Category Health & Wellness
New tool for assessing heart muscle cells helps unlock their potential
Researchers have created a way to study how heart cells made from stem cells organize themselves into muscle that could be used to screen drugs or develop therapies for heart disease.
Forming genitals in boys requires complex dance between genes and hormones
The research helps us understand how genes and hormones interact to develop male reproductive systems, a step toward researching why disorders in these organs have become more common and how we might prevent them.
UW–Madison and UW Health quickly launch a number of COVID-19 clinical trials
Among the latest is a study examining the potential for an existing drug to treat a serious and often deadly complication of a COVID-19 infection.
Hamsters develop protective immunity to COVID-19 and are protected by convalescent sera
The animals are useful to researchers trying to understand SARS-CoV-2 and in the evaluation of vaccines, treatments and drugs against the disease it causes.
UW partnering with state on COVID-19 population health studies
The first study, led by UW–Madison's Survey of the Health of Wisconsin (SHOW), will determine the prevalence of COVID-19 antibodies throughout the state. Another will test wastewater for signs of the virus.
UW MadScience: Addressing racism, equity and diversity in science and academia
On June 10, researchers and academics around the world are undertaking deliberate efforts to challenge systemic anti-Black racism. The UWMadScience blog is observing the call to action and sharing resources for listening, education and reflection.
Nine projects selected for UW/WARF COVID-19 Accelerator Challenge
From improved respirators to accelerated virus testing, each project is designed to be rapidly advanced over the coming months to help combat the pandemic.
New order aims to promote public safety in campus gathering spots
The university has adopted a new order to ensure public safety through physical distancing and related public health measures as campus prepares to reopen.
Play COVID Crush with an epidemiologist
Called COVID Crush, the game allows players to experiment with a number of different physical distancing scenarios (also called social distancing), watching how it leads to or limits the spread of COVID-19 in a population of 1,000 dots, which represent individual people.
South Pole neutrino detector uses computing capabilities to aid COVID-19 research
The Wisconsin IceCube Particle Astrophysics Center is providing some of its available computing resources to help researchers understand how the virus compromises human immune systems and reproduces.
Badger brothers: Saving lives and striving for a healthier world
Identical twin physicians Jesse and Joel Charles say COVID-19 "has revealed a deep unfairness," affecting the disabled, the mentally ill, and communities of color more severely than others.
Study confirms cats can become infected with and may transmit COVID-19 to other cats
Researchers advise that people with symptoms avoid contact with cats, and cat owners should keep their pets indoors to limit contact with other people and animals.
Research on viral junk, quicker drug testing could help outflank coronaviruses
Researchers hope to better understand how coronaviruses enter cells, spread, and cause varying immune responses in different individuals.
How should journalists cover coronavirus preprint studies?
Headlines that don’t stand up to scrutiny are among the perils of writing about scientific articles that have not yet undergone peer review by experts in the field, says emerita Professor Sharon Dunwoody.
Combining mouse and human data uncovers new gene regulating cholesterol
Work by Brian Parks and collaborators provides a new target for understanding the genetic risk of high cholesterol, which is linked to heart disease.
UW Health expands COVID-19 testing
UW Health has more than doubled the number of daily completed tests. People with at least one mild symptom can be tested.
UW-Madison faculty, students help create COVID-19 app for Wisconsinites
Wisconsin Connect is the first locally-designed COVID-19 app, allowing users to both receive and give help to others in their communities while correcting state-specific misinformation trending on social media.
Virtual symposium addresses key resource during pandemic: clean water
COVID-19 may have forced the event to go virtual, but it also brought the importance of its topic into sharp focus. “You can’t wash your hands if you don’t have water,” says Water@UW–Madison's Matt Ginder-Vogel.
The perfect match: UW alum donates bone marrow to blood cancer patient
Kelsey Rahe’s act of heroism has even received national recognition. She was featured on ABC’s World News Tonight — a show hosted by David Muir, who was also the UW commencement speaker when Rahe graduated in 2018.
Report finds regional health, economic factors are key to reopening Wisconsin economy
“Policymakers will need to balance the health risks of relaxing social distancing guidelines with the economic costs of maintaining the restrictions,” says Professor Noah Williams. “We provide metrics to help inform decisions on those tradeoffs."