#ThrowbackThursday: "This I Believe"

#ThrowbackThursday: Ten Years ago, when I was a senior in high school, I had to write an essay on "This I Believe" for my Philosophy class. I decided to write that "I believe everyone needs a twin," based on my own experiences. Even though I wrote this piece back in 2007, I would still say the same thing today.

This I Believe

I felt bump after bump as I tumbled down the steps that fateful day when I was three years old. All I could feel was pain and all I could think was that I was heading towards my death at the bottom. Then I was miraculously saved from that horrid fate by the small arms of my twin brother as he reached out to catch me. As we have grown older my twin brother has continued to look out for me, and I have been able to help him in other situations. We share an extraordinary bond, which is why I believe that everyone needs a twin.

Many people think I am successful since I get good grades, am a decent athlete, and get along with everyone. Yet, I could never have become accomplished in these areas without my twin brother. I always have a study partner and someone to help me with my homework. There is always someone to push me when I am running or exercising. Growing up I was exposed to different people, like individuals of the opposite sex, through my twin brother. I owe my prosperity in life to the fact that I have a twin.

I admit that there are downsides to being a twin. There are the typical sibling rivalries and fights, the desire for solitude, and the struggle for an individual identity. My brother and I are always around one another, and it is often hard for us to distinguish ourselves as two distinct persons. We are known as “the twins” or “SamandClaire,” as if we are one being. Yet, the positives of twinship far outweigh the disadvantages.

As a twin, I always have someone there for me; someone who listens to me when I have a problem; someone who comforts me when I am upset; someone who truly understands me. My twin is simultaneously a friend and a family member. Sometimes we help each other pull through family conflicts, at others we can talk to each other about the issues between our friends. We support one another through difficult situations. Being a twin means that there is always someone to lend you an ear, a helping hand, or a comforting heart.

Being a twin means you are never alone. You always have a playmate, a confidant, a helper, a protector, and a friend. Having a twin helps individuals overcome the hardships and struggles of growing up in the world. Everybody needs a twin to make their lives easier in order to accomplish their goals and dreams. That is why I consider myself to be one of the luckiest people on the earth.

Bioethics and Household Air Pollution

For my thesis project in Toxicology, I have spent a lot of time investigating the biological effects of exposure to biomass smoke from household fires used for cooking food and providing heat. Using human lung cells and animal models, I examine how biomass smoke causes inflammatory lung diseases and respiratory infections. Along with collecting and analyzing experimental data, I often read about the interdisciplinary factors that play a role in the global health issue of biomass smoke inhalation. Through my PhD research, I have learned about socioeconomic dynamics, gender disparities, and cultural traditions that contribute to the burning of biomass fuels, in addition to the immunological impacts of household air pollution on the lung.

           
In relation to the sociocultural aspects of biomass smoke exposure, I think about bioethical issues related to household air pollution research. Most people who use biomass fuels have a low socioeconomic status and live in developing countries, leading to philosophical considerations to use this vulnerable population as biomedical research subjects. It is important to remember historical ethical violations with similar groups of people, such as the 1940s experiments in Guatemala where individuals were intentionally and unknowingly given sexually transmitted infections.  Immoral actions from the past should not be repeated with household air pollution studies. Additionally, there is a concern for paternalistic views in aiding individuals cooking with biomass fuels. Multinational groups often attempt to reduce biomass smoke-related health problems in developing countries; however, similar to Ivan Illich’s speech about negative aspects of missions in Mexico, “To Hell with Good Intentions,” the efforts to “help” may contribute to the use of biomass fuels. For example, many people continue to use household fires after receiving a “cleaner” cookstove due to religious beliefs, taste and cooking preferences, or an inability to fix or repair a cookstove. As a global health disparity issue, household air pollution also relates to the bioethical principle of justice. Some would argue in terms of social justice, that biomass smoke-induced diseases need to be addressed by our global society since it is attributed to social inequality. Yet, based on equality and need, who should receive the limited resource of more efficient energy? Along with hypothesizing how biomass smoke impairs the biology of the lung, I often think about philosophical issues related to biomass smoke exposure.

My interest in the relationship between science and ethics stems from my undergraduate minor in Biomedical Humanities. Courses examining complicity, death and dying, biology in the media, and more helped me understand how social views influence policies in science, as well as how science communication can impact perceptions of the field. I remember simultaneously learning tissue culture techniques in Biochemistry while reading the story about Henrietta Lacks and HeLa cells in “Genetics and Popular Culture.” This helped me understand both the scientific value of tissue culture for understanding the pathogenesis of diseases, as well as the importance of protecting the rights of human subjects in biomedical research. Furthermore, literature from these courses motivated me to pursue a PhD in Toxicology. A short story by Richard Selzer, “Luis,” made me want to prevent toxic exposures and cover-ups.  Briefly, the tale is about a trash dump scavenger who finds radioactive material and thinks it is a star, leading to the spread of radiation poisoning in a poor area of Brazil. This tragic tale brings up complex issues of culture, socioeconomic status, a history of inequality, as well as the perceptions and attitudes of healthcare professionals that lead to an environmental health problem. My previous experiences examining both the biological and social aspects of health problems shaped my interest in the interdisciplinary field of bioethics.  

Toxicology "Shake It Off"

Happy New Year! Over the holidays, I watched a lot of clips about the Broadway musical, "Hamilton." The show tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the U.S., through hip-hop music. I think music can grab a person's attention and allow them to hear an important message. In the spirit of this, I decided to write lyrics to discuss Toxicology, which I have been studying for the past few years. I hope you like my version of a popular pop song.

(sung to the tune of Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off")

Toxicology "Shake It Off"

What’s toxicology? What’s it got to do with me?
That's what people say mmm, that's what people say mmm
It’s the study of chemicals, and their effects on life
At least that's what textbooks say mmm, that's what textbooks say mmm

We keep studying, reading, won’t stop working
Since we got a lot to do and a lot to learn to be toxicologists

Who work for the EPA, A, A, A, A
Colleges or industry, E, E, E, E  
But we still have time to shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
We shake it off, we shake it off
We’ll study drugs in lakes, lakes, lakes, lakes
And poisons in foods we make, make, make, make
But we still have time to shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
We shake it off, we shake it off

We wanna help people, the earth, and animals
These are the goals you see mmm, these are the goals you see mmm
We treat cells with toxicants (cells with toxicants), and we use animal models (animal models)
To learn what folks don’t know mmm, to learn what folks don’t know mmm

We keep studying, reading, won’t stop working
Since we got a lot to do and a lot to learn to be toxicologists

Who work for the EPA, A, A, A, A
Colleges or industry, E, E, E, E  
But we still have time to shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
We shake it off, we shake it off
We’ll study drugs in lakes, lakes, lakes, lakes

And poisons in foods we make, make, make, make
But we still have time to shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
We shake it off, we shake it off

We shake it off, we shake it off

We shake it off, we shake it off

We shake it off, we shake it off

We shake it off, we shake it off

We just remember that Paracelsus said, “All things are poison and nothing is without poison; only the dose makes a thing not a poison.”

And then Silent Spring helped us see
The dangers of pesticides like DDT
Disasters like Love Canal made all of us aware

About the need for Tox studies and policies, yea, yea, 

We keep studying, reading, won’t stop working
Since we got a lot to do and a lot to learn to be toxicologists

Who work for the EPA, A, A, A, A
Colleges or industry, E, E, E, E  
But we still have time to shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
We shake it off, we shake it off
We’ll study drugs in lakes, lakes, lakes, lakes

And poisons in foods we make, make, make, make
But we still have time to shake, shake, shake, shake, shake

We shake it off, we shake it off