Healthcare for All Not Quite a Reality in Canada

By Uduak Thomas, M.A. There’s an interesting study that was just published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal by a research team in Canada that brings some rather surprising inequalities in the nation’s healthcare system to light. By conducting telephone-based survey, the researchers discovered that some family physicians’ offices discriminate against people who would be … Read more

The cancer that is social injustice

I can’t recall all of the times I have used analogies to explain technical scientific concepts; biologists frequently use analogies to help researchers and non-scientists alike understand theories and models for how cells function. DNA is often likened to computer code, proteins that chop up other proteins are often described as scissors, and I’ve even … Read more

Human Trafficking is a Public Health Problem

Call It What You Will, But Human Trafficking IS a Public Health Issue By Katherine Welch, M.D. Although largely framed as a legal issue, a social issue, and sometimes a geo-political issue, human trafficking IS also a public health issue. Communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, sexually transmitted infections, and skin infestations are common. Non-communicable diseases … Read more

Cancer Biologists Can’t Solve It by Themselves

The Problem Behind the Problem Cancer biologists cannot solve the cancer problem by themselves, nor can anyone else for that matter.  I’m a cancer biologist, so what do I mean when I say this?  Allow me to explain.  I’m not talking about understanding the staggering complexity of cancer, which requires many researchers ranging from engineers … Read more