Resources
A curated collection of papers, articles, and books that have shaped my thinking about cancer research, drug discovery, and rare diseases.
Cancer Research Papers
Papers that provide deep insights into cancer biology and treatment:
Why do patients with cancer die A fascinating exploration of the mechanisms behind cancer mortality.
From patterns to patients: Advances in clinical machine learning for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment Comprehensive overview of ML applications in oncology.
Drug Discovery & Clinical Trials
Understanding the complex landscape of bringing new therapies to patients:
Global Oncology Trends 2024 by IQVIA Annual industry report on the state of oncology drug development.
A target map of clinical combination therapies in oncology Analysis of combination therapy strategies from clinicaltrials.gov.
Deep Dives into Drug Discovery
Excellent long-form pieces, mostly by Alex Telford and Asimov Press:
The pharma industry from Paul Janssen to today Why drugs got harder to develop and what we can do about it.
Some questions about biotech that I find interesting Thoughtful exploration of open problems in biotech.
Intelligence as efficient model building On the nature of intelligence and its applications.
The origins of the lab mouse (Asimov Press) A fascinating history piece. If you enjoy this, subscribe to Asimov Press and follow Niko McCarty.
Why I should have loved biology A beautiful essay on biology education.
Rare Genetic Diseases
Stories of families, researchers, and the quest for treatments:
Learn Something Wonderful About Rare Diseases
Inspired by readsomethingwonderful.com and built with matter.js, this is a curated collection of my favorite rare disease readings presented in an interactive, physics-based interface.
Inspiring Parent Stories
Hunting down my son’s killer by Matt Might One of my all-time favorite reads. Matt, a CS professor, chronicles the diagnostic odyssey for his son Bertrand, and how he and his wife dropped everything to find a therapy. [Bertrand passed away in 2020. Here is Matt’s reflection on Bertrand’s life]
More from Matt:
- Saving Lydia by Rohan & Jen Seth Another inspiring story of parents fighting for their daughter.
- A Prion Love Story (The New Yorker) Eric & Sonia Vallabh, two non-scientists, become researchers after Sonia tests positive for the genetic mutation that killed her mother. Also in Scientific American
The Rare Disease Experience
Rare disease parents in India (NYT) The challenges faced by rare disease families in India.
What life is like for rare disease families (NYT) Day-to-day reality of caring for children with rare diseases.
Success Stories
- The CF breakthrough (The Atlantic) How Cystic Fibrosis went from a guaranteed early death to an almost normal lifespan.
Recommended Books
On Rare Diseases
Breath From Salt by Bijal P. Trivedi The definitive account of the CF drug discovery journey. At 615 pages, it’s a commitment, but provides a ringside view of decades of effort. Goodreads reviews
Chasing My Cure by David Fajgenbaum A physician-scientist’s journey to find a treatment for his own rare disease.
We the Scientists by Amy Dockser Marcus Pulitzer Prize-winning WSJ reporter on patient-led research.