Category Health & Wellness
Termite gut holds a secret to breaking down plant biomass
In the Microbial Sciences Building at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the incredibly efficient eating habits of a fungus-cultivating termite are surprising even to those well acquainted with the insect’s natural gift for turning wood to dust.
UW treats first participant in trial of stem-cell therapy for heart failure
A research team at University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health has treated its first patient in an innovative clinical trial using stem cells for the treatment of heart failure that develops after a heart attack.
Genetics and stress interact to shape human health and well-being
Scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Waisman Center have shown one way in which human genetics and chronic stress interact to shape health and well-being later in life.
Morgridge, UW researcher scores in cancer research ‘lightning round’
Scientists get funded for their ideas through a marathon grant-writing process, scores of collaborators, weeks of information gathering and a final product that often tops 250 pages. Melissa Skala’s experience was different: two people, 250 words, in 24 hours.
Protein’s flexibility helps its response to diverse pollutants
How some industrial pollutants or abnormal levels of cellular metabolites contribute to diverse human diseases is now more clearly understood, based on a new study from the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center (UWCCC) and the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research.
Bacterial supermachine reveals streamlined protein assembly line
Biochemists from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Biophysical Chemistry in Germany have revealed the defined architecture of what is called the “expressome.”
Antibiotic alternatives, delivered by friendly microbes
A University of Wisconsin–Madison professor is looking to probiotics as a way to sneak in antibiotic-free treatment for Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, a resilient gastrointestinal pathogen.
Madison company obtains FDA approval for sleep-data software
Ensodata, a UW–Madison spinoff that sifts through mountains of data from studies at sleep centers, received approval from the Food and Drug Administration on April 11 for its main product to be a medical device.
Athletes’ treat
It's still ice cream, but it's so much more. UW Athletics has teamed up with the Babcock Dairy Plant on campus to add and subtract ingredients to produce a variety with performance and recovery benefits for student-athletes — and all the flavor of real ice cream.
‘KinderMining’: Tackling big data sets by keeping things simple
A Morgridge Institute for Research team has unleashed a fast, simple and predictive text-mining tool that may turbocharge big biomedical pursuits such as drug repurposing and stem cell treatments.
Ozaukee is state’s healthiest county, new rankings show
Ozaukee County again ranks healthiest in Wisconsin, according to the eighth annual County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, released today by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
Professor honored by American Academy of Microbiology
David Andes researches antibiotic resistance, aiming to understand how pathogens resist treatment and how to overcome their defenses.
Researchers gain insight into day-to-day lives of parents raising children with autism
A new study led by Sigan Hartley looks at the daily experiences of these parents to provide a more detailed picture of the strengths and vulnerabilities of couples raising a child with ASD.
Parsley and other plants lend form to human stem cell scaffolds
The result could one day be an efficient, inexpensive and scalable technology for making tiny structures to repair muscle, organs and bone using stem cells.
Surgeon honored for work in orthopedics, sports medicine
The American Medical Women’s Association will honor Dr. Tamara Scerpella with its Woman in Science Award, recognizing her contributions to medical science, through basic research, publications and leadership in the field.
Smartphone technology could combat workplace injuries
Researchers may be able to harness relatively simple technological tools to create a solution that is easy, efficient and economically viable.
Researchers make headway toward understanding Alexander disease
The new finding by the UW–Madison Waisman Center could change the way scientists think about and try to solve the rare, fatal disorder.
App offers fast track for inserting photos into medical record
Two UW radiologists founded ImageMoverMD, a Middleton business that streamlines image processing in hospitals and clinics, and enables quick consultations between specialists.
University Ridge offers a ski course for the public
“Madison embraces skiing,” says G. Michael Gaspard, general manager of University Ridge. “We are open to the public, we are a resource to help keep people active year-round, and we’ll take as many people as we can get.”
Study shows stem cells fiercely abide by innate developmental timing
Scientists from the Morgridge Institute for Research and UW–Madison are studying whether stem cell differentiation rates can be accelerated in the lab and made available to patients faster.