Category Health & Wellness
With first graduate, accelerated UW program aggressively takes on physician shortage in rural Wisconsin
Shane Hoffman will become the first graduate of a UW School of Medicine and Public Health program that reduces the time it takes to train doctors interested in serving rural parts of the state. Read More
App under development at UW could make it easier, more affordable to ‘age in place’
Using augmented reality, UW–Madison researchers are developing an app to improve the safety and quality of life for older adults who want to age in place. Read More
Medical students celebrate a star-studded Match Day 2025
Each year, on the third Friday in March, medical students nationwide learn where they have been placed for clinical residency training programs for most specialties. This year's Match Day shined a light on "service," with a little sprinkling of awards show-style. Read More
Could an arthritis drug unlock lasting relief from epilepsy and seizures? UW–Madison researchers see promising results in mice.
A drug typically prescribed for arthritis halts brain-damaging seizures in mice that have a condition like epilepsy, according to researchers at UW–Madison. If the drug proves viable for human patients, it would be the first to provide lasting relief from seizures even after they stopped taking it. Read More
For the love of a pet
The WisCARES veterinary clinic at UW–Madison provides affordable care for animal owners experiencing financial hardship or housing instability. Read More
Dr. Nita Ahuja named dean of UW School of Medicine and Public Health
Ahuja is a cancer-care innovator whose treatment approaches and research have garnered international recognition. She’s also a proven leader and administrator with a track record for bringing multidisciplinary teams together to solve health care challenges. Read More
UW researchers find previously unknown links between microbial bile acids and the risk of colon cancer
A team of UW–Madison scientists have uncovered that bile acids produced by the liver to help digest food may affect our risk for developing colon cancer. Read More
New tool makes quick health, environmental monitoring possible
Vatsan Raman, who has received a provisional patent for this work, sees broad applications for the technology his lab developed, including field tests that identify pollutants in local water sources in minutes and at-home tests that track health indicators. Read More
Research to treat placenta could improve human pregnancies
In humans, placental insufficiency restricts the growth of developing fetuses and typically leads to premature delivery and extended stays in the neonatal intensive care unit. Read More
Human stem cell-derived heart cells are safe in monkeys, could treat congenital heart disease
Regenerating tissue to support healthy heart function could keep hearts beating stronger and longer, and this is where stem cell research is stepping in. Read More
Gene therapy protects against motor neuron disease in rats
The gene therapy approach allowed the non-mutated gene to be expressed in neurons and better support the transportation of proteins, preventing disease. Read More
UW–Madison researchers find persistent problems with AI-assisted genomic studies
Researchers are increasingly attempting to work around this problem by bridging data gaps with ever more sophisticated AI tools. Read More
H5N1 virus isolated from infected dairy worker is 100% lethal in ferrets, but does not appear to be circulating in nature anymore
The findings highlight the risks posed by a virus that continues to spread among dairy cattle and occasionally to farm workers, and the study's lead scientist says he was surprised by the ease with which this particular strain was able to kill ferrets. Read More
Raw milk is risky, but airborne transmission of H5N1 from cow’s milk is inefficient in mammals.
New research suggests that exposure to raw milk infected with the currently circulating virus poses a real risk of infecting humans, but that the virus may not spread very far or quickly to others. Read More
Serendipity reveals new method to fight cancer with T cells
Cells treated with “metabolic priming” retained their stem cell-like qualities, thus enhancing their ability to kill cancer cells, transform into durable memory cells, and survive longer in the body. Read More
UW–Madison leading new research collaboration aimed at treating lung scarring diseases
An interdisciplinary group of researchers will will investigate the biological processes that promote lung scarring. With the aid of artificial intelligence and advanced 3D modeling, they will also develop and refine new imaging techniques and drug delivery systems that could aid in halting its progression. Read More
Raw milk containing H5N1 can infect mice, while lab-based heat treatments greatly reduce the virus
According to new research from UW–Madison, consuming raw cow's milk that contains H5N1 avian influenza virus poses an infection risk, but a laboratory process that simulates high-temperature pasteurization reduces the virus in infected milk by more than 99.99%. Read More
Pancreatic cancer is difficult to treat. Nano-drugs hitching a ride on bacteria could help.
Mice treated with the therapeutic-laden bacteria experienced delayed tumor growth and significantly longer survival compared with mice that received other treatments. Read More
Update from UW–Madison experts on bird flu spread
UW experts are assisting efforts to track and research the virus with an eye toward minimizing risk to human health and protecting the state’s agricultural sector. Read More
Three honored for innovation, entrepreneurial excellence
Mark Bakken, James Dahlberg, and Dorri McWhorter received the 2024 Chancellor’s Entrepreneurial Achievement Awards. These entrepreneurs exemplify the Wisconsin Idea — UW–Madison’s longstanding commitment to benefiting the world beyond the boundaries of campus. Read More