Last 20 Yroswell Blogs

conference update

yroswell@roswellpark.org — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:51:56 -0400

Hey everybody. The conference was tons of fun! We got into San Fran on Friday. Most of the Roswell crew went out to have dinner at Fisherman's Wharf that night. We went to the Ghiradelli chocolate factory. We got to ride a trolley car down the really steep hills!

On Saturday, I went to various instructional seminars. One of them was on how to get research grants and how to get IRB accreditation. Another seminar was on head and neck surgery techniques which was really interesting because it showed before and after pictures of the patients and actual videos of some surgeries.

On Sunday there were talks being given on a myriad of topics. I sat in on an interesting one on HPV. Then Sunday night I did my poster presentation which went really well. I was able to answer the majority of the questions that people asked me. Actually the only question that I couldn't answer was one asked by a non-native english speaker and I just couldn't understand the question.

On Monday, I went around San Francisco with Jennifer and Phil, two of the Roswell crew who were close to my age. We went on a boat cruise of the bay, went under the Golden Gate bridge, and saw sea lions. We had lunch in little Italy. We went and saw the house from Full House. In the afternoon, we came back to the conference to support the other people from Roswell in their talks and to see Jennifer's poster.

On Tuesday, I went to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) with Jennifer, Mukund, and Dr. Rigual. We saw the Frida Khola exhibit and the Matisse exhibit. After that, we went to Golden Gate park and saw the Japanese tea garden and the rose garden. We decided to walk from the rose garden to the Pacific Ocean. It was a long walk but definitely worth it! That night I went out to dinner with Jennifer, Mukund and Phil and a nice Italian restaurant in little Italy again.

The whole conference was a great experience because I got to see that doctors' know how to balance both work and play. I sat in on a lot of scientific talks but I also got to see the sights of San Fran. One thing that surprised me was how cold the city was. (I had to get a fleece because I did not have a warm jacket).

Meet Steven

yroswell@roswellpark.org — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:30:29 -0400

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Steven is a student from Le Moyne College, in Syracuse, New York who has been attending the summer research program at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI). He is in the nanobiotechnology department in radiation medicine. Steven’s research includes attaching a magnetic nanoparticle to a dendrimer. A dendrimer is a spherical polomer with numerous “arms” that can attach to several different things. This magnetic nanoparticle can help as a contrast agent in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

What Steven hopes to accomplish with his research at Roswell Park is that they can someday use it for cancer drug delivery and lessen the side effects of chemotherapy. “If you can make MRI contrast better you could spot tumors a lot better, says Steven, “If I left Roswell and never came back today, I still have taken a lot away from this experience, and I am really appreciative of that.”

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Steven’s hero is Tom Morello, the guitar player for Rage Against the Machine. “I look up to him because he went to school and got his PhD and also managed to master every type of guitar out there.”

The most important thing that Steven learned here at Roswell Park is, “That for ever one thing you learn, a dozen new things emerge to be learned. By realizing this here I think I’ve saved myself a few breakdowns in my future and now I can look at these new things as an opportunity to learn instead of more roadblocks.”

last day :(

yroswell@roswellpark.org — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:27:17 -0400

So today is my last day as a Roswell intern :( it's very sad and I can not believe it's been over 2 months that I've been here.. it's been an awesome experience and I'll never forget it! This will not be the last time I blog though, I hope very much to stay connected to everyone. Hope all is well with everyone! ;)

Meet Rebecca

yroswell@roswellpark.org — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:25:21 -0400

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Rebecca, a student at the University of Scranton, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, has been attending the summer research program at Roswell Park this year. Her research is concentrated in seeing how prostate specific antigen (PSA) effects growth factors involved in angiogenesis in the lab of Dr. Chadha.

“I want to be involved in cancer research in the future and I thought that this would be a great opportunity to discover what life was like as a cancer researcher,” says Rebecca.

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“As you do experiments, your results will most likely never be what you expect, it is trying to find something different, you are never going to find what you expect, that is what science is, discovery!” says Rebecca, “Volunteer! You get to see the human aspect of cancer, not just the science behind it, you can see why you are doing this for the survivors and patients, and you have to want to help.”

Rebecca would like to earn her PhD in molecular biology and biochemistry, and will definitely be working in the field of oncology in the future. She hopes that after leaving RPCI that she will acquire new techniques and skills and be able to explore different types of research that will help her decide her future career goals.

Achoo!

yroswell@roswellpark.org — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:22:14 -0400

Did you know that it's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open?
Multiple Sources

Is cancer genetic?

yroswell@roswellpark.org — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:14:29 -0400

Dear Dr. Mike,
I was reading the book "YOU staying young" while reading I came across the chapter on cancer and seen that there is a cancer that is genetic, my question is, how would doctors test for genetic cancer?

