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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US News & World Report
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Nerve-Cooling Implant Could Ease Pain Without Opioids
Hinting at a future alternative to opioid painkillers, scientists have developed a tiny implant designed to ease post-surgery pain and then dissolve once the job is done. So far, the research has been limited to lab animals, and it will be several years before the technology could be ready for human testing. But the hope is to eventually have an alternative to managing postoperative pain that relies on engineering, rather than drugs, said researcher John Rogers, professor of neurological surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. The implant is made of soft, water-soluble materials that form a cuff that can wrap around a peripheral nerve – the kind that send pain signals from the body to the spine and brain. The device delivers targeted cooling to the nerve, inhibiting those pain signals from reaching the brain. And once it’s no longer needed, the implant dissolves into the body’s fluids. According to Rogers, the implant could potentially provide pain relief after many types of surgery – reducing or even negating the need for painkillers like opioids.
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Crain’s Chicago Business
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With abortion laws shifting, in vitro fertilization providers wonder if they’re next
When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last week, it didn’t affect only people who might want to terminate a pregnancy. It also has those who are trying to have a child through in vitro fertilizations, or IVF, fearing that states might regulate their efforts and their eggs. “If embryo destruction is outlawed, this will have tremendous ramifications for not only the tens of thousands of embryos — and the families who have created those embryos through careful decision-making between the physician and patient — but importantly will have ramifications for the future practice of IVF and the hundreds of thousands of Americans who rely on this technology to build their families,” said Dr. Kara Goldman, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
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WGN
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Device treats pain so opioids don’t have to
There’s a dire need to find alternatives to opioids – the highly effective but highly addictive medications. At a lab at Northwestern University it’s all about tiny devices that make a big impact. From sensors that measure vital signs for babies in the neonatal intensive care unit to devices that track recovery in stroke patients, professor of neurological surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineJohn Rogers’ latest project is pain. “Managing and treating pain is an important part of patient care,” Rogers said. “Drug-based approaches such as those that rely on opioids are spectacularly effective, but they have side effects including extreme levels of addiction. “It’s an implantable device. It’s a soft rubbery device that gently envelops a targeted nerve,” he said. “It could be a nerve bundle it could be an individual nerve fiber.” Encased in flexible polymer, the device is designed to be implanted at the time of a surgery. It stays in the body for days to weeks then dissolves.
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US News & World Report
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AHA News: Sleep Joins Revamped List of Heart Health Essentials
Proper sleep is essential, and a widely used scoring system for heart and brain health is being redefined to reflect that. Since 2010, the American Heart Association has said seven modifiable components – maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, being physically active, eating a health diet and controlling blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar – were key to ideal cardiovascular health. The update is about much more than adding sleep, said Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, chair of the department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “We’re hoping that this will, in fact, be a moment of empowerment, a moment of optimism for people to think positively about their health. And this is a good way for them to measure it today, monitor it over time and focus on ways to maintain and improve it.
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NBC 5 Chicago
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Period Tracking Apps Raise Privacy Concerns in Post-Roe Fallout
Many women use apps on their phones to track their menstrual cycles for various reasons. “We see patients who are just trying to understand when their period might come, trying to get pregnant or trying not to get pregnant,” said Dr. Jessica Walter, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “There is concern that with the criminalization of abortion, this information could be solicited by investigators by officials and then that information could be used potentially against the patient.” Instead of an app, women can use a spreadsheet that is saved directly to your phone or computer.
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CBS Chicago
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Northwestern researchers using new device to teach pregnant women to perform their own ultrasounds
Researchers at Northwestern Medicine are trying to combat complications during pregnancy in Chicago and around the world, but their solution doesn’t involve years of training or fancy machines. By simplifying sonograms, the hope is more women can get them, especially in parts of the world where trained healthcare workers are limited. “In some low- and middle-income countries, we know that, for example, just differentiating a pregnancy inside the uterus from one outside the uterus is a really important early use of ultrasound,” said Amber Watters, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
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New York Times
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Abortion Pills Take the Spotlight as States Impose Abortion Bans
Abortion pills, already used in more than half of recent abortions in the U.S., are becoming even more sought-after in the aftermath of Roe v. Wade being overturned, and they will likely be at the center of the legal battles that are expected to unfold as about half the states ban abortion and others take steps to increase access. This method, known as medication abortion, is authorized by the FDA for use in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. For states that ban all forms of abortion, medical abortion is likely to provide significant enforcement challenges. It is difficult to police activities like sending or receiving pills through the mail. “When people say we’re going back to the days before Roe, there’s no such thing as a time machine – we have a very different pharmaceutical landscape” said Katie Watson, associate professor of medical education, medical social sciences and obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
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Yahoo! News
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How Can Women Get the Abortion Pill Now?
The Supreme Court officially overturned Roe v. Wade today, the legislation that made abortion legal in the United States. More than half the country is expected to outlaw abortion as decisions on the legality of abortions are not left to individual states. The abortion pill is actually two pills – mifepristone, aka RU-486, and misoprostol, says Lauren Streitcher, MD, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology. Mifepristone starts the process of safely terminating a pregnancy by blocking the body’s production of progesterone. Streicher says you can find out your options from the AidAccess website.
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ABC News
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How does overturning Roe affect IVF? Fertility experts sound alarm over Supreme Court Decision
Expert say that because Roe v. Wade was overturned, this could open up the legal terrain for states to interfere with the fertility process known as in vitro fertilization, in which a sperm fertilizes an egg outside the body. “If I were at an IVF clinic, we would be wasting a lot of hours debating, ‘What does this mean? What do we have to do? How do we protect our patients?’” asked Visit W3Schools
Katie Watson, associate professor of medical education, medical social sciences, and obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “So the chilling effect and the limitations on the smart practices of medicine will be significant even if it’s not what legislators intended. -
Crain’s Chicago Business
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Lurie MRI expansion plan
Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is investing $27.7 million into its Streeterville hospital as it looks to build new surgical procedure rooms and finance the installation of an intraoperative MRI machine. According to Sandi Lam, vice chair for pediatric neurological surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, “Building an intraoperative MRI suite aligns with our commitment to patient-centered care for children’s. This technology enables neurosurgeons to perform surgeries with real-time imaging of the brain while the surgery is happening. The only other intraoperative machines in Illinois are in Central DuPage and Peoria.
