Category Health & Wellness
Video: Stem cells, lab to clinic
David Gamm, director of the McPherson Eye Research Institute, and Forward Bio Institute director Bill Murphy explain how stem cell scientists at UW–Madison are working with industry to put scientific breakthroughs on the path to helping patients.
UW Women at 150: Computer scientist Thelma Estrin
Thelma Estrin was an early pioneer of the field of medical informatics — the now commonplace practice of applying computers to medical research and treatment. She also was something of a trailblazer for women hoping to pursue careers in the sciences.
Study: No race or gender bias seen in initial NIH grant reviews
“Absence of bias here does not mean there is no bias in the entire review process,” says psychology professor Patricia Devine.
Blue “blood” gives residents innovative microsurgery training
To train residents in microsurgery, UW physicians have developed the “blue-blood” chicken thigh simulator. Residents suture blood vessels together in chicken thighs perfused with IV fluid dyed blue.
Waisman’s stem cell research into Down syndrome gives family hope
It’s not a cure for Down syndrome that Dave Witte and Cristina Delgadillo want for their 5-year-old daughter. But they would be happy if stem cell research at the Waisman Center reduces the complications faced by Olivia, who has had two heart surgeries and a stroke.
Stem cells: How we got here, where we’re going
This is the first in a series of four videos about stem cell research at UW–Madison: how it started, what it's achieved, and where it's headed. Catch up on what's happened since James Thomson's prescient prediction that stem cells "will change medicine, period."
UW surgeon’s book reveals history, missteps, successes of organ transplants
Dr. Josh Mezrich has written a book, “When Death Becomes Life: Notes from a Transplant Surgeon,” that gives an overview of transplant history and lays bare Mezrich’s trepidations and triumphs as a kidney and liver transplant surgeon at UW Hospital.
Gene-editing tool now being used to develop better antibiotics
Jason Peters and colleagues have repurposed the gene-editing tool CRISPR to study which genes are targeted by particular antibiotics, providing clues on how to improve existing antibiotics or develop new ones.
Immune system’s front-line defense freezes bacteria in their tracks
New research suggests a previously unknown mechanism behind the function of antimicrobial peptides, which are being tested in early-stage clinical trials for treating infections resistant to classical antibiotics.
UW-Madison life-expectancy paper nabs top honor from APHA
Work published by three University of Wisconsin researchers regarding decreasing the gap in life expectancy of the United States population compared to European peers, earned top honors from the American Public Health Association.
Study: Division I college athletes outpace student peers in mental health
The finding is surprising, as previous research examining smaller groups of international, elite or college athletes had offered mixed results on athlete mental health.
Professor seeking to offer eye screenings throughout state remotely
A UW–Madison professor helped start program that offers a way for patients with diabetes to easily access eye screenings, and now she and her fellow researchers are studying how to make such programs more widely available across Wisconsin.
Are Fitbits the answer to nurse fatigue?
A UW–Madison School of Nursing professor is using activity trackers on nurses to uncover important data about what causes fatigue in the work environment and what health systems can do to minimize its impact.
Implantable device aids weight loss
New battery-free, easily implantable weight-loss devices developed by engineers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison could offer a promising new weapon for battling the bulge.
Ritalin drives greater connection between brain areas key to memory, attention
New research is a first step toward understanding the way Ritalin affects the organization of the pathways that build brain networks used in attention and learning.
Aaron Perry is changing how his community perceives and experiences health
Through the Black Men’s Wellness Sustainable Initiative, Aaron Perry is using a grant from the Wisconsin Partnership Program in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health to change how his community perceives and experiences health.
New gene editing tool drives stem cell services and discovery
At just two-and-a-half years old, the University of Wisconsin–Madison Human Stem Cell Gene Editing Service is already contemplating expansion, partly because of demand for a new gene editing tool called CRISPR-Cas9.
It’s not a shock: Better bandage promotes powerful healing
The bandage developed by UW–Madison engineers leverages energy generated from a patient’s own body motions to apply gentle electrical pulses at the site of an injury.
Five questions with Su-Chun Zhang, forger of brain cells
In light of the 20th anniversary of James Thomson’s derivation of human embryonic stem cells, we had some questions for one of the founders of stem cell neuroscience.
Discovery opens new opportunities to slow or reverse MS
Nerve cells stripped of their insulation can no longer carry vital information, leading to the numbness, weakness and vision problems often associated with multiple sclerosis. A new study shows an overlooked source may be able to replace that lost insulation.