Media Coverage

Surgery directors like flexible schedules for trainees

Anthony Yang, MD, assistant professor of surgery – surgical oncology at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago and colleagues collected the perceptions of the surgical faculty who oversaw the training programs. Where residents had flexible work hours, program directors said the trainees used the time to finish operations and the stabilize patients. Compared to program directors at hospitals with restricted work hours, those with flexible hours overwhelmingly reported more positive effects on patient safety, uninterrupted patient care and freedom for residents to attend educational

A compelling case for hiring someone on the autism spectrum

Employers are increasingly recognizing the potential of individuals with autism—AT&T, Microsoft and the Israeli Army, to name a few. Several companies recently announced the 5,000 Initiative: Autism in Tech Workforce, a national campaign with the aim of employing 5,000 people on the autism spectrum in technology positions by 2020.

Our research and clinical experience suggest that this may only be the start. Indeed, people with autism have unique qualities, including heightened visual perception skills and attention to detail, that can be of great value to employers, especially in fields where innovation is key.

Study: Brain implant lets paralyzed man regain use of hand

Experts who weren’t involved in the project said the results hold promise. Lee Miller of Northwestern University, who has done similar research in monkeys, called the results “an important step” toward developing a tool for helping patients. He agreed that the forearm electrodes would probably have to be implanted, but he said the current approach is “clearly a good starting point.”

Study: Brain Implant Lets Paralyzed Man Regain Use of Hand

Experts who weren’t involved in the project said the results hold promise. Lee Miller of Northwestern University, who has done similar research in monkeys, called the results “an important step” toward developing a tool for helping patients. He agreed that the forearm electrodes would probably have to be implanted, but he said the current approach is “clearly a good starting point.”

Study: Brain implant lets paralyzed man regain use of hand

Lee Miller of Northwestern University, who has done similar research in monkeys, called the results “an important step” toward developing a tool for helping patients. He agreed that the forearm electrodes would probably have to be implanted, but he said the current approach is “clearly a good starting point.”

New Study on Drug Use Confirms What Black People Have Been Saying This Whole Time

A recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that delinquent, non-Hispanic whites are more likely to abuse “hard drugs,” such as cocaine or opiates, than their black counterparts, which might be news for some Americans. But for many blacks across the nation, the study confirms what was already known. “Those findings are striking considering the widely accepted stereotype of African-Americans as the most prevalent abusers of ‘hard drugs,’” Linda A. Teplin, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University and author of the study, said in a statement. “Our findings add to the growing debate on how the war on drugs has affected African-Americans.”

Scientists can 3D print working mouse ovaries. What else can they do?

Northwestern University scientists announced at the Endocrine Society’s national meeting early this month they had 3D-printed prosthetic ovaries that enabled mice — whose natural ovaries had been surgically removed — to ovulate, give birth and nurse. Researchers hope the advancement will help women who lost fertility or hormone function after cancer treatments or who were born with reduced ovarian function.

Discovery Ball celebrates decade of fighting cancer

Ann Lurie, president of the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Foundation, announced that Northwestern Medicine had donated $100,000 to kick off the night’s Raising Hope Challenge. She introduced Dr. Leonidas Platanias, director of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. “Cancer is a disease that goes back 5,000 years, with the discovery of breast cancer,” he said. “Approximately 8 million people die every year from cancer. We need to end this disease once and for all, and with the great advances in technology, we may be able to do it now,” he added.