Thanks for the question! The simple answer is that doctors can test for some cancers using blood tests. But, we are still learning what to look for and new tests are developed all the time. For a more detailed answer, I have opted to ask for assistance from Ms. Carolyn Farrell, MS, CNP, CGC who is the Director of the Clinical Genetics Service at Roswell Park Cancer Institute to answer this for you.

She told me that all cancer is genetic since there are genetic changes in all tumor tissue.

However, not all cancer is inherited. Inherited risk for cancer, meaning increased susceptibiltiy for certain cancer/s, can be associated with mutations in specific genes (such as breast cancer risk and the BRCA genes).

If a person has an inherited mutation, this was present from the time he or she was conceived and thus is present in all the cells.

Relatives of that person may also have (inherited) that mutation, placing them at increased risk. One way to check for mutations in a specific gene suspected to pose inherited risk is by genetic testing (sequencing the DNA) on a blood specimen, generally first from a person in the family with cancer.

Ready for School?

yroswell@roswellpark.org — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:48:37 -0400

Are you in a money crunch this summer with the increased costs of gas? Can you afford to get the stuff you need for school? You're not alone if you are!

Here is an article about how one school is shortening its school week due to costs.

Do you think that is a good idea? How are you coping with this?

How about shopping for school supplies? Recent reports suggest that people will try to cut some of these costs.

Are you decorating a dorm for the first time? Here are some suggestions for decorating on the cheap.

Summer Updates

yroswell@roswellpark.org — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:41:40 -0400

Welcome New Members
If you need any help or have any questions, please leave a comment in this blog... or email yroswell @ roswellpark.org.

I've updated a lot of content on the site and there is a ton of new blogs to read. Let me know how we're doing!

And if you are coming late to the site with your Ride code, click here to retrieve your photo!

50 Percent increase in melanoma

yroswell@roswellpark.org — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:38:55 -0400

Recent reports show there has been a 50% increase in melanoma among young women since 1980.

Tanning beds may be the cause of this increase in this form of cancer.

Click here to read one of the stories about this research...and be sun safe!

Vision quest: How to stay motivated

yroswell@roswellpark.org — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:35:26 -0400

Dreaming big and setting big goals is part of living big. Sure, big goals, like completing a graduate degree, losing 50 pounds or running a marathon take big effort•and a longer time. When you’re in the midst of the daily hard work and challenge of achieving such a lofty goal, it can be easy to lose sight of it.

Try these tips to maintain your focus and motivation:

* Set both short-term and long-term goals. Running a full marathon (26.2 miles) is a long-term goal. Set smaller short-term goals to reach along the way, such as first completing a 5K (3.1 mile) race, then a 10K (6.2 mile) race and then a half-marathon.

* Make it yours. Pursuing a goal to please someone else simply doesn’t work. You need to want that advanced degree because of what it can do for you and your future, not because it will please your parents or other loved one. Otherwise, the hard work feels like an obligation instead of a desire.

* Record your progress. Keep a journal of your work on the way to your goal. On days when your motivation flounders, read back to remember how far you’ve come already.

* Treat yourself. Reward achievements both big and small. Losing 10 pounds on the way to 50 deserves some self-recognition. Perhaps new workout gear or a pair of earrings?

* Find a buddy. Enlist a friend with a similar goal. Find an exercise buddy or a study partner to help get you up for an early morning run or drag you to the library on a Saturday.

* Forgive yourself for slipups. Binged at a friend’s wedding? Missed the gym this week? It’s not a failure. Forgive yourself, recommit and develop a plan to get back on track.

* Develop a never-give-up attitude. Visualize yourself achieving your goal•receiving your degree. Seeing it in your mind helps you believe that it’s possible.

How your web pages can hurt you

yroswell@roswellpark.org — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:34:29 -0400

Updating your Facebook or MySpace pages might be your favorite way to stay in touch with friends. What better way to let them know what’s going on than to post new pictures and update your blog with your latest thoughts and shout-outs? But it’s not always your pals who are looking at this information. Anyone can access your pages, and anything less than a squeaky-clean profile could come back to haunt you.

Don’t believe us? Imagine you’ve just returned from a vacation to the shore and you immediately post bikini shots of you and a friend in the hot tub hoisting drinks. Nothing wrong with that, you tell yourself. After all, anyone can come to the beach and see you in your swimsuit. And the drinks were virgin margaritas. But what would your parents’ first reaction be if they saw the photos? How about the admissions officer who’s considering you for that highly rated masters program? Some schools run Internet searches on applicants, and people have been denied admission because of things that appear online. What if you have a bad day at work and blast your boss on your blog? People have been fired for doing just that.

