Photo by Kampus Production[/caption]
Dr. Kamel[/caption]
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Ibrahim Kamel, MD, MHA
Boston Medical Center – Brighton
Clinical Instructor
Boston Medical Center
Boston University
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Cannabis use carries risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. It is important for physicians to screen for the use of cannabis to better understand each patients risk.
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?
Response: Clinically physicians should screen for and council on the risk of cannabis use. People should know what is the risk in the substances they use and make the choice that they feel is right. 
Photo by Artem Podrez[/caption]
Medical research labs are environments where innovation and discovery thrive. However, they also involve risks that can compromise the safety of researchers and the integrity of experiments if not properly managed. Implementing essential safety practices is not optional; it is a cornerstone of responsible research. Below, we outline key measures every medical research lab should consistently carry out.
Source[/caption]
Dr. Casale[/caption]
Thomas B. Casale, M.D.
Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics
Chief of Clinical and Translational Research
Division of Allergy and Immunology
USF Health Morsani College of Medicine
University of South Florida
Tampa, Florida
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: The data leading to FDA approval of neffy came from extensive pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies. As with previous epinephrine delivery devices, the FDA asked for data showing that after delivery of neffy the epinephrine blood levels and expected changes in pulse and blood pressure were similar to those achieved with injectable formulations of epinephrine. neffy performed as expected with blood levels of epinephrine bracketed by those achieved with EpiPen and a needle and syringe along with increases in pulse and blood pressure compatible with the epinephrine levels measured.
Additionally, clinicians are interested in whether neffy would perform similarly in real clinical situations. The data from the neffy experience program provides real-world assurance that neffy can effectively treat acute allergic reactions. Given the large number of patients and the similar findings to those achieved with injectable epinephrine in previous studies, the data should provide assurance that neffy can be an effective substitute for injectable epinephrine in patients that desire a needle-free option.
Kristina Betz MD, PhD
Measure Development and Validation Unit Lead, NHSN
Surveillance Branch
Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
MedicalResearch.com: Would you briefly explain what is meant by sepsis?
i.e., how common is it, how serious, what are the major causes?
Response: Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency that happens when the body’s response to an infection causes vital organs to stop working properly. Sepsis is often caused by bacteria, but it can also happen because of other infections, like viruses such as COVID-19.
Sepsis is one of the main reasons people go to the hospital and can be very dangerous. In the United States, about 1.7 million adults go to the hospital each year because of sepsis. Sadly, about 350,000 of these people die in the hospital or are sent to hospice care.
Even if people survive sepsis, it can cause long-lasting problems. They might have new health issues, not be able to go back to work, need to go back to the hospital, or even die later on.
Source: Hospital Sepsis Program Core Elements | Sepsis | CDC, What Is Sepsis | Sepsis Alliance
Dr. Patel[/caption]
Rima Patel, MD
Assistant Professor
The Tisch Cancer Institute, Division of Hematology/Oncology
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Targeted treatment options for metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) are limited. TNBCs are associated with a high frequency of PTEN loss, which can lead to activation of the mTOR pathway and tumor proliferation but may be reversible with the mTOR inhibitor everolimus. A prior phase II single arm trial of carboplatin and everolimus in patients with advanced TNBC demonstrated good tolerability and preliminary efficacy. The current study is a randomized phase II trial comparing carboplatin and everolimus with carboplatin alone in patients with metastatic TNBC.
We found that the combination of carboplatin and everolimus reduced the risk of progression or death by 52%. The regimen was well tolerated and provides a promising treatment option for patients with advanced TNBC.
Dr. Thao Ly Phan[/caption]
Thao-Ly Phan, MD, MPH
Medical Director, Nemours Children's Health
Professor of Pediatrics
Thomas Jefferson University
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been extensively studied in adults, but there has been limited exploration of its effects on children and adolescents. While several studies have described weight gain trends in children during the pandemic, less is known about how having a diagnosis of COVID-19 contributed to these trends. Our study drew on the NIH’s National Clinical Cohort Collaborative database, a real-world database of electronic health data from over 90 institutions across the country. We used this dataset’s unique features to compare a diverse group of more than 11,000 children diagnosed with COVID-19 to a matched cohort of children without a diagnosis of COVID-19.
