Author Archives: Philip A. Lederer MD

Redo college intro science?

I recently read an editorial in Science Magazine by Drs. David Asai, Bruce Alberts, and Janet Coffey which argued that college introductory biology courses need to be revamped. While I suspect they are correct, their solution to the problem of a shortage of citizens who understand and respect scientific evidence seemed incomplete. Why focus onContinue reading “Redo college intro science?”

Predicting airborne infection risk

I’m pleased that our research study, “Predicting airborne infection risk: Association between personal ambient carbon dioxide (CO2) level monitoring and incidence of tuberculosis infection in South African health workers,” was recently published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. The central idea of our paper is that health workers face high occupational TB risk. Increasing CO2 levelsContinue reading “Predicting airborne infection risk”

Helen Conrad Davies, celebrated scientist, ‘singing professor’ of microbiology, dies at 97

Helen Conrad Davies, 97, an award-winning scientist and professor emeritus of microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania, a vocal advocate for racial equality and women’s rights, and a revered mentor who sang to her students about infectious diseases, died March 23, of respiratory failure at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She was oneContinue reading “Helen Conrad Davies, celebrated scientist, ‘singing professor’ of microbiology, dies at 97”

Global Health is Broken, But Young People Plan to Repair It

Today I wanted to respond to Dr. Madhu Pai’s recent post on Forbes, Global Health is Broken, But Young People Plan to Repair It. In the article, he amplifies the voices of 24 young people from around the world regarding climate change, pandemics, and other global health crises, and the ways leaders are failing us.Continue reading “Global Health is Broken, But Young People Plan to Repair It”

A Randomized Trial of 21 Days of Loving Kindness Meditation for Stress Reduction

In modern society, we are stressed out, and stress can make us sick. Many people are undergoing challenging health journeys, consisting of pain, anxiety, and fear. Loving Kindness Meditation (LKM) is a systemized mind-body approach developed to increase loving acceptance and has previously been reported to increase resilience in the face of adversity. In thisContinue reading “A Randomized Trial of 21 Days of Loving Kindness Meditation for Stress Reduction”

Regina Carter in Boston

Yesterday was another wonderful musical performance here in Massachusetts, this time the jazz violinist Regina Carter. The show was held at Artist’s for Humanity in South Boston. Carter and her 5-piece band held the audience’s rapt attention with their music, but also their poetic interludes about housing, gentrification, and displacement of Black/Brown communities from AmericanContinue reading “Regina Carter in Boston”