory authorities during the approval procedure for a drug, provide substantially more information on patient-relevant outcomes than publicly available sources, i.e. articles published in medical journals and reports published in online clinical trial registries. (A “patient-relevant outcome” is an outcome describing morbidity, mortality or health-related quality of life.)
Author Interviews, Gastrointestinal Disease, JAMA, Johns Hopkins, Surgical Research / 22.12.2013

Nita Ahuja, MD Departments of Surgery and Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MarylandMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Nita Ahuja, MD Departments of Surgery and Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore, Maryland MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Ahuja: Across the nation, laparoscopic colectomy is performed about as frequently as open colectomy, despite being associated with a lower complication rate and a lower overall hospital cost. On the other hand,  an exponentially growing prevalence was found with robotic colectomy, a procedure that has so far demonstrated only equivalent outcomes with laparoscopic colectomy but a higher overall cost.
Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, Nutrition / 21.12.2013

Adana A.M. Llanos, PhD, MPH Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology RBHS-School of Public Health Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Piscataway, NJ 08854MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Adana A.M. Llanos, PhD, MPH Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology RBHS-School of Public Health Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Piscataway, NJ 08854 MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Llanos: Our longitudinal study examined the effects of both tomato-rich and soy-rich diets in a group of 70 postmenopausal women who participated in the study at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. For 10 weeks, women ate tomato products containing at least 25 milligrams of lycopene daily. For a separate 10-week period, the participants consumed at least 40 grams of soy protein daily. Before each test period began, the women were instructed to abstain from eating both tomato and soy products for two weeks. We examined the dietary intervention effects on hormone biomarkers known to be associated with obesity, namely adiponectin and leptin. After the tomato-rich diet participants' levels of adiponectin climbed nine percent. The effect was slightly stronger in women who had a lower body mass index.
Author Interviews, Parkinson's / 21.12.2013

Priv. Doz. Dr. Carsten Buhmann Department of Neurology University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Priv. Doz. Dr. Carsten Buhmann Department of Neurology University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf Hamburg, Germany. MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) has no negative but rather a beneficial effect on driving in patients with Parkinsons´s disease (PD). Driving not only was superior in even more clinically affected PD patients with DBS compared with PD patients without DBS but also patients with DBS drove better with stimulation than with levodopa. This might reflect favorable driving-relevant nonmotor effects due to STN-DBS.
Author Interviews, OBGYNE / 21.12.2013

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jean-Louis Serre EA 2493 ‘Pathologie Cellulaire and Génétique, de la Conception à la Naissance’, Université de Versailles, Saint Quentin en Yvelines, France SFGH (Société Française de Génétique Humaine), Villejuif, France and Jean-Pierre Siffroi Commission de Génétique, Fédération Française des CECOS, UMR S933 INSERM/Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC), Paris, France MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answers:
  • Anonymous sperm donation may lead to unions between relatives, especially between half-siblings and to an increase of both consanguinity and the frequencies of recessive diseases. We made an evaluation of the actual consequences of anonymous sperm donation in France and we concluded that they can be considered as negligible when compared to those due to false paternities, four times higher.
  • The risk of inadvertent unions between half-sibs is often advocated and we showed that it may be estimated to as few as one case every 10 years. Consequently, the main level of consanguinity in the French population is not modified and unions between first cousins within the sub-population from Mediterranean origin remain the main source of consanguinity.
Alzheimer's - Dementia, Author Interviews, Cognitive Issues / 21.12.2013

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Alan B. Zonderman PhD Cognition Section Laboratory of Personality and Cognition, NIA Gerontology Research Center Baltimore, MD 21224-6825 MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Zonderman: In a prospective population-based 5-year follow-up study the authors examined the rate at which participants converted from mild cognitive impairment to dementia or reverted from mild cognitive impairment to normal cognitive performance.  As has been common, they found elevated risk for dementia associated with mild cognitive impairment, but also found elevated risk for dementia among those who reverted (temporarily) to normal cognitive performance.
Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, Chemotherapy / 20.12.2013

