Tag Health & medicine
UW-Madison to create national Alzheimer’s research center
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.
Researchers explore the broad-reaching effects of a pandemic in Wisconsin
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
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?
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
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
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
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
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
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 expert speaks out on food-borne illness outbreaks
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).
Mouse study reveals genetic component of empathy
The ability to empathize with others is partially determined by genes, according to new research on mice from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU).
Genetic change prevents cell death in mouse model of Parkinson’s disease
By shifting a normal protective mechanism into overdrive, a University of Wisconsin–Madison scientist has completely shielded mice from a toxic chemical that would otherwise cause Parkinson's disease.
Predicting the future spread of infectious-disease vectors
As global warming raises concerns about potential spread of infectious diseases, a team of researchers has demonstrated a way to predict the expanding range of human disease vectors in a changing world.
Clinical trial uses bat saliva enzyme for stroke treatment
Vampires aren't usually cast in the role of saviors, but stroke experts are hoping a blood thinner that mimics a chemical in vampire saliva will help save brain cells in stroke patients. The School of Medicine and Public Health is one of several centers worldwide currently enrolling patients in a large new clinical trial of desmoteplase, a drug based on an enzyme in vampire bat saliva.
Patient-derived induced stem cells retain disease traits
When neurons started dying in Clive Svendsen's lab dishes, he couldn't have been more pleased. The dying cells - the same type lost in patients with the devastating neurological disease spinal muscular atrophy - confirmed that the University of Wisconsin–Madison stem cell biologist had recreated the hallmarks of a genetic disorder in the lab, using stem cells derived from a patient.
Genetic change extends mouse life, points to possible treatment for ALS
There are many ways to die, but amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, must be one of the worst. By the time a patient notices muscle weakness, the neurons that control the muscles have already begun dying, in an untreatable process that brings death within two to five years.
Can milk help prevent transplant rejections?
Could Wisconsin's signature product – milk – hold the key to one of the biggest problems in organ transplantation? Hans Sollinger, the surgeon who heads the transplant program at UW Hospital and Clinics, is betting on it.