Tag Health & medicine
Survey will help officials understand, control Lyme disease
This Saturday, as hunters seek white-tailed deer in Wisconsin's forested areas, a research team led by University of Wisconsin–Madison entomologist Susan Paskewitz will be conducting a hunt of its own.
UW-Madison continues to address gastroenteritis outbreak
The University of Wisconsin–Madison continues to monitor reported cases of gastroenteritis among students and provide information to help limit the spread of disease, following the first cases of suspected norovirus that were seen at University Health Services on Nov. 7.
Stealth drug idea snags Gates Foundation support
A proposal to create a stealth drug, one that remains cloaked inside a cell until activated by a pathogen, has snared a high-profile $100,000 award from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Will the economy prompt greater use of generic drugs?
The expense of the daily dose of medicine is a bitter pill for many Americans. Yet, more than half of those taking prescription drugs are not taking advantage of an economical option: generic drugs.
For food industry leaders, a meeting worth its salt
It's no secret that Americans eat too much salt, a habit linked to numerous health problems. At first glance, the solution seems simple: stop eating so much of the stuff. But, as it turns out, salt-a.k.a. sodium chloride-can't easily be cut from the American diet.
Initiative positions Wisconsin to become leader in personalized medicine
Wisconsin may soon become an international leader in personalized medicine, a simple concept that has the potential to revolutionize healthcare.
Research team discovers brain pathway responsible for obesity
University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers, for the first time, have found a messaging system in the brain that directly affects food intake and body weight.
Family medicine increases visibility through YouTube channel
The Department of Family Medicine (DFM) has further broadened its online presence by launching an expanded channel, http://www.youtube.com/WIFamilyMedicine.
Can love change your mind? New project explores neuroscience of ‘positive qualities’
What is happening in the minds of people who have developed a greater capacity for forgiveness and compassion? Can a quality like love — whether it’s shown toward a family member or a friend — be neurologically measured in the brain? A new research project at UW–Madison offers the opportunity to apply hard science to these seemingly ethereal questions.
Professor tracks mosquitoes for the sake of public health
Under a cloud of mosquitoes on a muggy June morning, Susan Paskewitz sits down in the grass, rolls up her pant leg and extends her calf as bait.
The biology of obesity: Do these genes make me look fat?
Scientists are probing the complex relationship between our DNA and our diets to unravel the root causes of obesity. But for those seeking a simple solution to the worldwide fat epidemic, their answers may be hard to swallow.
Study: Surgical instrument size not suited to smaller hands
The concept of one size fits all works with many things—smocks, baseball caps and inner tubes. But not disposable laparoscopic surgical instruments. So say the results of a survey of general surgery residents conducted by a group that included two surgeons at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
New study shows persistence of anxiety
We all know people who are tense and nervous and can't relax. They may have been wired differently since childhood.
Agent in red wine found to keep hearts young
How, scientists wonder, do the French get away with a clean bill of heart health despite a diet loaded with saturated fats?
Nobel laureate establishes symposium to inspire young scientists
As an undergraduate student at Oxford University in the 1940s, Oliver Smithies attended a series of lectures by Linus Pauling, one of the most influential chemists of the 20th century. It was a powerful experience, one that sparked the young scientist's ambitions and helped launch his own eminent career.
Professor wins inaugural Schuster Prize
Timothy Kamp, a professor of medicine and physiology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, has been awarded the inaugural Schuster Prize for excellence in advancing cardiovascular medicine at the school.
Sweeping analysis of research reinforces media influence on women’s body image
As France's parliament considers a landmark bill that would outlaw media images glamorizing the extremely thin, psychology researchers are reporting some of the most definitive findings yet on how these images affect women.
Wisconsin biomedical engineering students design meaningful medical solutions
When University of Wisconsin–Madison junior Claire Flanagan graduates in May 2009 with bachelor's degrees in biomedical engineering (BME) and biochemistry, she might display her diploma next to an equally prestigious document: a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
UW study shows pomegranate juice may help fight lung cancer
Researchers are adding to the list of cancer types for which pomegranates seem to halt growth. A recent study at the University of Wisconsin–Madison using a mouse model shows that consuming pomegranates could potentially help reduce the growth and spread of lung cancer cells or even prevent lung cancer from developing.
Curiosities: Why do we dream?
Submitted by Rachel Furlow, 7th grade, Cherokee Middle School