I'm Dr. Simeon Margolis, a professor of both medicine and biological chemistry at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
I'm proud of having earned both medical and doctorate degrees, but most people who know me well don't call me Dr. Margolis; they call me Moan. Not because I'm a constant complainer; it was the nickname my teammates gave me when I played basketball and baseball in high school and as an undergraduate at Hopkins. In 1953, I scored 44 points in a basketball game, setting a university record that still stands.
But the NBA was not in my future. I pursued my love of science and medicine, and I've been a research scientist, teacher, and practicing physician at Hopkins now for 40 years. During that time, I've also served in other capacities, as director of the division of endocrinology and metabolism and as associate dean of the medical school, helping to develop and oversee the curriculum. I became interested in diabetes and the prevention of coronary disease because they are major causes of disability and death in this country. I earned my Ph.D. investigating how the blood transports cholesterol.
I have a longstanding interest and involvement in writing about health and medical issues for the general public. For many years, I wrote a weekly medical column for the Baltimore Sun newspaper. Currently, I'm the medical editor for a series of newsletters and reference books aimed at people over 50 years old. I welcome your thoughts and comments as I write this blog.
