Marion Leary, MPH, PhD, RN

The COVID-19 surge has families worried, sometimes pitting kids who want to go to school against their parents. A mother and daughter make their cases for and against in-person school.

From the time your kid is born, you fall in love with them so hard and care so deeply that all you want to do is spend every waking second trying to protect them and keep them safe. However, the complexity of this has gotten harder over the years in our current environmental, social, and political climate, significantly heightened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In normal times (pre-COVID-19), going to the hospital for an illness or injury is extremely stressful and scary for both the patient and their loved ones. During COVID-19, that stress and anxiety are amplified due to the visitor restriction policies implemented by some hospitals under the guise of preventing the spread of the virus.

Philadelphia area schools, like those across the country, are grappling with how to safely reopen in the midst of a pandemic. The U.S. is worse off now than when schools closed in March, with record-breaking case counts reported daily. Though Philadelphia cases are tentatively stable, cases in Pennsylvania and surrounding counties are increasing.

As a researcher myself, I believe they asked the wrong question. I don't think having a kid ruined my life, on the contrary, I am a better person because of my daughter;

The holidays are fully upon us and we would all do well to remember the power of kindness this holiday season. That is what the holidays are about, that is what I want to build my kid’s holiday memories on, and that is what will make all hearts grow 3 sizes.

It’s hard to write your own story, your truth, when you can’t remember it. Close to 20 years ago, I had three concussions over a very short period of time, during a period of time when treatment for concussions went a little like this: “Shake it off and get back in there!”.

Philadelphia is home to the city’s open intake shelter, the Philadelphia Animal Care and Control Team (ACCT) — though I’d argue the care is used quite liberally in this context - and also one of ACCT’s “rescue partners”, the Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA). For those who have never stepped foot into an inner city animal shelter, it’s an awful place — for the people and for the animals. Which is why it is vital to foster and adopt — not buy!

The hope in the beginning of this experiment, when we declared our independence from another oppressor, was that if a strong enough foundation was laid, it would create a great nation. And though it has sustained us for over 240 years, we have yet to be that great nation to the many diverse populous who live here.

“Feel the fear and do it anyway”, that has been my motto my entire adult life, ever since I began having allergic reactions and anxiety attacks. I have a superhero complex and like to think myself invincible, but my immune system states otherwise. My kryptonite comes in the form of shellfish (shrimp, lobster, crab etc).

Last month the website Professor Watchlist, created by Turning Point USA, began capturing the identities of professors who teach at academic institutions, allowing students to report professors who “advance a radical agenda". To better understand the demographics of those being reported, we performed a descriptive analysis of the publicly available data.

Our country over its 240 year history has moved at glacier speeds toward justice, with an irreconcilably slow march toward greatness, mixed with more hate than great. Slowly, steadily, though, greatness has tried to prevail over the centuries, with the freeing of slaves after the civil war, women gaining the right to vote, marriage equality etc…greatness has marched on.

While I was in the planning stages of Sink or Swim I met with an acquaintance who had been running a fairly successful non-profit for many years. Her first words to me were, and I quote, “Don’t do it, it will ruin your life!...boy was she ever right!”

The death of a family pet is difficult, especially when you have to make the awful decision to put your pet down. When the time came for my family to make that decision last month, I was not expecting it to be as difficult for me as it was

Ahh summer! A magical time when parents get a well-needed break from their children, and children from their parents. Or so I have heard.

Like many other research groups, my colleagues and I spend an enormous amount of our time writing grants that will more than likely never get funded. Not because they are poorly written, or poorly conceived, or unnecessary, but because the federal government only funds approximately 16% of grants submitted each cycle.

Communicating science is of the utmost importance on a basic, fundamental level. A recent study...found that most Americans can answer basic science questions, but go beyond the basic, and most are stumped.

Death will not escape us, any of us. Though it seems that death has a fond proclivity for me, it has followed me throughout my life thus far. Case-in-point, I started writing this from a room in a hospice center watching as my father-in-law took some of what were his last breaths.