Dr. Gwarzo[/caption]
Ibrahim Gwarzo, DrPH, MPH, MBBS
Research Scientist at Nemours Children’s Health
Delaware Valley, Delaware USA
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Would you briefly explain the condition of sickle cell disease and why young people frequently present to the ER with severe pain?
Response: Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells. It is passed down as an autosomal recessive disorder, meaning a person must inherit the defective gene from both parents to have the disease. The condition primarily impacts hemoglobin, the protein responsible for carrying oxygen in red blood cells, which leads to changes in the shape and stability of these cells. The complications associated with the disease, including recurrent and severe pain episodes, are a direct result of these changes. These pain episodes are debilitating and unpredictable, resulting in frequent emergency department visits where they are typically treated with pain medications, including opioids. It is estimated that around 100,000 people in the United States have sickle cell disease, with about 40,000 being children. The disease has a significant prevalence in the Afro-Latino population.
Photo by Erik Mclean[/caption]
Dr. Dobbins, PharmD[/caption]
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Duncan Dobbins, PharmD, MHI
Geisinger College of Health Sciences
Scranton, Pennsylvania
MedicalResearch.com: What prompted this commentary, and what did you find?
Response: In theory, there could be a drug interaction between immunotherapy and medical cannabis. A small (N=102) observational report from Israel appeared to find that immunotherapies worked much less well in cancer patients who also used medical cannabis.1 However, a follow up report2 took about two weeks and involved manually rechecking the math and data-analysis. Several discrepancies emerged between the methods and results. Two-tailed tests were listed in the methods yet one-tailed p values appeared in the results. Arithmetic errors, some traceable to unconventional “floor” rounding, affected key percentages. Multiple p values in Table 1 (21 out of 22) could not be reproduced with the stated tests. Finally, smoking status, a key confound, was not reported. Taken together, these issues complicate interpretation and highlight how small computational slips can cascade into larger inferential uncertainty. For this follow-up report, I was asked, “Do you think AI could have double checked this math?”
This guide explains how emotional intelligence (EQ) can boost your leadership. It helps you connect with your team. It also motivates them to do their best. Let’s explore how!
Do you know why some leaders earn loyalty while others find it hard to connect with their teams? Or why do some managers handle conflicts smoothly while others make things tense? The answer is emotional intelligence, also known as emotional quotient.
It means understanding your own emotions and the emotions of others, and using that understanding to make better choices. It is a game-changer for leadership, team trust, and organisational success. This article uncovers eight surprising truths about emotional intelligence in leadership and highlights the trends shaping leadership in 2025 and beyond.
Dr. Tsuda[/caption]
Takeshi Tsuda, MD
Senior Pediatric Cardiologist
Nemours Cardiac Center
Nemours Children’s Health
Delaware
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Would you briefly explain the condition of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy?
Response: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic muscle disorder causing progressive muscle weakness and wasting, resulting in severe disability during childhood due to absence of dystrophin protein in the muscle cells. Cardiac disease (cardiomyopathy) also develops during early adolescence, potentially leading to heart failure.
Because of its insidious progression, the onset of DMD cardiomyopathy is not clearly identified. Early treatment is essential for better outcomes, but the recognition of the preclinical stages of disease is challenging.
MedicalResearch.com: Is Unrelieved Wall Stress a commonly recognized echocardiogram finding?
Response: Duchenne muscular dystrophy cardiomyopathy is a unique myocardial abnormality caused by the absence of dystrophin, which serves not only as a cytoskeletal protein to maintain cellular integrity but also as a mechano-sensor to adjust wall stress to normalize myocardial oxygen demand. Dystrophin deficiency results in lack of these functions, resulting in rapid myocyte death without compensatory response to normalize wall stress.
By our methods, we are able to identify the unrelieved wall stress (increase in iWS) as an early sign of DMD cardiomyopathy before visible ventricular dysfunction prevails, not by the known routine approach.
