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Announcing James Dark Mountain Ph.D

Sep 5, 2009
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Yesterday James Dark Mountain (alias Jakob Mørkeberg) successfully defended his Ph.D entitled "Detection of Autologous Blood Transfusions
via Analyses of Peripheral Blood Samples"
at the University of Copenhagen.

His opponents were some heavy hitters in the anti-doping physiology world:
-Father of sports blood anaysis Professor Bo Berglund, Karolinska, Stockholm, Sweden
-Professor Carsten Lundby, Univ. of Zürich, Switzerland (active research in Blood parameters in performance)
-Professor Michael Kjaer, Univ. of Copenhagen, Denmark (active research in Muscle and tendon physiology)

Jakob was praised for his prolific publication list and active public engagement in the subject of blood doping detection. Congratulations Jakob and keep it coming. :D
 
Feb 14, 2010
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From the tone, I'm not quite sure how to take this. Last summer his news story popped up in Danish in Google News. I posted the link on twitter to #procycling, and said that some cycling publication should check it out. Cycling News took me up on it, and Shane Stokes, who I didn't know at the time, wrote a thoughtful and thorough article about it. I tweeted thanks to CN for making the effort, and they thanked me for asking them in the first place. Here's the story:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/analysis-armstrongs-tour-blood-levels-debated

It seems like it's been thirty days since the UCI sent out the letters to riders with questionable values. Was Armstrong one of them?

I hope that Morkeberg will soon have a successful test for own blood transfusions, and karma can do its job on the "What do you call the guy who finished last in his class in Med School" guy, if, of course, he cheated.
 
Ex-trackie said:
Yesterday James Dark Mountain (alias Jakob Mørkeberg) successfully defended his Ph.D entitled "Detection of Autologous Blood Transfusions
via Analyses of Peripheral Blood Samples"
at the University of Copenhagen.

...
I thought he was a nobody? Did he finished last in his class? wait, this is a PHD we are talking about. never mind.

This is great news for clean cycling.:)
 
May 8, 2009
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Is Morkeberg's dissertation available online anywhere (preferrably in english)? Would be interesting to read.
 
Sep 5, 2009
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Hi Swordsman,

Certainly no "tone" intended. Jakob Mørkeberg is a serious and dedicated scientist and yes, I think this is very good news for clean cycling.

The dissertation is in English and is available as a pdf. I think it is posted somewhere on the Copenhagen University site. I will look for it and post a link when I find it.

BTW, in case anyone doesn't know, an "opponent" in a Ph.D defense is the one asking the hard questions, not at all necessarily someone who disagrees with the research presented.
 

Polish

BANNED
Mar 11, 2009
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"Detection of Autologous Blood Transfusions

Do you think humanity at large would have been better served if Dr Dark Mountain chose Cancer Cure Research instead of Anti-Doping Physiology as an intense field of study?

Oh well, to each his own....I sure hope Mr Bordry hires him before Mr Martinelli does wink wink.
 
Aug 6, 2009
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Polish said:
Do you think humanity at large would have been better served if Dr Dark Mountain chose Cancer Cure Research instead of Anti-Doping Physiology as an intense field of study?
Did you choose Cancer Research as your field of study?
 

Polish

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Mar 11, 2009
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Cerberus said:
Did you choose Cancer Research as your field of study?

No, I did not choose Cancer Research as profession. Heck, would I be wasting time on this forum if I were a Cancer Research Scientist lol. (apologies to any Cancer Research Scientists on the forum).

But your point is well taken. And if I were a bike nut with a bent towards biology and fair-play in sports, and I were choosing a degree - specializing in anti-doping physiology might have been just the ticket!

You have to wonder if Lance helped inspire Dr Dark Mountain's choice of study. Cool name too - Dr Dark Mountain.
 
Cerberus said:
Did you choose Cancer Research as your field of study?

Do we really want cancer research to rely on the likes of Polish?? That is a scary thought.

I can see it now. Polish performs an experiment to determine the efficacy of a drug but the results do not turn out well. His poor research assistant has to report the failure to him.

Lab assistant (LA): "The results are in, Sir, and the control group did not do as well as expected."
Polish: "What?? That cannot be. I know it will work. It has to."
LA: "I have all the data right here. You can check it yourself."
Polish: "Data. Smata. I don't need to see no stinkin' data. I don't care what the facts are. I know it works."
LA: "Sir, actually the data indicates that the drug might even be dangerous."
Polish: "Are you making fun of me? It has to work. We need to get this on the market as soon as possible."
LA: "The data is clear--"
Polish: "Stop living in the past, Smithers--"
LA: "You know I don't like to be called Smithers."
Polish: "Stop living in the past, and embrace the new era of faith based science. It does not matter what is true. What you want to be true is what matters. Facts and evidence and reasoning, those are the tools of the past."
LA: "But the FDA, Sir, ..."
Polish: "Screw the FDA. I'll travel around the country and sell it myself."
LA: "But..."
Polish: "Polish's Tonic and Liniment, it's good for what ails you. (Also works for horses.) That sounds about right."
LA: "But, Sir, ..."
Polish: "We might have to do business mainly in the border states and Mexico. Fly under the radar, lurking in the shadows...like Batman and Robin. We'll be heroes."
LA: "I have serious doubts about this, sir."
Polish: "Get your coat. We leave tonight."
 
Feb 14, 2010
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Ex-trackie said:
Hi Swordsman,

Certainly no "tone" intended. Jakob Mørkeberg is a serious and dedicated scientist and yes, I think this is very good news for clean cycling.

The dissertation is in English and is available as a pdf. I think it is posted somewhere on the Copenhagen University site. I will look for it and post a link when I find it.

BTW, in case anyone doesn't know, an "opponent" in a Ph.D defense is the one asking the hard questions, not at all necessarily someone who disagrees with the research presented.

The "James Dark Mountain" started my confusion. Cheers
 
Sep 5, 2009
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theswordsman said:
The "James Dark Mountain" started my confusion. Cheers

Meant in no disrespect. ;) Merely a poke at the amusing google-mistranslation of his name that also was used in the press when the story about Jakob's comments concerning Lance's blood values came out.