And don’t think that potential employers won’t learn of your indiscretions. A recent study found that three-quarters of recruiters do online research on job candidates. If the first thing that comes up when the recruiter types in your name is your rant against your former boss•or, for that matter, pictures of you making obscene gestures or detailing how many people you’ve hooked up with lately•it’s a good bet you won’t be occupying that corner office anytime soon.

In short, keep your pages clean and friendly. Think of them as a marketing tool to show yourself to others in a good light. Do it right and that light will shine back at you.

Setting goals: Choosing your path

yroswell@roswellpark.org — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:33:37 -0400

Setting and working toward a goal not only gives you an ongoing challenge, but also helps ensure that the path you take in life is one of your own choosing. Goal-setting puts your future in your hands. Try these steps to help you find your way:

* Set a specific goal. Your goal is the ultimate thing you want to see happen. Maybe you want to make the honor roll or the varsity swim team or the Olympics. It’s OK to think big. The bigger the goal, the more work it takes to get there. Wanting to help the environment is a worthy but imprecise goal. Pledging to double your own family’s or school’s recycling efforts gives you a specific, measurable target.

* Be realistic. Even if you begin running today, expecting to run a marathon next week is unreasonable. It takes most runners about four months of training to run that far. But if you start running today, you’ll be able to compete in a 5K (3.1 miles) by next month.

* Write it down. Put your goal in writing and post it on your mirror or wall or someplace you’ll see it often. Repeat your goal to yourself every day. This helps you commit mentally, focus your attention and train your brain to make it happen.

* Break it down. Write down the steps you need to take to get from here to there. If your goal is to get fit, write such steps as these: “Find a place to work out.” “Commit to a training program or class.” “Start with three days a week and build to a daily workout.”

* Tell others. Going public with your goal helps make it real•and more difficult to back out. Want to make the honor roll but need to work on that C in math? Talk to your teacher or professor about your goal and ask for extra help to get you on track.

Chat-room savvy

yroswell@roswellpark.org — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:32:39 -0400

If you’re like a lot of people, you probably spend time in Internet chat rooms. Chat rooms can be a really fun way to unwind after a busy day of school and homework. Where else can you find an instant community of cyberfriends who are totally on your wavelength when it comes to jeans, jewelry and the Jonas Brothers? Not to mention that everyone loves your awesome screen name. Although getting to know others online has its perks, you need to watch out when it comes to revealing too much about yourself.

There are people who hang out in chat rooms pretending to be someone they’re not, especially at night and on weekends. And if you give out personal data, you could be risking your safety. Here’s how to make sure your private info stays under wraps:

* Be choosy about screen names. Strictly off-limits•your name, age, hometown and hobbies. Why? With a little sleuthing, it wouldn’t be very hard to figure out who mandyluvs2cheer is, especially if you’ve already told someone your name, where you go to school and that you’re on the cheerleading team.

* Protect your password. Just like with your screen name, don’t include anything that could identify you, like your real name or your birthday. Make sure your password is at least eight characters long, and mix numbers in with letters. And no matter how much you trust them, don’t share your password with friends.

* Keep your identifying info private. Never give out your home address, phone number and email address.

* Feel free to describe yourself, but think twice before sending anyone a picture. Besides the safety risk, be aware that other people can change and distribute your picture in embarrassing ways.

* If you get an IM from someone you don’t know, be cautious. Don’t answer any personal questions, even if the sender says he or she is a friend of a friend.

* Never agree to meet an Internet pal in person.

It may seem like a downer to keep so much private when you want to bond with others. After all, friendships are about revealing yourself. But with just a little effort, you can make new connections and have fun without putting yourself at unnecessary risk.

Find your passion

yroswell@roswellpark.org — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:23:25 -0400

While watching the Olympic athletes compete in Beijing this month, it dawns on you: Nearly every one of them has worked for this very goal since they were teens. In fact, many Olympic athletes still are teens. Imagine how it must feel to set, work toward and achieve such a lofty goal. It’s gotta be one wicked exhilaration.

Setting goals is an important part of choosing the direction of your life for both now and in the years to come. One thing all Olympic athletes have in common is that their sport is their passion. You may already have a passion, an activity or a hobby that you love so much that it’s part of who you are•a piece of your identity. Or maybe not. You may be like a lot of kids who have many interests but aren’t crazy into any one of them. Still searching for your passion? Try some of these ideas to help you explore:

* Take an enrichment class in your favorite subject. Ask your teacher for suggestions for a class or a seminar you’d enjoy.

