In Print

Photo by Graham Ramsay

From Focus:
Cancer Ahead? Shift into Neutral
Are some cancers benign because their cells have been lulled to sleep? Evidence has been building that switching on cancer genes in some cell types does not send them down the path to disease, but rather causes them to enter the permanent sleep of senescence. In a recent study, a team led by Karen Cichowski (left) and Stéphanie Courtois-Cox begins to unravel the mechanism underlying this phenomenon. They find that activating the oncogene Ras initiates a negative feedback loop that drives cells to inactivity.

Upcoming

Program on Global Demography of Aging

Health and Income in General Equilibrium

Monday, February 12
4:30–6 p.m.

Speaker:
Ashley Lester

Spotlight

Joslin Diabetes Center Names New President
Ranch Kimball, who formerly served as secretary of economic development in the Romney administration, was recently named chief executive officer and president of Joslin Diabetes Center. He assumes the post on February 1.

Student Scene

Break in Care Disguised as Cultural Sensitivity
When patients from the Navajo Reservation have to go to a distant hospital, sometimes the care they receive lacks follow-up. Ellen Rothman says that sometimes this discontinuity is substandard care disguised as respect for Navajo culture.

Lab Works

A multimedia site featuring Harvard Medical research.

StudenTalk

Personal takes on issues inside and outside the classroom.