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Tag School of Medicine and Public Health

How do you mend a broken heart? Maybe someday with stem cells made from your skin

February 12, 2009

A little more than a year after University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists showed they could turn skin cells back into stem cells, they have pulsating proof that these "induced" stem cells can indeed form the specialized cells that make up heart muscle.

Single gene lets bacteria jump from host to host

February 1, 2009

All life - plants, animals, people - depends on peaceful coexistence with a swarm of microbial life that performs vital services from helping to convert food to energy to protection from disease.

Early childhood stress has lingering effects on health

January 26, 2009

Stressful experiences in early childhood can have long-lasting impacts on kids' health that persist well beyond the resolution of the situation.

Protein that regulates hormones critical to women’s health found in pituitary

January 12, 2009

University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers have solved the mystery surrounding a "rogue protein" that plays a role in the release of neurotransmitters and hormones in the brain.

Kemnitz to step down as Primate Center director

January 9, 2009

Joseph W. Kemnitz, who has led Wisconsin's National Primate Research Center (WNPRC) for more than a decade, announced this week (Jan. 9) that he plans to step down from his position as director of the center and return to the faculty at the end of 2009.

Study: Risky behavior prominent on teen MySpace profiles

January 5, 2009

More than half of adolescent MySpace users mention risky behaviors such as sex, violence or substance use on their personal Web profiles.

Expectant brains help predict anxiety treatment success

January 2, 2009

A network of emotion-regulating brain regions implicated in the pathological worry that can grip patients with anxiety disorders may also be useful for predicting the benefits of treatment.

Clinical trial uses bat saliva enzyme for stroke treatment

December 30, 2008

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.

Cognitive computing: Building a machine that can learn from experience

December 17, 2008

A UW–Madison researcher says the goal of building a computer as quick and flexible as a small mammalian brain is more daunting than it sounds.

Can milk help prevent transplant rejections?

December 5, 2008

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.

Will the economy prompt greater use of generic drugs?

November 6, 2008

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.

Initiative positions Wisconsin to become leader in personalized medicine

October 13, 2008

Wisconsin may soon become an international leader in personalized medicine, a simple concept that has the potential to revolutionize healthcare.

Waterborne disease risk upped in Great Lakes

October 7, 2008

An anticipated increased incidence of climate-related extreme rainfall events in the Great Lakes region may raise the public health risk for the 40 million people who depend on the lakes for their drinking water, according to a new study.

Research team discovers brain pathway responsible for obesity

October 2, 2008

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.

Symbiotic microbes induce profound genetic changes in their hosts

July 28, 2008

Researchers from the UW–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health and the University of Iowa identify a slew of microbe-induced genetic changes in a tiny squid, including a set of evolutionarily conserved genes that may hold the secrets to developing a mutually beneficial relationship.

Blood-related genetic mechanisms found important in Parkinson’s disease

July 21, 2008

A finding by scientists at UW–Madison, Brigham and Women's Hospital and the University of Ottawa may lead to new treatments for Parkinson's disease.