Blogs and Articles

Published pieces I've written for a wide variety of platforms, including Stanford School of Medicine and the San Francisco deYoung Museum.

Medium •

3 Reasons Why You’re Addicted to Heartbreak (And Why Sad Movies Feel So Good)

Tell me if you’ve been here. You just finished watching Titanic. It’s long, epic, a little cheesy, that door could have totally fit them both… but by the end, you’re still sobbing your eyes out. And yet, the next time a tear-jerker or a tragic love story hits Netflix, you can’t click in fast enough.It feels like you’re going crazy. So why do we love sad movies?In real life, heartbreak is messy. Look at a breakup. It costs time, trust, sometimes even pieces of our identity. But if we’re watching...
Legion of Honor •

Celebrating Big Alma

March is Women’s History Month, a time to honor and celebrate women from all walks of life. And so, there is no better time to celebrate the founder of the Legion of Honor, Alma Spreckels. Alma de Bretteville Spreckels (1881–1968), known to many as “Big Alma,” was a phenomenal figure in San Francisco history. A bold, affluent, successful philanthropist, Big Alma was a force to be reckoned with from an early age. Drawn from the book, Big Alma: San Francisco’s Alma Spreckels, here are some intrigu
MSR Communications •

Connecting Across the World: In Defense of Social Media : MSR Communications

We see it everywhere these days.  That great big “thing,” those two scary words that send people into a frenzy.  Adults head for the hills, parents warn their children with bedtime horror stories.  Whatever you do, don’t be consumed by it! Oh, how frightening social media can be.  More and more you might see an article about the dangers of Instagram, or the sterility of Twitter, or the deviancy of Tumblr.  “Something something, social media is ruining our friendships, something something, socia
SCOPE •

Why become a doctor? A personal story from a Stanford neurosurgeon

Why go into neurosurgery? Aspiring physicians could easily select another, less time-consuming specialty. In this recent Stanford Health Care video, that's exactly what Lawrence Shuer, MD said he was told when he first decided to be a neurosurgeon. However, it was his neurosurgeon father who truly inspired him to pursue a career in the field. Here's Shuer: I’m sure that part of my inspiration to become a neurosurgeon and to go into medicine was to see the satisfaction that he got out of his car
SCOPE •

The power of music: how music training in high school helps brain development

It was my second year of high school and I was talking to a childhood friend. When I asked if she was taking any music classes she shrugged and told me, “They cut my choir this year.” I wish I could say I had never heard of such a thing, but I knew it was common in public schools. When budgets are low, music programs are often some of the first things to get cut - and it might be because those classes don’t seem as important to the academic experience as other classes. But according to a recent
SCOPE •

A look at hypertension in pregnancy

Most people know that hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a common condition. What many might not know is that it's also one of the most common complications in pregnancy: It is prevalent in 5-10 percent of pregnant women. In a recent Q&A session, Sandra Tsai, MD, MPH, spoke with BeWell at Stanford about this condition and its effects: Hypertension in pregnancy — especially the more severe forms (preeclampsia and eclampsia) — increases the risk for complications such as placenta abruption
SCOPE •

Essentially erasing an essential tremor

When I think of tremors, I picture an older man struggling to write, his fingers quivering. But for Brad Ackerman, an industrial designer shown at right, the trembling started early. For decades, a movement disorder known as essential tremor stymied his social life, career and daily activities. A recent article from Stanford Medicine News explains: The tremor began to affect the direction of his life. In high school, he loved drawing and painting, but his tremor meant he could not easily hold o
SCOPE •

Angels and devils: A Stanford neuroscientist uncodes the brain's role in decision-making

Stanford neuroscientist and psychiatrist Robert Malenka, MD, PhD, launched his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland earlier this year with a big question: "Why do we do the things that we do?" Jeepers, he got me hooked. And, in a mere 6 minutes and 22 seconds, he did a good job of answering. He covered the basics: the role of neural circuitry, the neurotransmitter dopamine and what goes wrong in diseases like addiction, depression and autism. He also expressed optimistic a
SCOPE •

Nothing to snort over: Why snoring should be taken seriously

It’s the middle of the night—or maybe the middle of the day—and all seems well. Then, you hear it: a low, rumbling, animalistic sound. It could be a snort or a growl or even a snarl. But it’s not an animal at all. It’s a person who is snoring far too loudly for your liking, and the sound only seems to be getting worse. It’s safe to say we all know someone who snores - or we may even do it ourselves. A Huffington Post article puts a spotlight on snoring and features Stanford's Rafael Pelayo, MD,
SCOPE •

When dementia hits home: The global impact of dementia on women

A report released last week by Alzheimer’s Disease International calls attention to the disproportionate effects of dementia on women worldwide. As noted in the report, women are more at risk for dementia than men for two primary reasons: age and genetics. Women's longer lifespans leave them more vulnerable to the age-related condition. In addition, there are biological factors that make women more likely to suffer from dementia. Women are also more likely to be the caregivers to those with th
SCOPE •

Not just for kids: A discussion of play and why we all need to do it

All work and no play makes everyone a dull boy. Recognizing this, the California-based National Institute for Play focuses on shining light on the importance of the practice of play in everyday life. BeWell@Stanford recently spoke with its founder and president, Stuart Brown, MD, who here talks about play’s role in human function: He goes on to talk about play's importance for adults in particular: Most people tend to think that play is confined primarily to childhood, and my sense of the pale
SCOPE •

A picture is worth a thousand words: Researchers use photos to see how Type 1 diabetes affects kids

The impact of Type 1 diabetes can be a trying and forceful one, especially for children. To better understand the disease's role in young patients' lives, Ashby Walker, PhD, and colleagues at University of Florida conducted a study in which they gave 40 kids cameras and asked them to take photos representing what life with diabetes meant for them. The most common pictures were of diabetes supplies, with 88 percent of youth taking at least one picture of needles, syringes, meters, pumps, insulin
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs •

Afghanistan Veteran Receives Purple Heart - VA Palo Alto Health Care System

June 13, 2012 - In August of last year, Army Sergeant Anson Curry, 26, took a penetrating shrapnel wound to the head from a grenade blast while serving in Afghanistan. Yesterday, surrounded by family, friends and VA staff, that same soldier was awarded his Purple Heart. "It is an honor, it is a privilege, and it is a very humbling experience to be here today," declared Brigadier General Sylvia Crockett, California's first Latina general and Assistant Division Commander for the 40th Infantry
Brought to Light •

Through the Years: The History of Dr. Eddie Leong Way

In the spirit of UCSF’s 150th anniversary, a new addition to the archives has been made: the history of our very own Dr. Eddie Leong Way.   The addition is very much relevant to the anniversary, as Dr. Way himself has contributed much to the school’s 150 years.  In fact, he makes up many of those years, himself. Born in San Francisco, Dr. Way earned his bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley before going on to obtain his PhD in pharmaceutical chemistry from UCSF’s very own School of Pharmacy.  Howe

Afghanistan Veteran Receives Purple Heart - VA Palo Alto Health Care System

June 13, 2012 - In August of last year, Army Sergeant Anson Curry, 26, took a penetrating shrapnel wound to the head from a grenade blast while serving in Afghanistan. Yesterday, surrounded by family, friends and VA staff, that same soldier was awarded his Purple Heart. "It is an honor, it is a privilege, and it is a very humbling experience to be here today," declared Brigadier General Sylvia Crockett, California's first Latina general and Assistant Division Commander for the 40th Infantry