Category Health & Wellness
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.
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?
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.
Unique whey protein is promising supplement for strict PKU diet
Individuals with a rare genetic condition known as phenylketonuria, or PKU, receive a difficult-to-follow prescription. They must severely limit their consumption of protein, completely avoiding mealtime staples such as meat, cheese and even bread. Not surprisingly, for many, diet is a constant struggle.
ACTION campaign recruits more than 450 treatment agencies
Since its launch in October 2007, the ACTION Campaign affiliated with the University of Wisconsin–Madison and other national groups has already recruited more than 450 agencies to implement one of several simple changes in addiction treatment operations.
Genome study places modern humans in the evolutionary fast lane
Countering a common theory that human evolution has slowed to a crawl or even stopped in modern humans, a new study by UW–Madison researchers examining data from an international genomics project describes the past 40,000 years as a time of supercharged evolutionary change.
Katen-Bahensky named president and CEO of UW Hospital and Clinics
Donna Katen-Bahensky, CEO at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and senior associate vice president for medical affairs at University of Iowa Health Care since 2002, has been named president and CEO of University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. She will join the hospital effective Feb. 4, 2008.
Health toll of climate change seen as ethical crisis
The public health costs of global climate change are likely to be the greatest in those parts of the world that have contributed least to the problem, posing a significant ethical dilemma for the developed world, according to a new study.
UW center will lead efforts to expand farm-to-school programs in Midwest
The Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems at the University of Wisconsin–Madison has been named as lead agency in a six-state area for a new national program to encourage schools to serve more locally grown food.
Primate study shows excess vitamin A can be stored during fetal development
A new University of Wisconsin–Madison study suggests that pregnant women who take some types of vitamin supplements or eat fortified foods may be passing excess vitamin A to their developing fetuses. Reported in the October issue of the Journal of Comparative Medicine, the finding could guide efforts to develop future formulations of vitamins.
Researchers identify key step bird flu virus takes to spread readily in humans
Since it first appeared in Hong Kong in 1997, the H5N1 avian flu virus has been slowly evolving into a pathogen better equipped to infect humans. The final form of the virus, biomedical researchers fear, will be a highly pathogenic strain of influenza that spreads easily among humans.
Study shows autism symptoms can improve into adulthood
Hallmarks of autism are characteristic behaviors - repetitive motions, problems interacting with others, impaired communication abilities - that occur in widely different combinations and degrees of severity among those who have the condition.
Hormone-driven effects on eating, stress mediated by same brain region
A hormone system linked to reducing food consumption appears to do so by increasing stress-related behaviors, according to a new study.
Study reveals possible genetic risk for fetal alcohol disorders
New research in primates suggests that infants and children who carry a certain gene variant may be more vulnerable to the ill effects of fetal alcohol exposure.
UW Badgers, farmers enjoy benefits of whey sports drink
When the University of Wisconsin football Badgers take the field this fall, they will have a secret weapon behind them: Wisconsin's dairy cows.