Dr. Donofry[/caption]
Shannon D. Donofry Ph.D.
Behavioral Scientist
B.A.Sc. in psychology/neuroscience
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus;
Ph.D, University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
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Dr. Rancaño[/caption]
Katherine M. Rancaño, Ph.D
Associate Policy Researcher
RAND
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: GLP-1 medications were first used to help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar. Lately, they’ve become popular for helping people lose weight, too. Because of this, a lot more people have started using them. In our study, we asked over 8,000 adults from across the country about their use of GLP-1 medications and any side effects they had.
Dr. McDonald[/caption]
Emily G. McDonald MD MSc (Epi) FRCPC
Scientist | Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre
Associate Professor of Medicine | General Internal Medicine | McGill University Health Centre
Associate Chair of Quality and Safety | Department of Medicine | McGill University
Director | Canadian Medication Appropriateness and Deprescribing Network
Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE)
Montreal, QC
https://www.medsafer.org/
https://www.deprescribingnetwork.ca/
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Polypharmacy (taking multiple medications) is common among older adults and can lead to serious side effects like memory problems, falls, fractures, and hospitalization. Deprescribing (the process of stopping some medications that may no longer be beneficial or where the harms outweigh the benefits) is a great solution. This study found that an electronic tool to support prescribers increased deprescribing more than 3 times compared to usual care without the software support.
Prof. Kupchik[/caption]
Prof. Yonatan M. Kupchik PhD and
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L. Levi[/caption]
Liran Levi, PhD student
Faculty of Medicine at Hebrew University
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Motivated behavior is driven by a group of brain regions called collectively the reward system. This neural system is at the heart of every decision we make about our actions - it integrates information about the world and decides whether to perform a behavior or not based on the predicted reward/benefit. The key molecule in this process is dopamine - whenever we perform a behavior that provides a reward dopamine is released in the reward system and reinforces this behavior. Drugs of abuse exploit this system - they cause abnormally high levels of dopamine, and thus force the reward system to seek drugs constantly, even after prolonged withdrawal. From a neurobiological perspective, that is how we view substance dependence - the reward system drives people to seek for the reward.
Prof. Ding[/caption]
Ding Ding (Melody), Ph.D., MPH
Professor of Public Health/NHMRC Emerging Leader Fellow
Prevention Research Collaboration
Sydney School of Public Health
Faculty of Medicine and Health
The University of Sydney
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: While we already know physical activity benefits health, public guidelines focus on total minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per week, usually 150 to 300 minutes. However, many people track their activity by steps, a simple and accessible metric, but the popular 10,000-steps-a-day goal isn’t actually based on solid evidence. Our review sought to clarify how many steps per day are linked to meaningful health benefits.
Dr. Campanella[/caption]
Gabriele Campanella, PhD
Assistant Professor
Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Lung cancer is the most lethal cancer in the US. Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common form of lung cancer with an incidence of over 100k per year in the US. EGFR mutations are common driver mutations in LUAD, and importantly, these mutations can be targeted by TKI therapy, which has high response rates. Because of this, EGFR testing via NGS (Next Generation Sequencing) is considered mandatory by guidelines for any LUAD diagnosis.
In high-resource settings, rapid EGFR testing is done while waiting for confirmation via NGS. This is because NGS takes about 2 weeks on average, while the rapid testing has a median TAT of 2 days. Early treatment decisions could be made based on the rapid test results. Rapid tests have some important drawbacks, most notably, it exhausts tissue. In lung cancer, tissue is scarce in the first place, and up to 25% of cases, after rapid testing there is not enough tissue for NGS. In those circumstances, patients have to be biopsied again, which adds unnecessary risk for the patient. Even worse, in some cases, the NGS is never done. A non-tissue-exhaustive computational biomarker could be used instead of the tissue-based rapid test.
Pexels image[/caption]
Medical research is at the heart of clinical advancement. Whether evaluating the safety of new treatments or analyzing trends across patient populations, the integrity and efficiency of research practices have direct implications on healthcare delivery. Among the most labor-intensive tasks in medical research are literature reviews and meta-analyses—two foundational methodologies that aggregate findings from multiple studies to draw broader, evidence-based conclusions.