Somewhat recently a cardiac arrest survivor I helped to resuscitate was diagnosed with a terminal disease. This brought about the question, is it better to go quickly, not knowing the end is near, or is it better to have extra time on this earth...

I told her these things, and many others, so that she would learn them from me and not from her friends or other unreliable, seedy sources. I continue to tell her things like these because if I want her to talk to me, I also have to be willing to talk to her — it is a reciprocal relationship.

In a country where anything is possible, a veritable land of milk and honey, the election of a ruler is an important process, not just because that person will end up as the President of the United States, but because it clearly shows us the thought process and beliefs of our fellow citizens.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people ages 15-24, and those who are bullied are 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than those who are not. That's why it's so important for them to hear that it gets better. It is hard to believe that through the haze of depression, sadness and loneliness, but it does.

Science supports the fact that it is up to you, the community bystander, to be the difference between life and death, and here is how we know this...data!

Philly is the underdog city, we are scrappy, we never give up, and we have heart.

This was not a vacation for the faint of heart, this was a vacation of extremes ...

I am an agnostic scientist who happens to also be fascinated with the world's religions, especially the Abrahamic religions -- Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

Education is a right, but it can also be a privilege for some, because unfortunately not everyone has equal access to it. Therefore, if you are lucky enough to have it, you should embrace it, appreciate it, and take it all in, for all it's worth. 

I also talk to a lot of cardiac arrest survivors, and the one thing they all have in common -- other than being alive -- is that someone stepped up and performed CPR.

My advice to those kids, and to all kids, is to keep thinking outside the box, think up, and work on, solutions that seem unconventional.

With CPR so visible in everyday life, surely everyone must know how important it is to be trained in this lifesaving skill, right?

The intersection of science and religion can sometimes be a controversial topic, rife with tension, but a new book, “The Truth about Science and Religion: From the Big Bang to Neuroscience” seeks to find a balance between the two. Written by Fraser Fleming, Phd, Head of the Chemistry Department at Drexel’s College of Arts and Science.

STEMcityPHL, a civic initiative through US2020 PHL, which is a program developed from the US2020 White House call for action to develop 1 million STEM mentors by the year 2020, is holding a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) STEM pilot program in June. The program will connect LGBTQ STEM mentors with LGBTQ youth.

Once again, in a the city that boasts a long list of firsts, Philadelphia will host the 6th annual Philadelphia Science Festival on April 22nd through April 30th.

Comic Book Junto is a podcast where Newman and Teterus hold conversations about, and share their love of, geek culture. Comic Book Junto is a passionate podcast about everything because [they] are passionate about everything.

If you have a story to tell, PhillyCAM can help you make it a reality. PhillyCAM is the organization that runs Philadelphia’s public access television station (Comcast 66/966 and Verizon 29/30), and soon they will be venturing into radio, on FM 106.5.

The Social Innovation Lab understands that nursing will play a crucial role in addressing and creating these simple solutions to key healthcare gaps in our City. The goal of the Social Innovation Lab is not to teach people what to think...“but it teaches people how to think."

Podcasting offers some of the most enjoyable listening experiences around and it is becoming a booming industry nationwide. And Philly is no exception, home to a number of fantastic podcasts.

TEDx is a speakers event whose mission is to share ideas worth spreading to communities around the globe. On April 10th, TEDxPenn comes to the University of Pennsylvania and will feature 12 speakers ranging from researchers to artists.

Do you listen to locally grown podcasts? Are you a local Philly podcaster? If so, then you will want to check out The Philadelphia Podcasting Society's next meetup event.

I am grateful for the confidence I’ve found in the kitchen this year, for the recipes from around the globe that have sustained us, and for the privilege of being able to make them. I can’t wait until I can share these meals with all of our family and friends again and eat well together!