* Join a sports team. Maybe you’ve always played baseball, but somehow it’s not as fun as it used to be. Try something different like lacrosse or tennis. Never been on a team before? How about track?

* Pursue activities or clubs that reflect an interest. Sign up for a theater group, art club, dance troupe or jazz ensemble.

* Take an interest up a notch. Take an activity you do, say dance, and pursue a way to take your dancing to another level. Consider auditioning for a community performance group or a reality show or entering a competition.

* Explore other worlds. Learn a foreign language and about the country where it’s spoken and the people who speak it.

* Volunteer or become an advocate for an issue you care about. Raise money for a charity that aids the homeless, the environment or people facing an illness.

Keep cyberbullies at bay

yroswell@roswellpark.org — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:22:19 -0400

Imagine this: You get into an argument with someone at school, only to come home and find out she’s posted nasty•and untrue•stuff about you on her blog. Your first instinct may be to strike back by writing some choice words about her in an email intended for everyone on your buddy list. But before you press that “send” button, take a deep breath and step away from the computer. You don’t really want to be a part of cyberbullying, do you?

Cyberbullying differs from traditional bullying in that it all takes place electronically. Instead of someone threatening you in the locker room or teasing you in the hall between classes, a cyberbully might go into chat rooms or online discussion groups and diss you, or take secret photos of you with a cell phone and send them to people, or hack into your email account and IM people while pretending to be you. He or she might exclude you from online groups or post your personal info online for the world to see. And it’s surprisingly common. Almost half of teenagers have had threatening or embarrassing things said about them on email, IM, web sites, chat rooms or text messages, with girls involved twice as often as boys. Cyberbullying happens at school, at home, and at friends’ houses, and most often the bully is someone the victim knows. While you may think this kind of harassment is harmless, it’s anything but. Kids are often crueler when cyberbullying than they would be in person, because they feel they can be anonymous. Things that are posted can stay online for a long time despite your efforts to erase them. A few kids have even committed suicide as a result of being bullied in this new-age way.

So what can you do if you find yourself the target of this kind of abuse? Don’t respond to the attack or pass on messages or photos to your friends. Block communication with the bullyer. Tell your parents and a few trusted friends what’s going on, and ask for their support. Encourage them not to get involved in cyberbullying. And if you’re being threatened or sent pornography or any sort of obscene messages or phone calls, talk to your parents, a teacher or school counselor and consider getting the police involved.

A Great Summer So Far!

yroswell@roswellpark.org — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:47:51 -0400

Every one out there who might just think that they may enjoy a doing some cancer research should definately consider volunteering or applying for the RPCI summer program next year!

I worked in the Immunology department this summer as a student in the undergraduate summer program and it was a truly amazing experience. My research mentor has been amazing. He never got too mad when I made mistakes, and I think I got some great data.

I now may apply to a graduate program at Roswell Park. That is because I had a lot of fun, and I feel like I am making a difference. Just think, my research may help find a cure for cancer one day. That is exciting right!?!

Any questions??? Feel free to ask!!!

Hey!

yroswell@roswellpark.org — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:42:56 -0400

Hey everyone!
Tomorrow will officially be my first day interning in the Public Affairs Department at Roswell...I'm so excited!
While I spent some time in the office last week, I was introduced to Yroswell for the first time. Although I had briefly heard about this site on the radio, I didn't know what it was all about. After I checked it out, I knew I had to join! I think it's a great tool to connect with others.
After meeting everyone in the department, including the other interns, I am confident that this experience will be rewarding...and a lot of fun! Can't wait to begin!

Older computers

yroswell@roswellpark.org — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:50:32 -0400

Been working to get photos off of an older computer (8 years old!) and all the new computers can't use disks and the old one can't use flash drives... so we're down to using a disk with a converter and moving files four at a time. It is taking forever.

SO, when you upgrade your computers etc., MOVE YOUR FILES then. Don't catch the next wave of technology and assume that the older stuff can always be connected. I'm just relieved we didn't really lose access to all these files!

wanna meet Katy Perry this thursday

yroswell@roswellpark.org — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:31:09 -0400

Katy Perry will be in the studio this thursday. make sure you listen to kiss 98.5 for your chance to meet her.

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WINNER #1 – Blogathon

yroswell@roswellpark.org — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:25:40 -0400

Congratulations to sabrezfan01. You won two tickets to Darien Lake. Please contact me at yroswell @ roswellpark.org to claim your prize!