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January 2011

Davos 2011: Global Risks permeate this year's World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, but where's the science?

January 29, 2011

Take a metaphorical slice through this year’s annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, and Global Risk would be writ large through every part of it.  Hot on the heels of the sixth Global Risk report, this year’s meeting saw the launch of the Risk Response Network – a new initiative to facilitate responsive, informed [...]

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Brian Zikmund-Fisher presents "Beyond the Static: A Risk Graphics Play in 3 Acts"

January 26, 2011

Brian Zikmund-Fisher will speak on Thursday February 3, 3:00 – 4:30 pm at The University of Michigan Department of Psychology Decision Consortium Seminar.  The seminar will be held at 3048 East Hall Ann Arbor, MI. Pictographs / icon arrays visually display risk information by using a matrix of units to represent the at-risk population and using color [...]

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Risk Science Center director Andrew Maynard presents: "Are we grown up enough to handle grown up technologies? Rethinking the role of risk science in the 21st century."

January 25, 2011

Andrew Maynard will speak on Wednesday, February 2, 3:30-5:00 at The University of Michigan Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine (CBSSM). The seminar will be held at 300 N. Ingalls, Rm. 7C09 Ann Arbor, MI. Technology innovation is massively expanding the choices we have as individuals and members of an increasingly global society – choices [...]

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Public Health Needs Humility to Address Vaccination Fears

January 23, 2011

Last Thursday, the New York Times published an op-ed piece by Michael Willrich titled “Why Parents Fear the Needle.” I won’t go through Professor Willrich’s narrative in detail, though I do think it’s worth a read to provide some historical perspective. He details the extensive anti-vaccination concerns that existed (for good reason) in the late [...]

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Nanotechnology – what web resources do you find most helpful?

January 22, 2011

What are the clearest, most helpful web-based resources on nanotechnology that you know of? On February 8, we are hosting a conversation on the opportunities and challenges of nanotechnology, with three leading experts on the benefits, risks, and social/policy aspects of the technology. And this is where I could do with some help. On the [...]

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Risk Science Center website gets a facelift

January 21, 2011

The Risk Science Center website has just undergone a major facelift, making information on the Center and its activities significantly easier to find and follow.  This is the first phase of a number of updates to the website that will be implemented over the next few months.  The new home page now includes regularly updates [...]

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Addressing global risks requires more sophisticated thinking on new technologies

January 19, 2011

Risk Science Center director Andrew Maynard and Tim Harper – Director of CIENTIFICA Ltd. – have just had a new report published by the World Economic Forum on the role of technology innovation in building a sustainable future. The paper looks at how we develop and use technology within an increasingly complex and interconnected society, [...]

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Familiarity and the Shingles Vaccine

January 18, 2011

One of the greatest areas of success of public health has been the discovery and widespread adoption of vaccines to prevent infectious disease. Polio, smallpox, tetanus, diphtheria, ….  The list of diseases eradicated, mitigated, or extensively managed goes on and on. Unfortunately, there remain some diseases that are not as well managed as we would [...]

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Obama’s 21st century regulatory system will demand more innovative thinking on risk

January 18, 2011

There’s a lot to like in President Obama’s perspective on 21st century regulation.  Writing in today’s Wall Street Journal, Obama outlines his thinking behind his new executive order to review and revise a convoluted and potentially disruptive federal regulatory system.  But if regulation in the 21st century is to be effective in protecting people and [...]

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Risk Science Center director Andrew Maynard talks to NOVA about the dangers of nanotechnology

January 18, 2011

The PBS science program NOVA has posted a podcast with Risk Science Center director Andrew Maynard, talking about the “dangers” of nanotechnology.  Talking with NOVA’s David Levin, Maynard explores concerns over the potential health impacts of new materials such as carbon nanotubes, and work that’s being done to address these concerns. The podcast accompanies NOVA’s [...]

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Airborne exposure to prions and human health

January 14, 2011

Comments on Haybaeck, Heikenwalde, Klevenz et al. Aerosols Transmit Prions to Immunocompetent and Immunodeficient Mice. PLoS Pathog 7(1): e1001257. (2011) Published January 13 2011.  doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1001257 This is a very interesting and tantalizing scientific study that examines the ability of prions to enter the central nervous system after coming in contact with the nasal mucosa.  The [...]

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New research suggests prions associated with BSE can be transmitted by air

January 14, 2011

A paper published yesterday in the on-line journal PLoS Pathogens provides clear evidence for the first time that prions – the microscopically small agent associated with Mad Cow Disease, or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) – can be transmitted by air and result in infection if inhaled.  The paper has been getting some attention in the [...]

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Prions, BSE and the fear of airborne risks

January 14, 2011

What most people will take away after hearing about today’s research on the possibility of airborne transmission of prions is a feeling that they aren’t as safe as they thought they were. They might remember it has something to do with “mad cow” disease, but not what.  And that’s a problem. We tend to want [...]

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2011 Risk Science Fellows

January 12, 2011

This group photo of this year’s Risk Science fellows just in: From left to right:Lauretta Ovadje, Julia Diebol, Christine Greene, Siying Huang, Nottasorn Plipat Further details on the fellowship awardees here.

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The World Economic Forum Global Risks Report and Public Health

January 12, 2011

Now in its sixth iteration, the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report is one of the more influential publications in raising awareness on emerging global issues, and possible solutions.  Not surprisingly given the events of the past three years, the latest report – released today – focuses on global economic risks.  But there are many [...]

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World Economic Forum's Risk Response Network

January 12, 2011

With the publication today of the World Economic Forum’s sixth edition of the Global Risks Report, the organization has firmly established a new global WEF initiative – the Risk Response Network (RNN) From the report: The RRN is a unique platform for global decision-makers to better understand, manage and respond to complex and interdependent risks. [...]

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Nanotechnology – Unplugged. February 8, 2:00 – 3:00 PM. Webcast

January 12, 2011

Nanotechnology – Unplugged Tuesday February 8 2011, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Nanotechnology has been touted variously as the next industrial revolution and the next asbestos. But where does the hype end and reality begin? And what does this mean for public health? Martin Philbert (Dean, School of Public Health), Mark Banaszak-Holl (College of Literature, [...]

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Meet the 2011 Risk Science Center Summer Fellows

January 11, 2011

Each summer, the Risk Science Center supports a number of graduate students in their research, through the Risk Science Center Fellowship Fund. This year, we had eleven strong applications for the fellowships.  After review, the five successful candidates were:

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Research briefs – putting a value on side effects

January 10, 2011

Lisa Prosser is an Associate Professor in Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases and an Associate Professor (secondary) in the Department of Health Management and Policy at the University of Michigan.  She is a member of the University of Michigan Risk Science Center. My research focuses primarily on evaluating the cost-effectiveness of prevention programs – [...]

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Comments on the NNI nanotechnology risk research strategy – Martin Philbert

January 8, 2011

Posted on the National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategy portal 2/6/11 The past few years have seen a substantial increase in federal funding for nanotechnology EHS research, as well as an increasing number of analyses identifying critical research needs. This progress has been extremely welcome, and is due in no small part to the coordinated efforts of [...]

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