“Disasters, whether unforeseen acts of nature or man-made atrocities, have an adverse impact on the survivors and often cause widespread disruption, displacement and disability. Epidemiological studies have documented elevated rates of mental health disorders, such as anxiety disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder and substance abuse in post disaster settings…”
Read More“The reality is that for millions and millions of women, all over the world, violence is an everyday part of their lives. Rape, battery and other forms of sexual and domestic violence are such a common part of the lives of women that they cannot be viewed as unusual or outside what one might consider an ordinary experience. Such acts are more likely to be perpetrated by someone known to the woman. An example of one of the most common forms of violence against women worldwide is intimate partner violence (IPV), i.e. physical, psychological or sexual abuse of women perpetrated by their intimate partners.”
Read More“One of the greatest benefits of being affiliated with a major university is the opportunities that often arise to engage in interdisciplinary collaboration. I was invited, by Composer and researcher Jonathan Berger, to present at the seventh annual Music and Brain Symposium, which was held earlier this month at Stanford University. Jonathan is the Denning Family Provostial Professor in Music at Stanford, and is co-director of the Stanford Institute for Creativity and the Arts (SICA) and The Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA)…”
Read More“When I was in medical school, senior physicians would frequently usher a group of us students into a patient’s room so we might hear them tell the story of their illness. It seemed that the more classic the story was for a particular illness the more intense was their ushering. We would huddle around the patient’s bed all of us transfixed by the doctor interviewing the patient. I remember hanging on the patient’s every last word and, simultaneously, shifting through the textbook data stored in my brain in search of a diagnostic match. When done, the senior doctor would turn around and challenge us to diagnose what ailed the patient and we would respond with a flurry of answers. I still remember the thrill of solving the puzzle, of making a ‘textbook diagnosis’…”
Read More“I open the Google search page on my laptop, type in my name, and click ‘search.’ In the 0.22 second it takes for the 1540 results to appear, I have a flashback to my medical-student days, when exam results would be typed on white A4 paper and taped to a window adjacent to the main entrance of the medical school. It was a curious form of transparency, with every class member's results, whether fail, pass, or honors, on display for all to see. I remember my anxiety escalating to frantic heights as I pushed past my peers, some jumping for . . .”
Read More“The introductions were frosty, but I push through, inviting her to tell me why she is here. In detail she describes her frustration with a different hospital, where, for a year, she had been receiving treatment for her abdominal pain. She has seen gastroenterologists, gynecologists, and urologists and had blood tests, ultrasounds, CTs, and MRIs but no luck, no cure. “They could not help me there. That’s why I came here.” She pauses as her face screws up in pain and she clutches her belly harder. “I met with my new gastroenterologist yesterday. I like him. I know he can help me...”
Read More“Mr. Hussein’s story in his own language was infused with colour. After the death of his wife, he had moved to America to be with his son. Life in Pakistan was a struggle, so he was relieved to live here in comfort. But recently, while his son and daughter-in-law were at work, he found himself feeling depressed. He was not accustomed to the quiet of the suburbs and missed the familiar hustle and bustle of Karachi. His family was caring, but he felt like a burden. His jet-black eyes clouded over with tears as he admitted he had experienced thoughts of suicide and stopped taking his blood pressure pills…”
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