Tag Health & medicine

Doctor’s compassion may help cure colds faster

July 8, 2009

Some cold medicines will shave a day off your suffering from the common cold, but they often produce unpleasant side effects. A new study shows, for the first time, that the doctor's empathy may be an even better way to speed recovery.

Major study links malaria mosquitoes to Amazon deforestation

June 25, 2009

In one of the most field-intensive efforts to explore the connection between malaria and tropical deforestation, a team led by Jonathan Patz, a specialist in the link between environment and health at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at UW–Madison, has established a strong correlation between the extent of forest destruction and the incidence of the Amazon's most dangerous malaria vector, the mosquito Anopheles darlingi.

From the waiting room to the birthing room

June 17, 2009

Years ago, dads-to-be nervously paced the floor of hospital waiting rooms as they waited to hear that their child had been born. But during those countless hours of waiting, many wrote down their feelings in journals known as "father's books" or "stork room jottings." Frequently left in waiting rooms in the 1940s and '50s, the journals provided an outlet for the apprehensive, often exasperated men.

The healing game: How Nintendo’s Wii is making the hard work of physical therapy into child’s play

June 10, 2009

Pediatric physical therapists at American Family Children's Hospital have been introducing Wii video gaming techology into their patients' therapy programs with notable success.

Curiosities: Why do the blue eyes of babies often turn brown?

June 1, 2009

Melanin is the pigment that makes body parts dark, said Burton Kushner, professor of ophthalmology at the School of Medicine and Public…

Special protein helps maintain an efficient brain

May 18, 2009

The instruction manual for maintaining an efficient brain may soon include a section on synaptotagmin-IV (Syt-IV), a protein known to influence learning and memory, thanks to a study by University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers.

Early Alzheimer’s diagnosis offers large social, fiscal benefits

May 18, 2009

Early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease could save millions or even billions of dollars while simultaneously improving care, according to new work by University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers.

UW-Madison cancels early summer Mexico programs

May 8, 2009

Based on the recommendations of the university’s International Emergency Response Committee, Chancellor Biddy Martin is instructing campus units to cancel student programs in Mexico that are scheduled  to depart before June 1.

UW-Madison to create national Alzheimer’s research center

May 5, 2009

Gov. Jim Doyle announced today (May 4) that the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) has been awarded a multimillion dollar grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to create an Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

Building a health community through the Wisconsin Idea

April 30, 2009

On campus, there is a lot of focus on the Wisconsin Idea — the principle that education can bring people together and improve lives outside…

Researchers explore the broad-reaching effects of a pandemic in Wisconsin

April 28, 2009

If a pandemic hit Madison, canceling a football game at the University of Wisconsin–Madison's Camp Randall would protect thousands from exposure to illness. However, the economic cost would be substantial for stadium workers and employees at nearby restaurants and businesses if widespread, prolonged illness forced officials to call off an entire season of Badger football.

As ticks expand, new areas may become prone to Lyme disease

April 27, 2009

Last summer, after returning home from a walk in Madison's Dudgeon-Monroe neighborhood, Susan Paskewitz was astonished to find a deer tick crawling up her dog's hind leg. It was the first time Paskewitz, a University of Wisconsin–Madison entomologist, had collected a tick in the city. Within the month, she learned of two other such cases.

Sleep: Spring cleaning for the brain?

April 2, 2009

If you've ever been sleep-deprived, you know the feeling that your brain is full of wool.

Researcher uses GPS to find asthma causes

April 2, 2009

David Van Sickle is looking for a few pioneering asthmatics. He wants to attach a GPS device to their inhalers before they boldly go out into a spring world filled with allergens.

Study of cat diet leads to key nervous system repair discovery

March 30, 2009

Scientists studying a mysterious neurological affliction in cats have discovered a surprising ability of the central nervous system to repair itself and restore function.

Study reveals new options for people with PKU

March 30, 2009

For people with the genetic condition known as phenylketonuria (PKU), diet is a constant struggle. They can eat virtually no protein, and instead get their daily dose of this key macronutrient by drinking a bitter-tasting formula of amino acids. Yet drink it they must; deviating from this strict dietary regimen puts them at risk of developing permanent neurological damage.

New lecture series honors pioneer of sensory substitution

March 26, 2009

A lecture series to honor the late Paul Bach-y-Rita kicks off at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 3, in the Waisman Center’s John D. Wiley Conference Center. A reception follows.

HealthDay writer named biomedical writer in residence

March 25, 2009

HealthDay writer Amanda Gardner has already made the transition many other journalists now face — from writing for the print media to the virtual world. Gardner will be the School of Medicine and Public Health’s biomedical writer in residence the week of March 30.

UW School of Medicine and Public Health sets school record for residency placement

March 20, 2009

With a record-high rate of graduating medical students matching into their desired residency on March 19, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health leaders are cheering another highlight: More students are choosing to stay in the state for their residency training and about 40 percent plan to pursue a residency in primary care – where physicians nationwide are badly needed.

UW expert speaks out on food-borne illness outbreaks

February 12, 2009

Dennis Maki, UW School of Medicine and Public Health professor of medicine (infectious disease) is available for interviews Thursday afternoon regarding his opinion piece published Feb. 12, 2009, in the online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).