Media Coverage
The work done by Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine faculty members (and even some students) is regularly highlighted in newspapers, online media outlets and more. Below you’ll find links to articles and videos of Feinberg in the news.
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WGN
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Dr. Jeffrey Kopin: Ebola outbreak is not over
Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about the death of Kyle Busch, what we should know about sepsis, the latest on the Ebola outbreak in Africa, and if we need to be concerned about Lyme disease in Illinois.
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ABC News
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College Athlete’s Wisdom Tooth Surgery Leads to Leukemia Diagnosis
What was expected to be a standard wisdom tooth extraction led to a shocking medical discovery for 21-year-old Wisconsin volleyball athlete Kendall Schara after doctors uncovered a leukemia diagnosis.
After a month of chemotherapy, Kendall needed a stem cell transplant. Her little sister Elle was a perfect match. “The chances of any sibling being a full match is 25%,” said Kendall’s doctor, Dr. Kehinde Adekola, Hematologist at Lurie Cancer Center.
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CBS News Chicago
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Chicago Couple Doing their Best to Stay Strong as Husband Battles ALS
Puvathingal was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, on July 9, 2025. ALS is a fatal neuro-muscular disease. It affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control the ability to move, walk, and talk.
“Cecil is a dynamic guy. He came into this, and was like, ‘I’m going to keep fighting. What tools can I get?’” Dr. John M. Coleman III at Northwestern Medicine said. “My responsibility as his physician and his friend is to make sure that I’m thinking one step ahead so that he can keep playing the game as long as he can, and be successful; not just be part of the game, sitting on the bench, but actually in the game and living life.”
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The Hill
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How little screen time should your kids have? Federal report offers guidance
On Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a new warning about screen time for children, emphasizing the impacts it can have on their sleep and mental health.
Dr. Courtney Blackwell, an associate professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told CNN that research does not definitively “suggest screen time causes harm in and of itself.” She went on to say that you shouldn’t “panic” over your child’s screen usage.
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The Washington Post
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The App that Helped Me Manage My Jet Lag
In 2018, Timeshifter was released with the promise to reduce jet lag using “science-backed tips.” Those tips are delivered to users via a personalized “jet lag plan” that’s generated using their trip information and a few personal details (i.e. age, sleep patterns).
“The most powerful resetting tool is light,” said Clara B. Peek, an assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular genetics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, whose lab studies disruptions of the circadian clock.
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CNN
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New Surgeon General’s Advisory Raises Alarm About Screen Time Risks for Kids and Teens
The relationship between screens and children’s health remains complex, said Dr. Courtney Blackwell, an associate professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
“That’s not to say on an individual level, some children in some contexts with some pre-existing conditions may experience some kind of challenges when it comes to screen use and mental health or physical health. But at the population level, the research is not definitive, I would say, to suggest screen time causes harm in and of itself,” Blackwell said.
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NBC Chicago
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Which Sunscreen Is Best? Experts Share Their Tips and Top Choices
Harmful UV radiation accumulates over a lifetime of exposure, and sunscreen is one of the best ways to protect skin from sunburn, premature aging and the risk of skin cancer.
“UV radiation number is the biggest modifiable risk factor for skin cancer,” said Dr. Victor Quan, a dermatologist at Northwestern Medicine. In addition to “broad spectrum” protection, Quan says SPF matters.
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Fox Chicago
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Northwestern Study Explores Asthma Drug as Possible Treatment for Aggressive Cancers
Dr. Bin Zhang from Northwestern Medicine discusses new research suggesting the asthma medication Singulair could help fight aggressive forms of cancer alongside existing treatments.
“We tried to figure out how the immune system actually failed in the cancer patient. We see hope because this is already an FDA-approved drug, and I think it will safely and quickly move into clinical trials.”
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NBC Chicago
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‘Silent killer:’ A New Kind of Blood Pressure Medication Was Just Approved by the FDA
A new blood pressure medication has been approved in the U.S., but this one isn’t quite like others that help treat hypertension. Dr. Sadiya Khan, a cardiologist at Northwestern Medicine, told NBC Chicago the new drug is “really exciting for anyone that has high blood pressure.”
“There aren’t a lot of therapies that can really target that hormone specifically, and this appears to do so in a very effective way with numbers where we were seeing about 10 points lower blood pressure in the clinical trials,” Khan said.
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Fox Chicago
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Heart Disease May Start in the Womb, New Study Finds
A new report reveals that a child’s future heart health could be partially shaped before they are born.
“Before this study, we knew that mothers’ health during pregnancy influenced their children’s health,” Dr. Nilay Shah, a lead researcher of the study told FOX Local. “What our study shows is that the child’s exposure to these cardiovascular and metabolic conditions while in utero may influence their heart health decades later when they are young adults.”
