Photograph taken 20th May 2015 by Julie Charlesworth

May 20th 2015 was International Clinical Trials Day and it seemed a very appropriate occasion to be visiting the Groote Schuur Hospital, which is also an internationally renowned research institution.

Groote Schuur is the main academic hospital for the University of Cape Town’s medical school. The hospital attracts visiting medical students, trainee doctors and specialists who go to gain further training and experience in various fields.

The hospital is also famous because it is the institution where the first human heart transplant was performed.

Last week A Tree of Life Sciences® director Dr Julie Charlesworth attended the European Medical Writers Association conference in Dublin from 5-9 May 2015.

Julie was participating in workshops and was also pleased to be invited again to lead a table of discussions for the EMWA Freelance Business Forum.

Julie says, “Thank you to EMWA for all the hard work in organising this event, which as usual was a great success”.

Reflect on the changes in Big Pharma, the future in Life Sciences is looking brighter – are we really ready for a fresh approach and changes in some of our business language?

I wrote on this very subject as an editorial for the 2015 Spring edition of the journal, Medical Writing.

Julie Charlesworth (Editorial) “Get Real: Avoiding corporate gobbledygook.”
Medical Writing 2015; 24(1), 23
DOI: 10.1179/2047480614Z.000000000273

Read here

A Tree of Life Sciences Director gets stuck in to the debate about a recent controversial cancer publication, which received high-profile coverage in the media over the weekend (2–4 January 2015).

The cancer publication had widespread coverage in the press and on prime-time TV and radio news.

The study involved the application of mathematical models to data already in the published literature. A statistician was quick to respond in his blogpost, with criticism of some of the media coverage and questions regarding some claims in the actual publication.

An interesting on-line debate ensued involving statisticians, scientists, clinicians and journalists. A key question is – what proportion of cancers are really due to “bad luck,” that is, random mutations arising during DNA replication in normal, noncancerous stem cells? Our director Julie Charlesworth contributed points regarding cancer cell biology, and commented on wider perspectives such as the importance of patient and public awareness about cancer. She also called for continued vigilance about exposures to potential carcinogens and added that misinterpretation of new ideas should not ‘downplay’ the need for rigorous testing before widespread use of chemicals and new products.

A journalist suggested that ‘perhaps scientists interested in media accuracy can help reporters find informed and independent experts before their stories appear’ and the weekend discussion culminated in a proposal for ‘a New Year’s resolution for scientists and reporters to talk more’.

The publication in Science is very interesting. The findings merit further exploration in terms of causes, steps and mechanisms in cancer development. In addition the media coverage has stimulated discussion on wider issues relating to the interpretation and reporting of science.

The debates continue ………

At A Tree of Life Sciences® we are committed to inclusion and to supporting non-native English speaking clients. That is why we have added a glossary to explain words and terms that can be difficult to understand.

English is a rich and evolving language, which we know from experience non-native English speaking people are keen to learn.

Click here to visit our glossary.

Click here to contact us if you wish to suggest a word or term to be added.

We look forward to seeing this section of our website grow organically and communally with you.