If you don’t normally read my Early Career columns you should know two things about me to understand the context of this piece: 1) I am a nurse and 2) My day job is as a researcher examining how to improve heart health in adults living with HIV. The first time I heard of HIV … Read more
“Led by a new paradigm, scientists adopt new instruments and look in new places” – Thomas S. Kuhn For a lot of rational (and some irrational) reasons, hearing the word HIV evokes fear, anger, and sadness. When I first heard about HIV, I was an elementary school student in late 1980’s and at that time, … Read more
Crushing. Stabbing. Gut-wrenching, knock the wind right out of you sort of pain in your chest, arms, neck, jaw or back. This is how we commonly think of heart attacks and for patients and their loved ones – it is the worst of times. But just before the pain or discomfort starts, your body is … Read more
Each February, we celebrate Go Red for Women – a time for healthcare providers to reacquaint ourselves with the shocking fact that on average one woman dies from cardiovascular disease (CVD) every minute – and recommit to doing better. In the United States and the around the globe, women living with HIV are at higher … Read more
A new year presents a new opportunity for improvement. Each year, thousands of advertisements beckon us to join or buy the most recent fitness and wellness craze – wearable technologies, personal coaching, pea protein and oat milk. However, if trends are not your thing, you may find it reassuring that “traditional” fitness and wellness strategies (e.g., … Read more
Slightly over five years ago, I immersed myself in a growing literature that documented the increase in heart disease in people living with HIV (PLHIV). While almost of all of these studies were in well-developed “high income” countries, the conclusion was always the same. The HIV medications worked, and those who had access to them … Read more
In a small evening session at the 51st annual Society for Epidemiologic Research meeting in Baltimore, MD, a group of epidemiologists from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health discussed the how and why of collaborative studies. Dr. Bryan Lau, Dr. Keri Althoff, Dr. Josef Coresh, Dr. Jessie Buckley, and Dr. Lisa Jacobson each presented … Read more
The 22-year-old single mom flags me down at the dialysis unit. “The transplant team discussed getting my consent for increased risk kidney donors – do you think this is something I should go for?” Disclaimer: I’m not a transplant nephrologist. Worrisome thoughts hit my mind… She is so young. Why take on any risk of … Read more