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Prof. Dr. med. Sibylle Loibl MD Unit Head of Medicine & Research Member of Management Board Associate Professor University Frankfurt GBG Forschungs GmbH
 Neu-Isenburg MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Loibl: We could demonstrate that patients with a HER2+ primary breast cancer harbouring a PIK3CA mutation are less likely to achieve a pathological complete response after treatment with an anthracycline/taxane containing therapy in combination with trastuzumab and lapatinib, than patients whose tumours does not harbour the mutation (so called wild type). This difference was largest in the group with HER2+, HR + tumours. The pCR rate in this cohort was as low as 6.3%. Looking at the differences in another study with either trastuzumab or lapatinib anti-HER2 treatment is seems as patients with a PIK3CA mutated tumour have a low pCR rate irrespective of the antiHER2 treatment, whereas the patients with a wild type tumour benefit from trastuzumab and the double blockade.
Alzheimer's - Dementia, Author Interviews, Cognitive Issues, Mayo Clinic / 20.12.2013

Dr. Ronald C. Petersen M.D., Ph.D. Division of Epidemiology Department of Health Sciences Research; Department of Neurology Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MNMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Ronald C. Petersen M.D., Ph.D. Division of Epidemiology Department of Health Sciences Research; Department of Neurology Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Petersen: The diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment increases the likelihood of developing dementia.
Author Interviews, Biomarkers, Connective Tissue Disease, NEJM / 19.12.2013

Prof. Dr. T.R.D.J. Radstake, MD, PhD Staff Rheumatologist / head translational Immunology Department of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology EULAR Center of Excellence Director, UMC Utrecht Infection and Immunity FOCIS Center of Excellence University Medical Center Utrecht, The NetherlandsMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Prof. Dr. T.R.D.J. Radstake, MD, PhD Staff Rheumatologist / head translational Immunology Department of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology EULAR Center of Excellence Director, UMC Utrecht Infection and Immunity FOCIS Center of Excellence University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Prof. Radstake: We observed that the chemokine CXCL4 is highly produced by so-called plasmacytoid dendritic cells in systemic sclerosis (Ssc). CXCL4 is associated with the progression and clinical phenotype of Ssc and thus provides a tool for clinicians to identify those patients in need for aggressive therapy and on the other hand, avoid unnecessary side-effects for those who have mild disease. Moreover, the identified roles for CXCL4 in SSc sparks our knowledge on the pathogenic pathways at hand in this terrible conditions. Now, we and other groups will have to further unravel the precise roles for CXCL4 in SSc and possibly other fibrotic and immune mediated conditions that cover the spectrum of medicine.
Author Interviews, Mental Health Research, OBGYNE / 19.12.2013

Rada K. Dagher, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, University of Maryland School of Public Health Department of Health Services Administration College Park, MD 20742MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Rada K. Dagher, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, University of Maryland School of Public Health Department of Health Services Administration College Park, MD 20742 MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Dagher: The main finding of this study is that taking leave from work up to six months after childbirth is associated with a decrease in maternal postpartum depressive symptoms; thus longer maternity leaves may protect against the risk of postpartum depression. We conclude that the 12 week leave duration provided by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 may not be sufficient for women who are at risk or experiencing postpartum depression. Moreover, the unpaid nature of the FMLA makes it harder for mothers with limited financial means to take longer leaves; thus, many of these mothers may have to take leaves that are much shorter in duration than 12 weeks.
Author Interviews, Cost of Health Care, Education, JAMA, University of Pennsylvania / 19.12.2013

Mitesh Patel, MD, MBA RWJF Clinical Scholar, University of Pennsylvania Mitesh Patel, MD, MBA is a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar the University of Pennsylvania and primary care physician at the Philadelphia VA Medical CenterMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Mitesh Patel, MD, MBA RWJF Clinical Scholar, University of Pennsylvania Mitesh Patel, MD, MBA is a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar the University of Pennsylvania and primary care physician at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Patel: We evaluated survey responses from nearly 300 internal medicine residency programs directors to assess whether residency programs were teaching residents the fundamental concepts of practicing high-value, cost-conscious care.  We found that 85% of program directors feel that graduate medical education has a responsibility to help curtail the rising costs of health care.  Despite this, about 6 out of every 7 internal medicine residency programs have not yet adopted a formal curriculum teaching new physicians these important concepts.
Author Interviews, Diabetes, JAMA / 18.12.2013