With the volume of published medical literature increasing exponentially each year, traditional methods of reviewing research have become less sustainable. Today, artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to play a transformative role in this process, offering ways to streamline literature searches, extract relevant data, reduce bias, and increase reproducibility.
AI isn't replacing researchers—it’s empowering them with tools that can manage scale, speed, and complexity in ways manual methods cannot match.
Photo by Christina Morillo[/caption]
Every clinical trial produces mountains of data. From patient enrollment logs and lab results to adverse event reports and protocol deviations, clinical data is the backbone of every decision made during drug or device development. Yet, collecting data is only the beginning — it’s how that data is managed, validated, and interpreted that determines a study’s success.
In the age of decentralized trials, real-time analytics, and global regulatory oversight, the importance of reliable clinical data management can’t be overstated. High-quality data doesn’t just support regulatory submissions — it protects patient safety, ensures compliance, and strengthens confidence in results.
Cases of congenital syphilis are ten times higher now than they were a decade ago, making it incredibly important that...
Dr. Hideyuki Saya, MD, PhD[/caption]
Hideyuki Saya, MD, PhD
Director, Oncology Innovation Center
Fujita Health University
Toyoake, Japan
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Benzaldehyde, a simple aromatic compound found in the natural aroma of almonds and apricots, has long been reported to have anticancer activity, with clinical trials even conducted in Japan in the 1980s. However, the molecular mechanism underlying its anticancer effect has remained unclear for decades.
Our study was initiated by Dr. Jun Saito, whose father was one of the original researchers studying benzaldehyde. Driven by a personal motivation to clarify the scientific basis of this compound’s effect, Dr. Saito spent over a decade in our lab to finally uncover its mechanism of action.
Dr. Kirchhoff[/caption]
Tomas Kirchhoff, PhD (corresponding author)
Associate ProfessorLaura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center
New York University School of Medicine
Robert Ferguson PhD
Senior Scientist at NYU Langone Medical Center
Kelsey Monson, PhD
Immuno-Oncology Postdoctoral Researcher
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Would you briefly explain how mitochondrial DNA differs from chromosomal DNA?
TK: Immune checkpoint blockade has changed the way we treat several cancers, including advanced melanoma. Before these therapies, the treatment options were very limited, but now more than half of patients experience significant tumor shrinkage or disease control.
KRM: Despite these advances, many patients still do not respond to treatment. One of the main challenges in cancer medicine today is to find ways to predict which patients will benefit from these therapies before treatment begins. This approach is key to personalizing care and improving outcomes.
RF: Mitochondria are small structures inside our cells that produce the energy needed for cells to function. Unlike most of our DNA, mitochondrial DNA is inherited only from the mother. Scientists can categorize this mitochondrial DNA into groups called haplogroups, based on unique variations in the genetic code. These haplogroups can provide insight into how cells produce energy and may affect a person’s health or response to cancer treatment.
Photo by Artem Podrez[/caption]
In clinical and research settings, precision and control are everything. Whether conducting patient care, handling biological specimens or operating within a sterile lab environment, every person involved must operate with safety in mind. While much attention is often given to technical procedures and scientific outcomes, the foundation that makes these environments functional is a shared understanding of workplace safety. This is where an OSHA compliance certification becomes essential.
Medical and research facilities are not immune to hazards. Everyday, professionals work with chemical agents, compressed gases, sharps lab equipment and occasionally volatile substances. These environments demand more than professional skill; they require a framework that reinforces how to prevent incidents before they occur. OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, provides exactly that framework through its compliance standards and training programs.
Jingzhen Ginger Yang, PhD, MPH
Principal Investigator at the Center for Injury Research and Policy
Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine
with a courtesy appointment in the Department of Epidemiolog
in The Ohio State University College of Public Health
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. Newer vehicles and driver assistance technologies show promise in reducing crashes and injury severities.
