This week, the Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine was awarded to British scientist Robert Edwards, Ph.D., for the development of in vitro fertilization (IVF). Edwards, along with his colleague Patrick Steptoe, M.D., who died in 1988, perfected this laboratory… Continue Reading
In 1995, Congress passed the Dickey-Wicker amendment. This amendment prohibits federal funding of research where an embryo is “destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death.” It has been added to the Department of Health and Human… Continue Reading
Earlier this month, a federal judge blocked the federal government from funding human embryonic stem cell research, saying to do so would conflict with existing law. As a result, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and stem cell researchers have… Continue Reading
Ten years ago this month, amid much fanfare, scientists from the Human Genome Project (HGP) published the first draft of the entire human genome sequence. This meant that all of the genes in human DNA had been roughly identified and… Continue Reading
Last year, the Texas State Board of Education approved changes to the K-12 science curriculum, effective for the 2010-2011 school year. An op-ed in today’s Houston Chronicle commends the state for recognizing the need for increased focus on science education.… Continue Reading
Last week, U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Mike Castle (R-Del.) introduced bipartisan legislation to regulate federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research. The Stem Cell Research Advancement Act is designed to codify President Obama’s executive order, “Removing Barriers… Continue Reading
After hearing that I work in science policy, countless people have asked me “Do you believe in climate change?” They expect that since I have a Ph.D. in science that I will be able to articulately communicate the sophisticated and… Continue Reading