This is an update of a blog (as the first three paragraphs, here slightly modified and updated) that I wrote on January 11th, 2009 when I was Chief Executive at BBSRC. It raises generally interesting points that are seemingly not well known, and that – based on a number of recent discussions – I consider […]
Introduction
The journal Research Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis recently chose to publish an opinion piece [1] under the title “Challenging the current hypothesis that thrombosis is responsible for the post-COVID-19 condition”, focusing on the theory (and in our cases the experimental measurement) of fibrinaloid microclots in the plasma of patients with Long COVID and […]
On July 24th, 2023, the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis preprinted an article [1] by Connors and Ariëns entitled “Uncertainties about the Roles of Anticoagulation and Microclots in Post-acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection”. While it is not entirely clear what were either the motivation or purposes of that article (referred to as a ‘concept’ under […]
A lot of Cochrane
“It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institution and merely lukewarm defenders in those who gain […]
My first paper was published in 1977, and despite many fights with referees they were mediated by committed and intellectually fair Editors (especially in the controversial field of bioenergetics); thus I suffered not a single rejection until ca 1995. This occurred when a paper we had submitted to the then European Journal of Biochemistry, following […]
I learned on Friday of the very sad and untimely death of my good friend David Broomhead. I first came upon Dave’s name when Roy Goodacre and I were working on neural networks in Aberystwyth, and discovered that the Radial Basis Function neural network method that Dave had co-invented [1] […]
Most academics are used to the rough and tumble of the reviewing of their papers and grant applications, and recognise that it is not without a stochastic element (or worse). Consequently, we occasionally feel – and probably are – hard done by. We are certainly used to being rejected by some of the ‘generalist’ […]
A celebratory New Year’s blog.
This is my first blog since leaving the BBSRC (although my old blogs are archived there), but I cannot let the New Year pass without recording the exceptional (New Year's) Honour accorded me in the form of a CBE. Notwithstanding the slight anachronism of the name (and a Select Committee suggested changing 'Empire' to' Excellence'), the […]
Enjoying my first week back as a full-time researcher. One paper accepted, two others with referees. New blogsite here.
|
Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology
|