The Artificial Pancreas: Hope on the horizon

I just signed the JDRF's petition urging the FDA to allow research to move forward on the Artificial Pancreas. An artificial pancreas, if it works, would be the most revolutionary advance in diabetes treatment since the discovery of insulin, says JDRF, and I'm inclined to agree.
Early this year I participated in a clinical trial in Boston for Dr. Ed Damiano's artificial pancreas research; being an AP research subject gave me hope but also despair for the future - weird as that sounds - because I can see the promise that this technology holds, yet it seems so far away from being perfected, and right now there are plenty of obstacles in the way of its progress. One such obstacle (or bundle of obstacles, depending on your perspective): the FDA. You can read more about JDRF's efforts to advance the AP project, and the frustrations we're dealing with, here:
http://www.artificialpancreasproject.com/

Sign the artificial pancreas petition here: http://takeaction.jdrf.org/site/PageNavigator/APAC.html

And learn more about Dr. Damiano's study in Boston here: http://artificialpancreas.org/Home_Page.html

Now, some notes and photos from my experience with AP research! (the notes part will come later)

Williams-Mystic California Field Seminar

Arrived back on the East coast last night after an amazing class field trip exploring coastal California. We learned, saw, and did so much during our travels that it's daunting to try and recap it all in a blog post. In fact, I won't even try doing that. Let me just present some pictures...

Class time at Point Lobos. It was hard to concentrate on the lectures when there was so much to look at all around!

On the trail at Point Lobos.

My classmate Amy gets up close and personal with a pelican at Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey. Our whale watch boat is in the background.

This was one very friendly pelican!

Tugboat ride in San Francisco Bay. I'm on the left, with classmates Alex and Gretchen.

Classmate (and housemate) Max gets a turn driving the Crowley tugboat through SF Bay.

looking out from the Bodega Marine Lab (BML), where we spent three days

View of BML from Horseshoe Cove, a high energy beach. We loved Horseshoe Cove because so many neat things washed up on the shore here (including gorgeous sea glass!), and because we often spotted harbor seals here.

Sea glass and an abalone shell

Williams-Mystic program director and marine ecologist Jim Carlton teaches the group about the various objects we picked up at Horseshoe Cove.

We did lots of driving in California... but it was mostly pleasant since we had views like this to look at.

Class time...

... and lunch time...

... at Salt Point State Park!

At the Armstrong Redwood forest, with Alex and Zara.

We got to sample fresh oysters

at the Tomales Bay Oyster Company

in Tomales Bay

Point Reyes

Over 300 steps to get down to the lighthouse! There was actually a sign warning that "strenuous activity" was required to get to the lighthouse and back. So true.

the Point Reyes lighthouse

Zara and I pose above the Point Reyes beach.