Jane Langille https://janelangille.com/ Professional Health Writer Sat, 18 Feb 2023 17:05:34 +0000 en-CA hourly 1 https://janelangille.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/cropped-FaviconJL-32x32.png Jane Langille https://janelangille.com/ 32 32 Gender Identity and the Medical Lab https://janelangille.com/gender-identity-and-the-medical-lab/ Tue, 04 Feb 2020 14:27:25 +0000 https://janelangille.com/?p=7594 What happens when individuals with diverse gender identities need medical tests? Find out in my cover story “Gender Identity and the Medical Lab” published in the Winter 2019 issue of the Canadian Journal of Medical Laboratory Science.  I reported on the challenges that gender-diverse individuals encounter at all stages of their interactions with medical labs. They […]

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]]> The Dangers of Alcohol in Pregnancy https://janelangille.com/the-dangers-of-alcohol-in-pregnancy/ https://janelangille.com/the-dangers-of-alcohol-in-pregnancy/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2018 18:22:56 +0000 https://janelangille.com/?p=7276 It’s one thing to learn about the dangers of alcohol in pregnancy at a conference presentation. It’s another thing entirely to listen and think about my friend and the challenges she and her adopted daughter face. Every. Single. Day. At the recent Health Journalism 2018 conference in Phoenix, pediatrician Yasmin Senturias, MD, FAAP spoke about […]

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]]> https://janelangille.com/the-dangers-of-alcohol-in-pregnancy/feed/ 1 Mixed Match – When Ancestry is the Cure https://janelangille.com/mixed-match-when-ancestry-is-the-cure/ Mon, 19 Mar 2018 01:21:05 +0000 https://janelangille.com/?p=7227 Mixed Match: When Ancestry is the Cure is a remarkable documentary that explores why it’s so difficult for people of mixed ethnicity to find a matched stem cell donor for treating life-threatening blood diseases like leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, and over 75 other disorders.   Mixed Match made its broadcast debut in Canada on TVO last […]

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]]> Cancer screening for BRCA gene mutations https://janelangille.com/cancer-screening-for-the-brca-gene-mutation/ Mon, 05 Feb 2018 01:11:58 +0000 https://janelangille.com/?p=7165 Recently, I saw an advertisement for The Screen Project, a Canada-wide study providing an opportunity for all interested Canadians over the age of 18 years to be screened for BRCA gene mutations: BRCA1 and BRCA2. The primary investigator Dr. Steven Narod, a member of the team that discovered the BRCA1 gene in 1994 and BRCA2 in […]

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]]> We Must Preserve Our Last Antibiotics https://janelangille.com/must-preserve-last-antibiotics/ Thu, 13 Jul 2017 14:12:27 +0000 https://janelangille.com/?p=6864 Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are on the rise. At the same time, antibiotic drug development has slowed to a crawl. We’re definitely in trouble and must preserve our last antibiotics. Little did I know when I set out to report this story last February for the Canadian Journal of Medical Laboratory Science that within days, the World […]

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]]> The best gifts: Join the stem cell registry or donate blood https://janelangille.com/give-a-meaningful-gift-join-the-stem-cell-registry-or-donate-blood/ https://janelangille.com/give-a-meaningful-gift-join-the-stem-cell-registry-or-donate-blood/#comments Tue, 06 Dec 2016 13:36:51 +0000 https://janelangille.com/?p=6621 Tired of the excess commercialism around the holidays? This year, give a selfless gift instead: join the bone marrow stem cell registry or donate blood. Join the stem cell registry Right now, hundreds of Canadians with life-threatening blood cancers such as leukemias, lymphomas and other blood disorders are out of options and need to find […]

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]]> https://janelangille.com/give-a-meaningful-gift-join-the-stem-cell-registry-or-donate-blood/feed/ 3 High heels hurt more than your wallet https://janelangille.com/high-heels-hurt-wallet/ Wed, 02 Nov 2016 22:57:42 +0000 https://janelangille.com/?p=6589 At my son’s recent graduation, I couldn’t help wincing as I watched almost all of the women graduates teetering on 4″ (or higher!) high heels. As you would expect with our cultural norms, all of the men wore flat dress shoes. Why do women wear high heels? Bet your answer is one of these: Because […]

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]]> The Gene: An Intimate History Book Review https://janelangille.com/the-gene-an-intimate-history-book-review/ Tue, 30 Aug 2016 19:00:24 +0000 https://janelangille.com/?p=6427 The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee is a fascinating read about the journey scientists have traveled to unlock the mysteries of the gene, the master code that defines all forms of life. As with his Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, Mukherjee interweaves dramatic stories about scientific discoveries and patient journeys […]

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]]> The ethics of human embryo gene editing https://janelangille.com/ethics-human-embryo-gene-editing/ Thu, 30 Jun 2016 19:23:07 +0000 https://janelangille.com/?p=6377 Right now, scientists can edit the genes of human embryos. Using an exciting technology called CRISPR (clustered randomly interspersed short palindromic repeats), they can make precise cuts in targeted sections of DNA and paste in new code. But should they? Editing the genes of human embryos could prevent debilitating disease, but those changes will alter the germline […]

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]]> ASJA 2016 Health & Medical Writing: No Science Degree Required https://janelangille.com/asja-2016-panel-health-and-medical-writing-no-science-degree/ Sat, 21 May 2016 15:54:01 +0000 https://janelangille.com/?p=6319 At the ASJA 2016 conference in New York for the American Society of Journalists and Authors, I organized and spoke on a panel about how to prosper as a freelance writer specializing in health and medical writing, without having a science degree. Joined by two friends and colleagues, Maureen Salamon and Marijke Vroomen Durning, we shared […]

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