Newswise DANVILLE, Pa. Geisinger Health Systems director of the Genomic Medicine Institute believes that making a patients genetic test results available in the electronic health record (EHR) is a win for patients and for their doctors. But he is also clear that much work needs to be done before its a reality. Insights of several research teams actively engaged in integrating genomic medicine into the electronic health record, including an editorial co-authored by Marc S. Williams, MD, Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA, and Joseph Kannry, MD, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY, are featured in the October 2013 issue of Genetics in Medicine. In the editorial the prominent pair of genomics researchers state that: "Successfully integrating genomics into clinical care requires a vision, a strategy that will achieve the vision, and an actionable implementation plan." The research led by Drs. Williams and Kannry and many other members of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)-funded Electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE) network explores a variety of issues related to including genetic information in Electronic Health Records (EHR) including storage and representation of the information, education about use of the information at the point of care and solutions to concerns … Continue reading →

The author has posted comments on this articleBiswarup Gooptu, ET Bureau | Sep 25, 2013, 09.19AM IST NEW DELHI: Demand for quality healthcare and easier access to capital have led to the launch of many startups working in such areas as new drug development, stem cell therapy and advanced diagnostics. This has made the sector one of the most vibrant in India's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Delhi-based Invictus Technology, which develops drugs for cancer care, is due to begin pre-clinical trials. "These platinum-based drugs will be less toxic and more effective," said Shiladitya Sengupta, 40, cofounder of the startup launched in 2011. "We are not looking at simply treating cancer, we are looking to cure it," said Sengupta who is an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. This is the third startup that he has cofounded after Mitra Biotech, a Bangalore-based company that develops technology for personalised cancer therapy and Vyome Biosciences, which addresses skin diseases. Entrepreneurs like Sengupta are targeting India's $78 billion ( Rs 48,984 crore) healthcare market, which is one of the most under-penetrated globally. Twenty-four-year-old Zoya Brar quit her job at Google India last year to set up Core Diagnostics, along with colleague Arghya Basu, 27. … Continue reading →

EMBARGOED TILL 25 SEPTEMBER 2013, 8:30pm MEDIA RELEASE25 SEPTEMBER 2013 SINGAPORE HONOURS TOP SCIENTIFIC TALENT FOR GROUND-BREAKING R&D CONTRIBUTIONS Deputy Presidents of NUS and NTU to receive the highest Science & Technology award in Singapore for their outstanding contributions to Singapores research and development scene 1. Eight of the Republics top research scientists and engineers will receive the 2013 Presidents Science and Technology Awards from President Tony Tan Keng Yam at an awardsceremony on 25 September 2013. 2. The awards arethe top honours inSingaporeconferredon outstanding individuals and teams for their achievements in science and technology and their contributions to research and development (R&D) in Singapore. 3. The Presidents Science and Technology Medal, the highest of honours, will be presented this year to Professor Barry Halliwell, Deputy President (Research & Technology) and Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor at NUS; and Professor Freddy Boey, Deputy President and Provost at NTU. Both individuals will be conferred the prestigious award for their distinguished, sustained and exceptional contributions to Singapores science and engineering landscape. Advancing the bioengineering and nanomedical sector through entrepreneurship in R&D 4. Professor Freddy Boey, Deputy President and Provost at NTU, has contributed to research beyond the academic arena and in industry … Continue reading →

by JIM BERGAMO / KVUE News and photojournalist Scott Guest and editor Rob Diaz kens5.com Posted on September 23, 2013 at 6:24 PM Updated yesterday at 6:24 PM AUSTIN -- Nationally there's been plenty of healthcare reform discussion about the affordable care act. But here in Texas a new law is now in affect that has flown a bit under the radar. It involves autism reform. Previously autistic children over the age of 10 were not covered by insurance. This new law changes that. John Hockenyos and his wife Rebecca Yerly have an autistic son. Sam has been a regular at the Central Texas Autism Center or CTAC since he was three and unable to communicate through the spoken word. "Sam has improved dramatically," said Yerly. "I know he would not have made the progress he has without those therapies." Sam is now 10. Under old state law, insurance would no longer cover a significant portion of his treatments. "We had families that were dreading their kids birthday," said Kelly Rich, a board certified behavioral analyst and the owner and Executive Director of CTAC. "Their treatment plan didn't change. The help they needed didn't change. Their child had a birthday." … Continue reading →

A federal appeals court has upheld a ruling that impoverished Florida children with autism cannot be denied a costly but proven treatment that can help them lead more productive lives. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal in Atlanta has ruled that U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard of Miami was justified when she ordered the state Agency for Health Care Administration to pay for the treatment. Lenards ruling could affect thousands of Florida children who have the often-debilitating neurological disorder, enabling them to receive what is called applied behavior analysis, an intensive treatment that can help autistic children speak and function at a higher level. The lawsuit was filed by Legal Services of Greater Miami on behalf of three autistic children in the Miami area who were denied access to behavior analysis by Medicaid, Floridas insurance program for poor and disabled people. Medicaid called the treatment, often called ABA, experimental, and therefore not medically necessary for a childs treatment. But following a lengthy trial, Lenard ruled the therapy had long been regarded as safe and effective by mainstream doctors, and that the state was discriminating against poor children by denying it. In Florida, like many states, private insurers are required … Continue reading →

The result could be due to the inattention to facial cues, not reduced empathy, among people with autism By Laura Geggel and SFARI.org Missing Facial Cues: Although it was long believed to be due to a lack of empathy, a new Japanese study suggests that children with autism miss facial cues, such as closed eyes, that make yawning contagious. Image: SFARI.org Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way... Read More Reprinted with permission from SFARI.org, an editorially independent division of the Simons Foundation. (Find original story here.) Boredom, tiredness, hunger and stress can all set off a yawn. People can even 'catch' a bout of yawning when they see or hear another person in the throes of the involuntary gesture, a phenomenon known as social yawning. Researchers speculate that this shared behavior is a form of empathy that strengthens the bonds of a group: One drowsy persons yawn that triggers others to do the same could lead to a unanimous call for bedtime, for example. Humans aren't the only species to yawn sympathetically: Dogs yawn in response to human yawns, and chimpanzees … Continue reading →

Newswise Parent sleep education is beneficial in improving sleep and aspects of daytime behavior and family functioning in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), according to a Vanderbilt study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Vanderbilt joined with the University of Colorado Denver and the University of Toronto to carry out a study of 80 children with ASD, ages 2-10 years, primarily focused on teaching parents the basics of sleep education. We found that one hour of one-on-one sleep education or four hours of group sleep education delivered to parents, combined with two brief follow-up phone calls, improved sleep as well as anxiety, attention, repetitive behavior and quality of life in children with ASD who had difficulty falling asleep, said study author Beth Malow, M.D., professor of Neurology and Pediatrics, and the Burry Professor of Cognitive Childhood Development. The parents also benefited; they reported a higher level of parenting competence after completing the education sessions. The one-on-one and group sessions showed similar levels of success. In contrast, an earlier study that simply gave parents a pamphlet without guidance on how to use it did not provide the same level of improvement in child sleep. Before entering the … Continue reading →