- Dec 24, 2013
- 933
- Tinnitus Since
- (1956) > 1980 > 2006 > 2012 > (2015)
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Ac. Trauma & Ac.Trauma + Meds.
Update on Dr. Tzounopoulos... I had a rather long talk with Dr. Tzounopoulos yesterday (Friday) and will attempt to summarize the main points below. (Unfortunately I somehow 'lost/deleted' my first attempt, so this may be a bit briefer than it was going to be).
First up. My "instincts" about him seem to be accurate, and I am going to paste in the paragraph from the post above just to emphasize that point without having to re-phrase it:
As you will know from this thread, Team Trobalt has been working on numerous fronts to increase awareness of potentially helpful research, particularly in relation to the potassium channel modulators (Retigabine being one such compound) as potential "cures" for tinnitus - or at least serious contenders for helping T, versus the plethora of other patches and quasi-fixes out there...that in the end are mostly versions of 'learning to live with it'.
One of the simple goals for raising this awareness is to increase funding for those doing this type of research, and to get more 'happening' as quickly as possible.
This 'increased awareness' was one of the questions I had in mind when talking to Dr. Tzounopoulos. Likewise whether he was interested in participating in one of our TT "Q&A" sessions, or our promoting his work on Twitter and Facebook, etc.
His reply was at best "tepid"!
His reply to a "Q&A" was a clear "No".
His response to promoting what he was doing via Twitter and Facebook was..."It is public domain so I can't stop you, but I am going to focus on my research, period."
In relation to anything that smacked of medical, clinical aspects, trialing drugs, etc., etc. he was again, very clear. "No way I want to talk about that stuff, and it makes me very uncomfortable indeed. I am a researcher. That is what I know. That is what I do. That is all I will discuss."
My paraphrasing here, but if the message is not clear by now, it should be.
OK, so in relation to some other specific questions I was tasked with asking him.
The "zinc" DCN thing...Well I knew what his answer would be and apologized in advance for asking it. He had no comment on how, or what, or where, that may be useful to people taking zinc in any form or method. No idea, and not what his research was about. Again, too close to "medical" for comfort.
The long awaited "article" on new Kv7 derivatives...It is still not out yet and has still not been properly reviewed yet, and it may take more months before it is. And he likes it that way as it should be properly evaluated and checked before it goes out into the world. He has no interest in putting out some hasty report that has minor errors in it. Science needs to be the best it can be even if it takes longer than we had hoped to get it right....So, patience! He will let me know when it is close to publication. And no, he is not going to talk about any of it until it is public information, or darn close to it.
That's about the bones of it.
If I give the impression above in my report that the conversation was not quite "cordial", that is not exactly accurate, as we have a good rapport and he is willing to talk to me. However, I want to make it crystal clear that bringing up anything close to 'medical' or non lab rats/mice effects, kinda pisses him off. It is of course what we want to know most, so it's a tricky balancing act to try and get a little info but without pressing a thorn. So I'm sorry if I did not get more on all that, but there it is. And I 100% respect and support where he is coming from.
Dr. Tzounopoulos is one seriously passionate researcher and I'm damn glad he is working in a field that may help us with tinnitus! He does not have tinnitus himself, but he appreciates the suffering it causes and wants us to know he is not blind to that pain...but let him get on with those mice and the lab work. To my mind, the less interruptions he has with fluff and folderol, the faster he may come up with something remarkable for T...for us!
Best, Zimichael
First up. My "instincts" about him seem to be accurate, and I am going to paste in the paragraph from the post above just to emphasize that point without having to re-phrase it:
Meanwhile I believe it is best to leave him at peace from anyone in TT especially about anything that smacks of "medical" inference. He has made it plain to me on each occasion that I have conversed with him that he knows "nothing, absolutely nothing" about anything medical; drugs; how they may impact actual people; and so on. He works with labs stuff and mice. He is totally a "lab guy". He's thrilled his research may help people but has no idea how that will happen in the chain of events beyond what he sees and does in the lab. That's up to others.
I can almost guarantee that he will say he does not even know what thalamocortical dysrythmia is, or at least have any opinion about it. It's out of his field of experience, etc., etc.
He did not even want to delve into Kv3's with me, or details of what Autifony was doing (or even where they were at with their trial, etc.), and that is the Kv back yard!
As you will know from this thread, Team Trobalt has been working on numerous fronts to increase awareness of potentially helpful research, particularly in relation to the potassium channel modulators (Retigabine being one such compound) as potential "cures" for tinnitus - or at least serious contenders for helping T, versus the plethora of other patches and quasi-fixes out there...that in the end are mostly versions of 'learning to live with it'.
One of the simple goals for raising this awareness is to increase funding for those doing this type of research, and to get more 'happening' as quickly as possible.
This 'increased awareness' was one of the questions I had in mind when talking to Dr. Tzounopoulos. Likewise whether he was interested in participating in one of our TT "Q&A" sessions, or our promoting his work on Twitter and Facebook, etc.
His reply was at best "tepid"!
His reply to a "Q&A" was a clear "No".
His response to promoting what he was doing via Twitter and Facebook was..."It is public domain so I can't stop you, but I am going to focus on my research, period."
In relation to anything that smacked of medical, clinical aspects, trialing drugs, etc., etc. he was again, very clear. "No way I want to talk about that stuff, and it makes me very uncomfortable indeed. I am a researcher. That is what I know. That is what I do. That is all I will discuss."
My paraphrasing here, but if the message is not clear by now, it should be.
OK, so in relation to some other specific questions I was tasked with asking him.
The "zinc" DCN thing...Well I knew what his answer would be and apologized in advance for asking it. He had no comment on how, or what, or where, that may be useful to people taking zinc in any form or method. No idea, and not what his research was about. Again, too close to "medical" for comfort.
The long awaited "article" on new Kv7 derivatives...It is still not out yet and has still not been properly reviewed yet, and it may take more months before it is. And he likes it that way as it should be properly evaluated and checked before it goes out into the world. He has no interest in putting out some hasty report that has minor errors in it. Science needs to be the best it can be even if it takes longer than we had hoped to get it right....So, patience! He will let me know when it is close to publication. And no, he is not going to talk about any of it until it is public information, or darn close to it.
That's about the bones of it.
If I give the impression above in my report that the conversation was not quite "cordial", that is not exactly accurate, as we have a good rapport and he is willing to talk to me. However, I want to make it crystal clear that bringing up anything close to 'medical' or non lab rats/mice effects, kinda pisses him off. It is of course what we want to know most, so it's a tricky balancing act to try and get a little info but without pressing a thorn. So I'm sorry if I did not get more on all that, but there it is. And I 100% respect and support where he is coming from.
Dr. Tzounopoulos is one seriously passionate researcher and I'm damn glad he is working in a field that may help us with tinnitus! He does not have tinnitus himself, but he appreciates the suffering it causes and wants us to know he is not blind to that pain...but let him get on with those mice and the lab work. To my mind, the less interruptions he has with fluff and folderol, the faster he may come up with something remarkable for T...for us!
Best, Zimichael