Elbert S. Huang, MD MPH FACP Associate Professor of Medicine University of Chicago 5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC 2007 Chicago, IL 60637MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Elbert S. Huang, MD MPH FACP Associate Professor of Medicine University of Chicago 5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC 2007 Chicago, IL 60637 MedicalResearch.com: What did you find most surprising in these results? Dr. Huang: We did not expect hypoglycemia to rank as highly as it did among the diabetes complications. We were also surprised to find that the rates of cardiovascular and microvascular complications are all dramatically lower than they were in the 1990s.
Author Interviews, Brain Injury, JAMA, PTSD / 18.12.2013

Dewleen G. Baker, MD Department of Psychiatry School of Medicine, University of California, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System Veterans Affairs Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health San Diego, CaliforniaMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dewleen G. Baker, MD Department of Psychiatry School of Medicine, University of California, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System Veterans Affairs Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health San Diego, California MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Baker: Pre-deployment psychiatric symptoms, combat intensity, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) were significant predictors of post-deployment PTSD symptom severity.  However, the strongest predictor was deployment-related TBI; mild TBI increased symptom scores by 23%, and moderate to severe injuries increased scores by 71%.
Author Interviews, Endocrinology / 18.12.2013

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Christopher D Kassotis  (MU-Student) Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health and Division of Biological Sciences University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211; MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: The main findings of our study are twofold: First, we found that 12 chemicals used in the fracking process disrupt hormone action. Specifically, we found that they inhibited the action of estrogens such as estradiol and androgens such as testosterone; classes of reproductive hormones that are critical for normal development and reproductive maturation. Second, we found that surface and ground water from a drilling-dense area in Colorado has much greater hormonal activity than samples from areas with limited drilling. Specifically, ground water had elevated estrogenic activity (mimicking the effects of estrogens), while surface water exhibited anti-estrogenic and anti-androgenic activities, similar to the chemicals we tested.
Author Interviews, Heart Disease, Rheumatology / 18.12.2013

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: M Mushfiqur Rahman, MSc. PhD candidate School of Population and Public Health University of British Columbia, Statistical Analyst Arthritis Research Centre of Canada 5591 No. 3 Road, Richmond BC, Canada, V6X 2C7; MedicalResearch.com:  What are the main findings of the study? Author’s response: Using 18 years of administrative health records from British Columbia, Canada, our aim was to determine whether osteoarthritis increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in a longitudinal study. We also examined the risks of specific cardiovascular conditions such as, myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease, congestive heart failure, and stroke after adjusting for age, sex, socio-economic status, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and a co-morbidity score. We observed a significant increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, and congestive heart failure among individuals with osteoarthritis compared with age-sex matched non-osteoarthritis individuals. Our data suggests that adult women and men aged 65 years and older with osteoarthritis had higher risks of developing these conditions. The risks were also higher among severe osteoarthritis patients who had undergone total joint replacement surgeries. Men aged between 20-64 years with osteoarthritis did not show higher risks of developing these conditions.
Alzheimer's - Dementia, Author Interviews / 17.12.2013

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Lieke Smits drs. L.L. Smits VU University Medical Center Department of Neurology - Alzheimer Center 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands MedicalResearch.com:  What are the main findings of the study? Answer: In this study we used two visual ratings scales to estimate atrophy of the medial temporal lobe (MTA) and posterior atrophy (PA) on MRI in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. We assessed associations between MTA and PA with cognitive impairment. We found that MTA was associated with worse performance in memory, language and attention, while PA was associated with worse performance in viuso-spatial functioning and executive functioning. Further stratification for age at diagnosis revealed that in late onset (>65 years old) MTA was associated with impairment in memory, language, visuo-spatial functioning and attention. In early onset patients (<65 years old), worse performance on visuo-spatial functioning almost reached significance.
Author Interviews, End of Life Care, JAMA / 17.12.2013

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Garrett M. Chinn, MD, MS Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of this study: Dr. Chinn:  Despite the desire of most Americans facing terminal illness to spend their remaining time at home, only 24% of those aged 65 and older do so. Many spend their final days in an institutional setting such as an acute care hospital, often receiving aggressive care. In the case of patients facing stage 4 lung cancer, many who would prefer to emphasize pain relief over extending life report not having discussed hospice with a physician. More than 25% indicate that they had not addressed advanced care directives such as do-not-resuscitate orders with their doctors but wanted to do so. This tells us that patients wish to better understand their illness and prognosis and might be interested in learning about hospice. And although the general trend for hospice utilization has increased over the past decade, a high percentage of hospice enrollment occurs quite late in the course of illness, often during an acute hospitalization.
Author Interviews, Cannabis, Schizophrenia / 16.12.2013

