Who is the uncomplicated scientist?

Perhaps it is my goofy outlook on life, my general attire of silly t-shirts and jeans or my nonchalant attitude about my job, but most people are surprised to discover that I am a Doctor of Pharmacology (the study of drugs and compounds on the body) with a focus on cancer research. I apparently do not fit into a somewhat common perception of scientists by the general public; a stuffy aloof arrogant geek that looks down at everyone else over their wire-rimmed glasses.

It is because of this perception of the science community by the general public that I decided to create this blog. I have become frustrated with how science is perceived by the general public.

Due to many reasons including ego, laziness, little understanding on how to properly convey their work to people not in their field and at times, due to spending over half their life in a lab, research scientists sometimes show an incredible inability to socialize properly, thus largely separating themselves from the general public. Unfortunately, this chasm has only increased the mistrust that people have toward scientists.

However, the lack of proper communication between the public and the science community does not fall completely on the shortcomings of the scientists. Mass media, the main outlet for any new information, sadly, provides very poor and inaccurate reports on scientific and healthcare research. Reports on new discoveries are often over-hyped by the media, making claims that are not true. I can't count how many times I've heard that the cure for cancer has been found by the local news media. In a constant strive for ratings and entertainment, the truth is largely warped in our pop-culture driven, low attention span society. Also in a media that almost always focuses on failures rather than successes, many have become disillusioned with the science and healthcare community.

I hope to use this blog as a forum, an uncomplicated approach toward science, commenting on new approaches toward diet, cancer, and health. I hope you enjoy