So here is a list of recipes I’ve attempted, some of which I’ve mastered, some not so much, but I’ll keep trying. I am aware of, and grateful for, the privilege afforded me to have the time and resources to cook these meals. I am happy I can share them all with you virtually, but I can’t wait to resume sharing communal meals together again! Until then, bon appetit!

So, it was only fitting that yesterday as the fate of the country was being played out on the news channels around the world, it was Philadelphia whose votes put Joe Biden and Kamala Harris over the top. The city where this country was founded, that has been making bad things happen to tyrants since 1776, did it again in 2020; proving that, amongst all the bad, good things do happen in Philadelphia!

Twenty-six years ago this month, as a junior in high school in northeast Philadelphia, I saw a sign — not otherworldly or from God, but a billboard, advertising the Philadelphia AIDS Walk...All I knew was that sign, which I saw almost everyday walking to work, was like a beacon that was drawing me to a community I didn’t even know existed, with no explanation as to why.

I firmly believe showing up and being counted is vitally important to our democracy, but I also believe it is important to visually represent the message you are there to draw attention to. So here are signs from some of the numerous protests my family and I have attended since Trump took office. I hope they inspire you to show up and help create something meaningful that lives on!

Churches are more than the structures where believers congregate, they are the community that they build, and the values they share. Ultimately not all churches and religions are created equal — yes they all are built around community, but what type of community they build is an important consideration.

I love my dad and do not want to not have him in my life because of the person he fell in love with — in all fairness, he did the same for me — but the struggle is real, and hate will never have a home in my family!

I am constantly being asked about Twitter — who to follow, how it works, if it is really worth it - to which I say absolutely! For those unsure how to proceed, here are some golden rules that I personally use when on Twitter that I find keep me grounded, honest, and engaging.

As the COVID19 pandemic began, like many other non-clinical nurses, I felt great moral distress not being on the frontlines, feeling like I wasn’t contributing in a truly meaningful way. But also like so many other non-clinical providers, I was (and still am) contributing, just in different ways. I truly feel it is important to show the world the variety of ways in which nurses — and other practitioners — are contributing to the work of flattening the curve, spreading responsible public health information, and helping to protect our frontline providers and workers during this pandemic.

Last year, I traveled around the country to meet, document, and be in awe of nurses who are designing innovative solutions to some of the countries biggest health and health care issues. In true human-centered approach, I immersed myself in the environments where these nurses live, work, and play — sharing in their worlds, understanding why they do the work they do, who influences and affects the way they see the world, and interacting with some of the people and patients’ for whom they are designing.

In the 3.5 months of summer break from my #PhD program I have felt more human than I had in the 8 months of the Fall & Spring semesters combined. I am reinvigorated knowing I have taken full advantage of everything my summer of 2019 had to offer. So, here's a recap of my wonderful summer phun.

Widespread and consistent exclusion of nursing expertise is a prime example of the media’s misunderstanding of the profession.

My interest in space — and adulation of NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration — began 30 years ago when I visited Kennedy Space Center’s Visitor Complex for the first time as an 8 year old with my family.

What I would like people to understand, what I need people to understand, what I implore people to understand is this, for people with food allergies, every…single…minute of every…single…day is like a ticking time bomb.

I usually write about my big life experiences and transitions, but I don’t feel like any words can capture my last 11.5 years with the Center. So instead, I will let these photos speak for themselves.

I did it. After years of talking about it, debating it, and pondering its need, I finally bit the bullet and began a doctoral program this fall. To be honest, I was not really sure I wanted to do it— I had done my research and I had been told, nay warned, and even more so encouraged by some to reconsider my decision.

Its #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth, and it was my first time getting a mammogram! I wasn't really worried about the potential for breast cancer, as the odds were in my favor. It didn't go exactly as I had planned though, but it is "probably nothing".

Lets face it, marriage years, like dog years, do not equate to just one. Being in love is what brought us together all of those years ago, but it is not what keeps us together today. What keeps us together is love, just love. Love of and for each other, and love of the life we have created together, and love of what is to come.