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Matthew J. Smith PhD Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 710 N. Lake Shore Drive, 13th Floor, Abbott Hall, Chicago, IL 60611 MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Smith: We observed that the shapes of brain structures involved in a working memory brain circuit seemed to collapse inward in a similar fashion among both of the groups that had a history of daily cannabis use. These cannabis-related changes in shape were directly related to the participants’ poor performance on working memory tasks. Some of the shape abnormalities were more severe in the group with schizophrenia and the history of daily cannabis use. We also found that participants with an earlier age of daily cannabis use had more abnormal brain shapes.
Blood Pressure - Hypertension, JAMA, Sleep Disorders / 16.12.2013

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Miguel-Ángel Martínez-García Respiratory Department, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe Valencia, Spain MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of this study: Answer: The main findings of the study are: 1. The treatment with CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) achieves a clinically and statistically significant reduction of blood pressure in patients with resistant hypertension (blood pressure that remains above goal in spite of the use of at least three antihypertensive drugs) and obstructive sleep apnea.
Author Interviews, Chemotherapy, Compliance / 16.12.2013

Dawn L. Hershman, MD MS Associate Professor of Medicine and MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dawn L. Hershman, MD MS Associate Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology Leader, Breast Cancer Program Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center Columbia University Medical Center MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Hershman: We have found in the past that compliance to 5 years of hormone therapy for the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer is low. While toxicity is a main reason, other factors are also important. Recent studies suggest out of pocket costs are high among cancer patients. We evaluated the change in adherence to hormone therapy after the introduction of generic Aromatase inhibitors. We found that discontinuation decreased and adherence increased with generic aromatase inhibitors compared to brand name. we found that higher co-payments were associated with decreased adherence and increased discontinuation. We also found that patients in the highest income group were more likely to be adherent to hormone therapy.
Author Interviews, Brain Injury, Nutrition, Sleep Disorders / 15.12.2013

Miranda M. Lim, MD, PhD Assistant Professor, Sleep Medicine Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Portland VA Medical Center and Oregon Health & Science UniversityMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Miranda M. Lim, MD, PhD Assistant Professor, Sleep Medicine Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Portland VA Medical Center and Oregon Health & Science University MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Lim: People with traumatic brain injury (TBI) often have persistent sleep-wake disturbances including excessive daytime sleepiness and nighttime insomnia, yet the link between a hard blow to the head and drowsiness remains a mystery. We report that a dietary supplement containing branched chain amino acids helps keep mice with TBI awake and alert. The findings suggest that branched chain amino acids, something all humans produce from foods in their normal diets, could potentially alleviate sleep problems associated with TBI. In experiments with brain-injured mice that had trouble staying awake, we found that feeding the animals a dietary supplement enriched with branched chain amino acids improved wakefulness. Treated mice not only stayed continuously awake for longer periods of time, they also showed more orexin neuron activation, neurons known to be involved in maintaining wakefulness. (Previous studies have shown that people with narcolepsy lose significant amounts of orexins.) Branched chain amino acids are the building blocks of neurotransmitters, the chemicals released by neurons in the brain, including glutamate and GABA. We believe that branched chain amino acids act to restore the excitability of orexin neurons after brain injury, which could potentially promote wakefulness. Further studies are needed to pinpoint the exact mechanism of branched chain amino acids effect on sleep pathways in the brain, and to determine any side effects.
Author Interviews, Flu - Influenza, NEJM, Pediatrics, Vaccine Studies / 15.12.2013

Ghassan Dbaibo, M.D., FAAP Professor and Vice-Chair for Research and Faculty Development Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine Head, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases Director, Center for Infectious Diseases Research Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics American University of Beirut Beirut, LebanonMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ghassan Dbaibo, M.D., FAAP Professor and Vice-Chair for Research and Faculty Development Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine Head, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases Director, Center for Infectious Diseases Research Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics American University of Beirut Beirut, Lebanon MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Dbaibo:
  • 55% efficacy (95% CI 39–67%) for prevention of all influenza
  • These results are comparable with other estimates of efficacy and effectiveness for trivalent inactivated flu vaccines in this age group
  •  73% efficacy (97.5% CI 47–86%) for prevention of moderate-to-severe influenza
  • By preventing moderate-to-severe influenza, vaccination prevented the most clinically consequential outcomes of infection, reducing hospitalisations by 75% and medical visits by 69%.
  • Seroprotection rates of more than 95% for each of the four influenza strains in the vaccine
  • An acceptable safety and reactogenicity profile
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Diabetologia, Exercise - Fitness / 15.12.2013

