OHSU researchers caution that switching to daylight savings time raises health and performance issues for students and workers — and it’s worth taking steps ahead of time to reduce the risks. Andrew McHill, Ph.D., says, “We’re getting hit from two different fronts: First, we’re artificially shifting our clock so that we effectively lose an hour of sleep,” he said. “Second, we’re waking up an hour earlier than our internal body clock’s circadian time. That means we’re groggier while driving in the morning, we’re at heightened risk for a cardiovascular event, and it can lead to some detriments in performance at school or at work”

Medscape asks physicians what they wish they had known about the profession when they were medical students. Helmi Lutsep, M.D., says, “A challenge of the field that was not covered in medical school is that you are a physician 24/7, whether it is to others in the medical field, your family, or community. You will be called upon for advice or help at unexpected times, such as on a flight during a medical emergency or on vacation. Knowing this would not have deterred me from the field but the demands took a little while to sink in.”

Steve Stadum, J.D., is interim president of Oregon Health & Science University. Dr. George Brown, is president and chief executive officer of Legacy Health. They share their opinion.

"These cuts will cripple biomedical research and drug development in the U.S. We should be investing more in science, not less."

Continued media coverage on a team of OHSU researchers led by Jared Fischer, Ph.D., and Jose Montoya Mira, Ph.D., who developed a new blood test that identifies hard-to-detect pancreatic cancer with 85% accuracy. In an interview with KGW-TV, Fischer says, “We hope that we can help to deliver them a test and that this is just one small step in ending cancer as we know it.”

In an article about the potential health benefits of fish oil supplements, BestLife cites an OHSU study led by Lynne Shinto, N.D., that found a subset of older adults with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease may benefit from fish oil supplements. Shinto says, "Our findings showed that over three years, there was not a statistically significant difference between placebo and the group that took fish oil. I don’t think it would be harmful, but I wouldn’t say you need to take fish oil to prevent dementia.”

Claymore Kills First, Pharm.D., is interviewed on the KWSO Radio podcast to discuss the impact of pancreatic cancer on American Indian communities.

In an American College of Surgeons article on the rise of colorectal cancer in younger adults, Liana Tsikitis, M.D., says, “If you hurt your arm or leg, you would see a doctor. The same should be said for any pain or noticeable changes you experience during bowel movements. My advice to patients is to listen to your body — if things don’t seem right, ask a physician and be persistent about your questions.”

In a guest column published in the Portland Business Journal, co-authors Tim Nice, Ph.D., Jonathan Pruneda, Ph.D., Isabella Rauch, Ph.D., and Lauren Rodda, Ph.D., say cuts to NIH research funding are damaging on a number of fronts: “Make no mistake, this will have devastating consequences: clinical trials will be dropped; years-long research projects will die in their tracks; and the training of a generation of scientists will be severely damaged. Many research laboratories operate on thin margins and depend on the assurance of grant disbursement. If no action is taken now, the losses will be immediate and profound, including inability to sustain jobs for Oregon scientists or their support staffs, or maintain important research infrastructure. These cuts will cripple biomedical research and drug development in the U.S. We should be investing more in science, not less.”

In a guest opinion column, Joanna Harper, Ph.D., and Paula Amato, M.D., write, “There is no evidence that inclusion of trans athletes has had a negative impact on sport participation of cisgender women and girls. However, the discrimination experienced by trans youths contributes to lower sports participation rates compared to their cisgender peers.” They suggest steps that communities could take to increase sports participation rates for all youths, regardless of gender identity.