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Tag Health & medicine

Global Health Symposium spans disciplines, generations and the world

April 6, 2015

From avian influenza to empowering women in agriculture to improving access to pain medicines in Africa, Global Health Symposium 2015: Advancing Health in an Interconnected World gives the UW community a place to explore the complex determinants of health in Wisconsin and across the world.

Ready, aim, fire! Cancer-targeting mechanism underlies promising UW–Madison spinoff

March 30, 2015

For all their lethality, cancer cells don't look much different from healthy cells, a simple fact that causes endless pain and suffering. Finding cancer cells that have spread and threaten to grow into metastatic tumors is often a life-and-death matter.

Researchers aim to broaden understanding of how toxins affect the body

March 25, 2015

Even in an era in which there is increased emphasis on living "green," humans are constantly exposed to a wide range of toxins in everything from our air, food and water to the goods we buy.

UW to test ‘breakthrough’ pediatric leukemia treatment

February 24, 2015

A promising method of immunotherapy to treat children with relapsed acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is opening at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center and American Family Children's Hospital. The trial is open to relapsed/refractory pediatric ALL patients who have limited treatment options.

Zoo’s mother-to-be receives prenatal care from UW-affiliated health professionals

February 18, 2015

While many in Madison were surprised and delighted on Feb. 10 to learn that Henry Vilas Zoo’s Bornean orangutan, Kawan, was expecting the zoo’s first baby primate in 14 years, it was old news to Barb Trampe, chief sonographer at the UW/Meriter Center for Perinatal Care. She had already seen the first baby pictures.

Innovative teaching practices encourage students in STEM

February 4, 2015

Like many seniors majoring in biology, Christian Hernandez is pursuing the pre-med track. However, he nearly didn’t make it past his freshman year at the University of Wisconsin–Madison As a Latino first-generation college student, Hernandez says he had no role models to help him achieve his career goal: to change the face of medicine in the United States. But then he took Physiology 335.

Laying a foundation for treating ALS, spinal cord injury

February 2, 2015

Su-Chun Zhang, a professor of neuroscience and neurology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Waisman Center, and his research team have published a unique model for learning more about the role of human astrocytes today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation today. The findings may lay a foundation for the treatment of a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and debilitating spinal cord injuries.

‘Kindness curriculum’ boosts school success in preschoolers

January 23, 2015

Watch Richard Davidson discuss this project at the 2015 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Over the course of 12 weeks, twice…

Rare neurological disease shines light on health of essential nerve cells

January 22, 2015

Ian Duncan is a Scotsman with the iron discipline and stamina of a competitive marathoner, triathlete and cross-country skier. As a neuroscientist at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, he's applied his tenacity to a rare genetic disorder.

Will they be back? Predicting readmissions for elderly patients

December 22, 2014

Seniors living in the most disadvantaged 15 percent of U.S. neighborhoods are much more likely to make repeat trips to the hospital, according to a study by Amy Kind, a University of Wisconsin–Madison assistant professor of medicine.

Wisconsin’s health: Significant gaps by race, income, geography

December 16, 2014

A new report by researchers at the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute reveals that while some trends in the health of Wisconsin residents are positive, this progress is not shared by all residents of the state.

Halting the hijacker: Cellular targets to thwart influenza virus infection

November 20, 2014

The influenza virus, like all viruses, is a hijacker. It quietly slips its way inside cells, steals the machinery inside to make more copies of itself, and then - having multiplied - bursts out of the cell to find others to infect.

Religious denominations friendly to same-sex marriage may protect gay youth from depression

November 19, 2014

Religious affiliation is generally a source of support, fostering resilience during difficult times. But religion doesn’t exactly have a reputation as a refuge for young gay people. That reputation may change for the better with new findings from researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, and Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, South Korea.

Imagination, reality flow in opposite directions in the brain

November 19, 2014

As real as that daydream may seem, its path through your brain runs opposite reality. Aiming to discern discrete neural circuits, researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have tracked electrical activity in the brains of people who alternately imagined scenes or watched videos.

Grad program honored for closing science-society gap

November 18, 2014

The University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Neuroscience and Public Policy Program was honored by the Society for Neuroscience with the Neuroscience Graduate Program Achievement Award.

Study shows possible link between asthma, cardiovascular disease

November 17, 2014

Asthma that requires daily medication is associated with a significantly higher risk of heart attack or stroke, according to a new study from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH).

‘Flight simulator’ for surgeons: Project joins computer science with medicine

November 10, 2014

University of Wisconsin–Madison computer science and medical researchers have teamed up to create a sophisticated new simulator to help surgical students practice detailed procedures before operating on live patients.