Science Break! Outreach – Getting High School Students Excited About Cancer Research!

Last week, I had the opportunity to speak with students in Freshman Biology classes at Overton High School here in Nashville. I’d given science demonstrations before—including fun with dry ice and a mouse organ scavenger hunt/anatomy lesson that was fun for everyone except one squeamish student. But I’d never spoken in detail about cancer biology […]

Screw the Woo Woo: WTF is up with Gwyneth Paltrow and Vaginas/Butt Stuff??

Like many actual scientists and rational human beings, I have issues with Gwyneth Paltrow’s activities as a “wellness guru” by way of her company, GOOP. Don’t get me wrong, she’s an incredible actress and supports some great philanthropic work, including the work of The American Cancer Society and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. And I […]

Science Break! Cancer 101: How Normal Cells Become Transformed Into Cancer

Cancer has been with us since we became human, and probably before, since cancer isn’t common to our species. In a fundamental way, cancer is us. Cancer was once healthy tissue, starting out as a cell in your body fulfilling its function to keep the collective whole, you, functioning. This cell toed the line, divided […]

Screw The Woo Woo: Please Don't Put Candles in Your Ears (Something I Never Thought I'd Have To Write)

As long as the Internet exists, I will (sadly) NEVER run out of things to blog about on the woo woo front. Scratch that, as long as people exist, I’ll never run out of things to blog about on the woo woo front. For today’s installment, I’ll be covering the bizarre and dangerous practice of […]

Don't Be A Hero – See A Therapist!

Living with cancer (even post diagnosis, treatment, and in remission, once you’ve had cancer, you’re always living with it) is weird. One minute I’m going about my day and not thinking about my body, my janky scars, and what’s left of my boobs (which I’m soooooooooo grateful to still have). Then, at strange, random moments, […]

Screw The Woo Woo: Antioxidants and Cancer (When Woo Shows Up At A Freakin' Science Conference!)

Greetings! I’m writing this blog post from Singapore, where I attended The International Congress of Cancer and Clinical Oncology. One of the perks of this geeky job as a professional lab rat is that I get to travel to some really cool places to present the results of my scientific research. Now, you would think […]

Screw the Woo Woo: For The Love of The Flying Spaghetti Monster Do NOT Sun Your Bunghole!

In this installment of Screw The Woo Woo, I’m tackling a “wellness” trend that’s been making the rounds on social media, including my Facebook feed, and that is disturbing on sooooooooo many levels: butthole sunning. At first, I thought it was a joke. I really, REALLY hoped it was a joke. Then again, jade eggs […]