Pioneer Award Address: Ignorance isn’t biased: Comments on receiving the Pioneer Award

ABSTRACT

Researchers ordinarily work by deriving testable hypotheses from theories using a deductive process. Hypothesis testing is inherently biased, however, because of the practical requirements of finding and publishing positive results. In contrast, ignorance isn’t biased. The combination of relevant new technology, sufficient mastery of the topic to know what is not yet known, and access to patients with rare but informative disorders sets the stage for discoveries about disease mechanisms based on induction from observations. Patient-oriented research is a strength of heart-brain medicine. Patients are a unique scientific resource because they tell us the truth. We experience the joy and thrill of a “sparkle of insight” when we realize what they teach.