musings on medicines from the Earth
Abel Pharmboy is the nom de plume of an academic researcher and educator who holds a PhD in Pharmacology. He writes on natural product drugs and dietary supplements, academic career development, medical journalism and, occasionally, making and listening to music and wine appreciation for the monetarily-challenged.
You can learn quickly the distinction between the fields of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy, Pharmacy, the Pharmaceutical Sciences by clicking on the hyperlinks. You can learn more about the author here.
"Why Terra Sigillata?" will tell you about the origin of the blog name.
Please feel free to contact me off-blog by e-mail to abelpharmboy (at) gmail (dot) com.
Please read the DISCLAIMER for details on the blog's intended audience, advertising and comment policy, and how not to use the information presented herein.
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January 31, 2008
Category: Psychology
So concludes a paper by Drs Andrew Oswald and David Blanchflower in a paper to appear in the journal, Social Science and Medicine. (full text not yet available). From the UK Telegraph story, the University of Warwick's Oswald explains: "The...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 9:02 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 29, 2008
Category: Pharmacology
What does the Wild and Crazy Guy have in common with Dr Bertha Madras, deputy director of the White House Office on National Drug Control Policy?
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 8:02 AM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 28, 2008
Category: Alternative medicine
If you read nothing else: Men with prostate cancer should avoid any dietary supplement containing testosterone (or anything that sounds like it) or that offers claims of increased virility, sexual performance, or increased muscle mass.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 11:02 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 25, 2008
Category: Academia
When Duke genetics researcher Dr Marcy C Speer died of breast cancer last August at age 47, a huge void was left in the community of her friends, her university, and her field. As Director of the Center for Human...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 8:02 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 24, 2008
Category: Alternative medicine
This just in from NIH tonight - the new director is a serious, well-credentialed physician-scientist and administrator. What will this mean for NCCAM and the funding process for alternative medicine-related projects? Discuss amongst yourselves: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director,...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 8:43 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 23, 2008
Category: Blogging community
Would it matter if we gave Britney Spears a set of Rainin Pipettmen?
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 5:02 PM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Blogging community
Pediatrician and former medblogger gives first full interview since last summer's malpractice case.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 10:02 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 21, 2008
Category: History
From "Lesser Known Wise and Prophetic Words of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr." by liberal writer and California Democratic Party delegate, Deborah White: "Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge which is power; religion gives man wisdom which...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 10:02 AM • 11 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 20, 2008
Category: Blogging community
. . . but in a good way. I'm working frantically on a project due 31 Jan and then spent much of the weekend at various blogger gatherings associated with the NC Science Blogging Conference, the second annual unconference for...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 9:07 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 18, 2008
Category: The Friday Fermentable
My wine co-blogger and dear scientific colleague, Erleichda, and I had hoped to bring you an account of the wines enjoyed at our recent meetup. Erleichda and I have recently had the good fortune of regaining support for our scientific...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 4:02 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: The Friday Fermentable
Erleichda is the nom de plume of a guest blogger who contributes regularly to The Friday Fermentable columns. The act of contributing a column periodically on the topic of wine is consistent with the philosophy embodied in his pseudonym, i.e.,...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 3:46 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Blogging community
One pass around the Sun of realistic advice and insights on a career in the biomedical sciences.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 12:02 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 17, 2008
Category: Drug safety
How many times do we need to be told: EDTA has no medically-proven use in children with autism; deaths can result when the wrong form of EDTA is used. What a travesty.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 9:02 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 15, 2008
Category: Research
NIH issues alert on the misidentification or contamination of cultured cell lines used worldwide in biomedical research.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 11:02 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 13, 2008
Category: Evolution
Eating dirt, or geophagy, increases the anti-malarial activity of a common plant in the diet of Ugandan chimps.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 7:09 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 12, 2008
Category: Blogging community
A great scientific colleague, regular commenter, and DrugMonkey co-blogger hangs out his own shingle.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 4:44 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 10, 2008
Category: Pharmacology
This question, posed by Michigan Tech professor Dr Seth W Donahue while hiking in the Sierra Nevada, has led to the discovery of an extremely potent form of parathyroid hormone produced by black bears (Ursus americanus). In an unusual take...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 8:02 AM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 8, 2008
Category: Medical Journalism
A FREE conference from NIH to improve science and medical reporting.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 7:14 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 7, 2008
Category: Non-herbal supplements
The FDA eyes a lash-promoting product; company faces backlash; "eye" wouldn't mess with Allergan; insert your own pun here. . .
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 7:02 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 6, 2008
Category: Neuroscience
Could the evolutionary advantage of moral, altruistic behavior based in the brain be the reason for the worldwide prevalence of religious beliefs?
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 7:32 PM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 5, 2008
Category: Beer
The e-ink wasn't even dry last night on my Friday Fermentable post about the Flying Dog Open Source Beer project before I received a comment from Josh Mishell, Creative Manager for the brewery: Thanks for writing about our Open Source...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 10:45 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 4, 2008
Category: The Friday Fermentable
What a concept! Why not? From Denver's Flying Dog Brewery. . .
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 7:33 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Critical thinking
I'm very excited to announce to Terra Sig readers the kickoff of a new group blog called Science Based Medicine. Yes, it may sound odd that one would need to preface "Medicine" with the qualifier, "Science-Based," but therein lies the...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 12:02 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 3, 2008
Category: Medical Journalism
I don't often get into the autism/vaccination wars but this great article in Harvard Magazine discusses the realistic challenges in researching spectrum disorders, particularly in identifying the genetic changes in the culprit genes.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 1:02 PM • 19 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
January 1, 2008
Category: Diet and Health
...you'll enjoy the colorful discussion thread at WSJ Health Blog.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 6:02 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