Our study found that driving vehicles 6-15 years old had a 19% greater risk of driver death in fatal crashes, and driving vehicles older than 15 years had a 31% greater risk, both compared to driving vehicles 5 years old or newer, regardless of driver age. Additionally, each driver assistance technology already present in vehicles was associated with a 6% reduction in the risk of driver death in fatal crashes.
Dr. Robinson[/caption]
Ashley Robinson, MD, lead author
Second-year internal medicine resident
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Briefly, anal cancer makes up around 1% of gastrointestinal cancers and more than 90% of all anal cancers are caused by chronic human papillomavirus or HPV infections.
In previous research, it has been noted that women over the age of 65 have rates that were increasing more than other groups and myself along with my colleagues and the principal investigator of this project, Dr. Eli Ehrenpreis, wanted to further characterize these findings, looking into more specific details of these previously noted trends. Using data from a public database ran by the National Cancer Institute called the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program, also known as SEER, and their statistical analysis software, SEER*Stat, we analyzed anal cancer incidence trends, looking at differences between sex, age, and ethnicity in order to further identify specific groups that have more rapidly increasing rates than others.
Dr. Gernhard[/caption]
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Katilyn Gernhard DO
Internal Medicine Resident
Allegheny Health Network Pittsburgh
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: The background for this study is the steadily rising prevalence of obesity in the United States, which has been accompanied by an increase in related comorbid conditions, including Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD). Bariatric surgery and GLP-1 receptor agonists are two commonly used treatment options to address obesity and its associated complications.
While both have demonstrated benefits in weight loss and metabolic improvement, there has been limited direct comparison of their effectiveness specifically in patients with MASLD. Our study aimed to address this gap by comparing clinical outcomes in patients with MASLD treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists versus those treated with bariatric surgery.
Dr. Steenson[/caption]
Dr. Simon Steenson PhD
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Department of Nutritional Sciences
King’s College London
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Chronic constipation is something that can be embarrassing, but it affects 1 in 10 people globally. It has a big impact on people’s quality of life and treating constipation has substantial costs for the healthcare system. Dried fruits are recommended for managing constipation, but there are very few studies that have actually tested whether following this advice is helpful. To fill this gap in our knowledge, we completed the largest clinical trial to date to see whether dried fruits and fruit juices could benefit constipation symptoms. 
Dr. Corley[/caption]
Douglas Corley, MD, PhD
Chief Research Officer, The Permanente Medical Group
Kaiser Permanente, Northern California
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) is an integrated health care system that designs and implements population-based programs that support cancer prevention and early detection. In 2006, KPNC began to implement a comprehensive colorectal cancer screening program with the goal of increasing member screening rates, preventing colorectal cancer through polyp removal, and reducing cancer mortality. The initiative identifies whether screening-eligible KPNC members are up to date with their colorectal cancer screening test by either a colonoscopy or by stool-based tests, such as a fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) kit. If they are not up to date with screening, it mails them a FIT kit for at-home testing. Members can also choose other options for colorectal cancer screening, such as a colonoscopy, through their physician.
Dr. Shreenivas[/caption]
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Aditya Shreenivas M.D., M.S.
Assistant Professor
Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research
City of Hope
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly aggressive tumor of the head and neck region with a distinct geographical distribution, with incidence rates as high as 30 per 100,000 in endemic regions like Asia and North Africa but less than 1 per 100,000 worldwide. Despite comprehensive curative intent therapy, up to 30% of patients with advanced NPC experience treatment failure, primarily due to recurrence and/or metastasis. This high mortality rate highlighted the urgent need for effective treatments.
Clinical trials (JUPITER-02, CAPTAIN-1st, and RATIONALE-309) showed improved progression-free survival by adding anti-PD-1 antibodies to chemotherapy for first-line treatment of recurrent or metastatic NPC. However, these studies were conducted exclusively in Asian populations.
Penpulimab is a humanized anti-PD-1 antibody that's unique because it is a IgG1 subtype with a modified Fc segment. This structure potentially improves efficacy and safety compared to other anti-PD-1 drugs through lower immune-related adverse events.
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