How shall I put this delicately? When we speak about the work of our gastrointestinal tract, which we rarely do, we use euphemisms. Nevertheless, I will plunge into precarious territory by being frank: I never had a friendly relationship with the toilet. From early childhood, my stool looked like hard pebbles. I was chronically constipated…
Here is a list of institutions that provide treatment, support and testing for Jewish genetic diseases. Bachmann-Strauss Dystonia & Parkinson Foundation 551 Fifth Avenue, Suite 520 New York, NY 10176 (212) 682-9900 www.dystonia-parkinson.org Bachmann-Strauss Dystonia & Parkinson Foundation funds scientific research seeking to understand the causes of and find potential cures for the movement disorders…
It is well known that the patterns of activity in the human brain change according to the different tasks that people are performing. But could it be that an imprint of these patterns remains on the brain hours and even days later, like footprints in the sand? At the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot,…
About once a month, Rebecca Oling develops painful lesions inside her mouth, a symptom of a rare skin disease she’s been battling since 2004. With medication it takes the lesion roughly a week to dissipate. But Oling, in remission, considers herself one of the lucky ones. Feeling stressed by the deaths of her stepfather and…
Scientists have long been acutely interested in the genetic idiosyncrasies of Ashkenazi Jews. Like other groups with a long history of marrying from within, Ashkenazim constitute a relatively homogenous population. This has led to the discovery of a number of genetic alterations, or mutations, that are responsible for diseases found more often in Ashkenazi Jews….
Sally Shaywitz was home with three children under the age of five when she was asked to take a position at Yale School of Medicine that would focus on learning difficulties. The question of why some kids struggle in school was not exactly a hotbed of medical research in the 1970s, but Shaywitz, a developmental…
The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America : Offers IBD patients and their families support groups and online communities. MDJunction.com Online site, www.ccfa.org, where thousands meet to discuss their feelings, questions and hopes with like-minded friends. On Facebook: Life After Crohn’s On Twitter: twitter.com/IBD support On LinkedIn: Crohn’s, Colitis & Digestive Disease Support Network For…
Here is a list of diseases that are often screened for in Jewish couples who are planning to have children because of an elevated risk of carrying a recessive mutation. Researchers have identified many more genetic diseases affecting those of Ashkenazi heritage than those of Sephardic and Mizrahi descent. Among Sephardic Jews more commonality exists…
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