Category Health & Wellness
Study to probe how concussion affects young athletes’ academic performance
Researchers from the School of Nursing and School of Medicine and Public Health are launching a pilot study aimed at teasing out the academic effects of concussions on younger athletes. “There is a substantial gap in our knowledge about what is going on with concussion at the high school level and younger,” explains researcher Traci Snedden. Read More
Conference on child sexual abuse addresses growing problem of abusive images
MADISON — There’s a new threat to children called “sextortion,” a byproduct of the digital age. Child protection workers will learn to manage this growing problem at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Conference on Child Sexual Abuse, Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 at Madison Marriott West in Middleton, Wisconsin. Read More
Children of Alzheimer’s Patients Can Be Valuable Resources for Scientists
Researchers are hoping to learn what causes Alzheimer’s and what treatments might be effective by studying people whose families have a history of the disease. Read More
UW-Madison technology enlisted in battle against hepatitis B
A method that emerged from a UW–Madison spinoff company is in clinical trials in Europe, Asia and the United States against the infection, which can destroy the liver. Read More
UW-Madison spinoff gets FDA OK for bacteria-killing wound dressing
Microlyte, patented by Imbed Biosciences, will compete in the $2 billion market sector of "advanced wound dressings," which are used to treat ulcers, burns, bedsores and other difficult wounds. Read More
Mitochondrial maps reveal new connections to poorly understood diseases
Mitochondrial diseases strike about 1 in 4,000 people and there are currently no licensed therapies available beyond treatments with vitamins and supplements. Read More
Botulinum toxin may travel further than expected in nerve cells
Two specific toxins — including the popular drug Botox — have multiple uses for treating many neuromuscular conditions, including frown lines, disabling muscle spasms and migraine headaches. Read More
A panel of biomarkers may predict early Alzheimer’s disease
A new scientific approach may help predict which older adults are more likely to develop cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease well before the onset of dementia, says study author Sterling Johnson. Read More
Wisconsin partnership program awards community improvement grants
MADISON – The Wisconsin Partnership Program at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health has awarded nine grants totaling more than $400,000 to organizations throughout Wisconsin. Read More
Tiny 3-D models may yield big insights into ovarian cancer
With a unique approach that draws on 3-D printing technologies, a team of UW–Madison researchers is developing new tools for understanding how ovarian cancer develops in women. Read More
Study: Working with others can help prevent Alzheimer’s
New research from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention and the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center shows that people whose jobs involve complex interactions with other people fare the best as their brains age. These include jobs that involve mentoring, negotiating or teaching. Read More
Happy hormone’s calcium connection may make cows and humans healthier
Serotonin is best known for eliciting feelings of happiness in the human brain, but scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have found the hormone plays a role in milk production in dairy cows — and may have health implications for breastfeeding women. Read More
Macular degeneration insight identifies promising drugs to prevent vision loss
In tests on mice, drugs that are already on the market prevented damage to the cells that sustain the light-sensitive cells in the eyes. Read More
UW, Purdue scientists solve structure of cold virus linked to childhood asthma
The findings provide the foundation for future antiviral drug and vaccine development against rhinovirus C. Read More
A new whey to manage PKU
Screening and management of PKU has a long and storied connection to Wisconsin. Harry Waisman was instrumental in initiating the testing of infants for PKU and treating individuals with the disorder throughout the state. Read More
Professors named to American Academy of Nursing
Kristine Kwekkeboom researches non-drug therapies to relieve symptoms in cancer patients and serves as the faculty director of the nursing doctorate program. Karen Solheim, an expert in global health, is leading a sweeping curriculum redesign. Read More
A taste of vision: Device translates from camera to brain, via the tongue
The device, patented almost 20 years ago by a visionary UW doctor, is now on the market after a long campaign by the company he founded. Read More
UW connects caregivers with research, tools to help older adults
The School of Nursing is reaching out to share the latest research and best practices to promote health and well-being. Read More
UW-Madison spinoff taking a big bite out of swallowing problems
Swallow Solutions' system sets up a customized therapy program so users can strengthen the tongue and associated swallowing muscles in the throat. Read More
Monkey study shows Zika infection prolonged in pregnancy
Researchers have shown that one infection with Zika virus protects against future infection, though pregnancy may drastically increase the time the virus stays in the body. Read More