Were you into science at school? It’s funny, I never was, but I discovered a consuming interest in all facets of scientific discovery as an adult. Maybe I wasn’t encouraged enough when I was very young. Maybe I needed that one great teacher to feed the innate, natural curiosity all children are born with. Because really… we should all be mad for science: it’s fascinating, challenging and most importantly, it explains our world.
Take the work of scientists from a university in Pennsylvania who study von Willebrand factor, for example.
Their research is so important to those living with von Willebrand disease (VWD), but it’s also the life’s work and passion of these scientists to unearth the mystery surrounding this anatomical phenomenon.
Von Willebrand disease is a lifelong bleeding disorder in which the blood doesn’t clot well. Most people with the disease are born with it, though its warning signs may not show up for years. Some people may suspect they have a bleeding disorder when they have heavy bleeding after a dental procedure or, for women, during a menstrual period. People with vWD experience frequent nosebleeds, easy bruising, and excessive bleeding during and after invasive procedures.
Most people with this condition inherited it from a parent. They have a gene that causes problems with a protein important to the blood-clotting process. Von Willebrand disease cannot be cured. However, with good treatment and self-care, most people with this disease can lead active lives. If you’d like to read more about the research and the headliner scientists in this field, click here.
Principally, science is awesome because we are flawed. Our ability to perceive things and our memories are limited. Science helps us overcome our own limitations—to the extent we are able. That’s why the passion discovery process is such an important part of the first steps of scientific research.
Big kudos to the von Willebrand factor scientists who make it their life’s work to make a difference for VWD community.
