New York Times – Prozac’s introduction by Eli Lilly and Company in 1988 transformed not only the treatment of depression but also our views and expectations of pharmaceuticals. But was it a true step forward in medicine, or did it just open the flood gates to aggressive marketing and commercial branding of drugs? Lisa Schwartz and Steve Woloshin, professors of medicine and codirectors of the Center for Medicine in the Media at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, participate in a debate.

The New York Times – In this opinion piece, Emeritus Professor of Medicine Ira Byock examines various scenarios of doctor-induced deaths, and warns about the dangers of this practice in light of growing support. Byock points out that “prohibitions on medical practice protect vulnerable patients and the public from the power that doctors wield due to their specialized knowledge and skills.”

Fast Company – The article addresses the medical field’s lack of genetic data from African populations. Geoffrey Siwo, a TED Fellow and research associate at Geisel, is quoted saying that the lack of data significantly limits the understanding of diseases around the world. The article also mentions that Siwo, Third Century Professor of Genetics Jason Moore, and Professor of Genetics Scott Williams, have launched a project that aims to correct this imbalance.

NHPR – As a guest on “The Exchange,” Professor of Psychiatry Alan Budney comments on the challenges of researching marijuana and the implications of its medical use.

Health Affairs – In this blog post for Health Affairs, Associate Professor of Medicine Tim Lahey discusses the PROMISE study (for Promoting Maternal and Infant Survival Everywhere), which is enrolling thousands of pregnant women with HIV in hopes of comparing mortality and other clinical outcomes between mothers who receive lifelong HIV therapy to mothers who receive shorter treatment durations if they have less advanced HIV disease. Lahey offers different experts’ views about the controversies surrounding the study.

OncologyNurseAdvisor – An ortho-oncology team successfully adapted a shoulder surgical aid, known as the Spider Limb Positioner, to conduct a left hip disarticulation on a patient with melanoma. Quote from Eric Henderson, MD, an assistant professor of orthopaedics.

News Medical – The article discusses research conducted by Robert Cramer, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology, that may shift the paradigm on immunological research and have new implications for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases.

LiveScience – Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology Ann Davis comments on some of the problems with the more widely used contraceptive methods.

MIT News – New scaling law helps estimate humans’ risk of blast-induced traumatic brain injury. Joe Rosen, a professor of surgery at Geisel, is quoted.