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.
-
Crain’s Chicago Business
–
Northwestern Researchers Home in on Why Rare Autoimmune Disease Recurs, Even After Surgery
Northwestern Medicine researchers may have uncovered a hidden driver of the autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis, or MG, lurking in the thymus — a small organ vital to training immune cells in childhood, but potentially problematic in adulthood.
Dr. Ankit Bharat is the senior author of the study, chief of thoracic surgery and executive director of the Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute. Myasthenia gravis occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the communication point between nerves and muscles, Northwestern Medicine said in a press release.
-
Scientific American
–
Popular Drug Metformin Transforms Your Gut Into a Sugar Sink
Researchers are finally learning the mechanism behind one of the most prescribed medicines in the U.S., primarily used to treat or prevent type 2 diabetes.
For their new study, Northwestern University mitochondrial biologist Navdeep Chandel and his team wanted to figure out how these two ideas fit together: that metformin both causes the gut to absorb more glucose and blocks mitochondria’s oxygen use.
-
CNN
–
The Disinfecting Mistake Many People Make at Home
Disinfectants have their place. Use when there’s a contagious illness in the house and after food preparation.
Yet people often reach for a germ killer first, not realizing it may be unnecessary or ineffective, said microbiologist Erica Hartmann, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, who studies how microbes and chemicals interact.
-
Scientific American
–
Science May Finally Have Made Up Its Mind About Coffee’s Health Benefits
In 2026 alone, studies across disciplines have found that coffee could reduce dementia risk, protect your liver and improve your gut microbiome.
According to geneticist Marilyn Cornelis, scientists are simply conducting research better. Cornelis, who studies the genetics of how we metabolize caffeine at Northwestern University, first became interested in the subject two decades ago because of how many “inconsistencies” the research had.
-
WGN
–
Dr. Jeffrey Kopin: mRNA Flu Vaccine Is Good for Public Health
Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about the FDA approving a new mRNA flu vaccine.
-
ABC 7 Chicago
–
Chicago-Area Shoppers Change Buying Habits Amid Recalls Tied to Foodborne Illness Outbreaks
Some consumers say they are avoiding produce and changing their shopping habits as a series of recalls tied to foodborne illness outbreaks continues across the country.
Northwestern Medicine said it has seen a slight increase in salmonella and cyclospora cases and is urging people to monitor recall notices and wash produce thoroughly. Gastroenterologist Dr. Eugene Yen said people should watch for symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.
-
USA TODAY
–
Feeling Run Down? Everything You Need to Know About CKM Syndrome
Rather than existing in isolation, conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease often develop together, with each making the others more likely and more severe.
To better recognize such connections, doctors have recently introduced the term cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, which can take us “one step closer to understanding the root cause of all vascular disease … to prevent multiple conditions,” says Clyde Yancy, former president of the American Heart Association and chief of cardiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
-
Fox Chicago
–
More Trees, Better Health? Northwestern University Says Tree Canopy Loss Linked to Mortality
Northwestern University just conducted a study about trees in Chicago, saying the more trees you’ve got around, the healthier people seem to be. They went neighborhood by neighborhood, looked at tree cover for 10 years and checked it against over 220,000 death records.
Harrison Garcia led the study and is a medical student at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
-
Chicago Tribune
–
Teen’s Death in North Center Highlights Danger of Electronic Scooters
“The spectrum of these injuries is concerning,” said Dr. George Chiampas, an emergency medicine physician at Northwestern Medicine. “We’re seeing young individuals that are coming in with life-changing injuries that frankly can all be avoided and are avoidable.”
Chiampas said he frequently treats patients who crash their e-scooters and are run over by vehicles after they’re thrown into the street. When a patient survives, recovery can mean days in the intensive care unit before months of rehabilitation.
-
The New York Times
–
Why Are More Young Women Developing Heart Disease?
Young women with high blood pressure are often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Routine checks of your blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and hemoglobin A1C (a measure of average blood glucose levels) are important for assessing risk.
“Knowing your numbers is your most powerful tool,” said Dr. Priya Freaney, director of the Women’s Heart Care program at Northwestern Medicine. “And it’s never too early to start.”
