We interrupt this vacation blogging...

...to explain my digital silence. Last Friday, in a meeting with Dr. Qiao, they decided to switch the paper that I am working on to one that has a (slightly) greater chance of being accepted by Lancet. So, since the submission deadline is still November 1, I have been reading up a storm and writing as fast as I can--this topic is about the efficacy of self-sampling HPV DNA, which I actually think is the future of cervical cancer screening in developing world (and worldwide for women who think Drs. are gross (ahem, Jennifer, ahem) and don't like Pap smears). My schedule has been absolutely insane, but all you who know me realize I'm a bit of a masochist, and I really am loving feeling productive and working hard.

I also feel a little bit like a "celebrity" in China that we're obligated to attend certain functions. Last week, I and my fellow Fogarties were "invited" to hear the director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins (he who decoded the human genome), speak. I went grudgingly (and my ire increased when we learned we were VIP guests...as I am no VIP), but it turned out to be an excellent talk, and afterwards we got a picture with him...


(tall guy in center) and the director of the Fogarty Center at NIH, Dr. Richard Glass (tall guy in own row). It was pretty cool, and I'm really happy that I was able to participate. This weekend, as if I'm not busy enough, Sarah and I are going on a field site visit to a hospital in another province to launch a new research study. I'm excited to see rural Chinese healthcare and international large-scale research projects at the same time.

All in all, no complaints over here...just busy!