Dr. Merja K. Laine Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care University of Helsinki MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Merja K. Laine Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care University of Helsinki MedicalResearch.com: What is the background of your study? Answer: We were interesting to know does a top-level sport during young adulthood protect against disturbances in glucose regulation in later life. In Finland, a unique study program including former male elite athletes and their age- and area-matched controls already initiated in 1985. In 2008, we invited those subjects who participated in the study earlier and were still alive.
ADHD, Author Interviews, Radiology / 15.12.2013

Dr. Vitria Adisetiyo, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Research Fellow Medical University of South Carolina Center for Biomedical Imaging Charleston, SC 29425MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Vitria Adisetiyo, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Research Fellow Medical University of South Carolina Center for Biomedical Imaging Charleston, SC 29425 MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Adisetiyo:  Using a non-invasive MRI method called magnetic field correlation imaging, we detected significantly reduced striatal and thalamic brain iron in medication-naive children and adolescents with ADHD compared to age-, gender- and IQ-matched typically developing controls. ADHD patients who had a history of psychostimulant medication treatment (e.g. Ritalin, Aderrall) had brain iron levels comparable to controls, suggesting brain iron may normalize with psychostimulants. Blood iron measures did not differ between patients and controls.
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Ophthalmology / 15.12.2013

Fu-Shin X. Yu, Ph.D. Professor and Director of Research Kresge Eye Institute/Department of Ophthalmology Wayne State University School of Medicine Detroit, MI 48201MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Fu-Shin X. Yu, Ph.D. Professor and Director of Research Kresge Eye Institute/Department of Ophthalmology Wayne State University School of Medicine Detroit, MI 48201

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main results of your study? Dr. Fu-Shin X. Yu: Using genome-wide cDNA array, we identified a large group of gene differentially expressed in healing corneal cells of diabetes mellitus, when compared to normoglycemia, corneas. Gene ontology analysis suggests transforming growth factor (TGFβ) signaling as a major signaling pathway affected by hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus corneal epithelial cells.
ADHD, Author Interviews, Mental Health Research / 15.12.2013

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Professor Desiree Silva MB BS, FRACP, MPH Consultant Paediatrician Suite 210 Specialist Centre, Joondalup Health Campus 60 Shenton Avenue, Joondalup WA 6027MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Professor Desiree Silva MB BS, FRACP, MPH Consultant Paediatrician Suite 210 Specialist Centre, Joondalup Health Campus 60 Shenton Avenue, Joondalup WA 6027 MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Prof. Silva: Our study is one of the largest population based studies of 12,991 children with ADHD. We found that smoking in pregnancy, maternal urinary infections, preeclampsia, being induced and threatened pre-term labour increases the risk of ADHD with little gender differences.  Prematurity also increased the risk of ADHD including babies born late preterm and early term marginally increased the risk of ADHD.
Author Interviews, Pediatrics / 14.12.2013

Sylvie Mrug, PhD Departments of Psychology and Health Behavior University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama;MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Sylvie Mrug, PhD Departments of Psychology and Health Behavior University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama;   MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Mrug: Experiencing early puberty and having a best friend who misbehaves at age 11 both contribute to more aggressive and delinquent behavior in adolescent girls. Although most of these effects are transient and disappear by age 16, early maturing girls are at risk for continually higher delinquent behavior. Early puberty also seems to make girls more vulnerable to negative peer influences.
Author Interviews, Gender Differences / 14.12.2013

Mike Head Network Manager Infectious Disease Research NetworkMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Mike Head Network Manager Infectious Disease Research Network MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: The differences in total funding received between male and female principal investigators (PIs) is considerable. This can be partially explained by there being far more male senior scientists than female. But this in itself is not ideal, and there are two further causes for concern: 1. The median award size - male PIs receive larger awards than female PIs, across virtually every topic area and type of science. 2. The differences in median award size and total funding awarded by gender remain virtually unchanged across the fourteen years of this dataset. The gap is not closing.