So this week, and every week of football season and beyond, please take the time to learn these life-saving skills. Because, when a sudden cardiac arrest occurs, you all the victim’s got and you all they need!

Innovation, a buzz word in health and healthcare today, is central to both academic research and design thinking. As someone who is now working in both areas, I can’t help but think that they can at times be quite similar, and yet can also be diametrically opposed fields.

I have what I like to call a superhero complex! I believe that I have certain superpowers that most other people do not and even if you don’t have superpowers, if you have science you can still save the world.

I have written once before about being a foster home for rescue dogs. It is incredibly rewarding but so very emotionally draining. So please, when you see me posting cute pictures of our foster dog snuggling with my family on social media don’t respond with “you’re keeping her right?”

Tomorrow is my 40th birthday! As I reflect on those 40 years — 14,600 days — I have done so many things I could have never imagined when I was little. Here are the top 40 things that I remember fondly and am grateful I had the opportunity to be a part of and contribute to.

At a conf last wk I was charged w/ managing all of the tweeting & blogging, I presented my work on #virtualreality, & moderated the #innovation session. Taken together, one would think I had the heir of young & hip to those around me — one would be wrong!

In Philadelphia, a city I love an inordinate amount at times, we have an event unlike any other — the Philly Geek Awards!

As an academic researcher submitting federal grants you know the timeline is long, really long; from submission…to review…to funding… can be close to 10 months. The worst part though, if the grant is not ultimately funded, which most grants will not be, you have to wait until the next cycle, which could be an additional 2–3 months away, and then start that 10 month process of waiting all over again.

It has been a mere 2-months since the inauguration of the 45th President of these United States…where to begin. A lot of people in this country are afraid. If you don’t know that yet, then you are one of the few privileged folks who probably have nothing to worry about. I pledge to do the following 10 actions and I urge you to do the same.

Meet, pitch, write, submit, repeat.

I have been a resuscitation science researcher for close to 10 years. In that time I have been asked that eternal academy question: “when are you getting your Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)?”, more times than I can count.

No one really knows what a new year will hold for them, and 2016 was a hard year for almost everyone! But 2016 was the year I found my love of science communication! For a science geek who loves nothing more than talking about science, #scicomm allowed me to take my passion for all things science and combine it with my obsession with social media, to spread the good word to all of you! You are welcome!

People ask me all the time, “what do you do?”, and for reasons unknown, I never really know what to say to them. My job sounds interesting to me. Just like many people I know and respect, working jobs that sound important and fascinating. So as an experiment, I decided to list out for one week, what I do on the daily, and in some cases, why.

I would encourage people to take a moment to consider the intentions of what others say, do, and post, and not take personally what they do not say, do not do, or do not post. There are so many people throughout the world, in every corner, intentionally hurting others in a plethora of ways, we need to support the people taking a stand for anyone, whether or not it be everyone.

Society of Nurse Scientists, Innovation, Entrepreneurs, and Leaders

What happens when a group of motivated, innovative, highly intelligent, and strongly convicted nurses get together? They change the world!

Improving survival from SCA is a significant public health concern; It will take innovative thinking and disruption of the status quo to foster new ideas that will not only improve SCA outcomes overall, but also decrease disparities in the care received.

We have a responsibility as nurses to speak up when we see violence, harm, and injustice being performed against other.

Unlike Amazon and Instacart workers, our #frontline providers cant strike en mass over the lack of #PPE they're being provided by their employers during this #coronavirus pandemic. So here's what you can do to help them shut down #COVID19.

We cannot let the science deniers dictate the messaging. We cannot stay silent, because if we do everyone loses — not just the scientific community.

As I watched the Democratic National Convention (DNC)in August it felt like a darkness had been lifted, a darkness that began Tuesday, November 8, 2016, and has persisted since. A darkness that shrouded this country and its citizens for the past 3.5 years in fear and hate.