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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NBC News
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Respiratory illnesses on the rise across U.S. as millions gather for holiday weekend
As millions of people gather for the holiday weekend, health officials are reporting that respiratory illnesses are on the rise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said weekly flu hospital admissions are increasing and Covid-19 cases are also rising across the United States. Marc Sala, MD works in the ICU and is an assistant professor of pulmonary and critical care at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, “we have to be prepared for ongoing cases coming into the ICU. There is a cornucopia of all these viruses, that we have known before, that have come back, and also the COVID that we were dealing with before.” He continues to encourage everyone to get vaccinated, wash your hands, wear your mask and not touching your eyes to keep yourself and others around you safe this holiday season.
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Chicago Tribune
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AI model developed by Northwestern researchers could suggest better treatment plans for breast cancer patients
Mohamed Tageldin has worked at the intersection of artificial intelligence and pathology, the study and diagnosis of diseases, for six years. Tageldin, a resident physician at Northwestern University’s McGaw Medical Center, is part of a team of researchers that has developed an artificial intelligence model to more precisely predict long-term outcomes for breast cancer patients. At a time when some industries are shying away from and questioning the use of AI in daily work, those in the medical field are leaning into the support the technology can provide to doctors. Researchers found that with current prognosis methods used by pathologists, some patients are placed into higher-risk categories when, in reality, the patients could undergo shorter and less intense treatment plans. “For those people we recategorize, we could reduce the duration or intensity of their chemotherapy, and hopefully, achieve the same clinical outcome with less side effects,” said study co-author Lee Cooper, PhD. Cooper, an associate professor of pathology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said the algorithm assesses patients differently from human pathologists and previous models by studying both cancerous and noncancerous cells — such as immune cells — in a prognosis.
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ABC News
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Some people opt to pause drugs used for weight loss over the holidays. Is it safe?
Clinical studies show users of weight loss medications can lose between 5% and 20% of their body weight on the medications over time. Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are all injectable medications that are typically prescribed to be taken once per week. Side effects of the drugs can include severe nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipationVeronica Johnson, an obesity medicine specialist at Northwestern Medicine, told “GMA” that while there are no known long-term side effects of pausing and restarting the medications, doing so may lead to increased side effects such as increased appetite and nausea, as well as weight gain. “If a patient skips their medication for one to two weeks, there is a potential for them to have some increased side effects,” said Johnson, who does not treat Winfrey, Svensson or Kelly. “They might not see those improvements in their hunger and appetite, and so they’ll inevitably eat more and that may contribute to some weight gain.” It is advised to consult a physician before stopping weight loss medications to minimize the risk of side effects.
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Chicago Tribune
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‘Tripledemic’? Local medical experts urge vaccination as COVID, flu and RSV hospitalizations spike nationwide.
As COVID-19 hospitalizations rise across large swaths of Illinois and the nation, only about 11% of Chicago residents are up to date on vaccination against the virus. The combination is concerning many health officials as respiratory virus season amps up and the Christmas and New Year holidays approach. Medical experts are also alarmed by a simultaneous rise in recent hospitalizations for other respiratory illnesses like RSV and the flu, with the CDC issuing an “urgent need” to raise vaccination coverage against all three viruses nationwide. The “relatively good news is that the virus is not as virulent as it once was” and the public now has more immunity from vaccinations and previous infections, said Elizabeth McNally, MD, PhD, director of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Center for Genetic Medicine. “So most infections are limited. Hospitals still have to take precautions, and having an infection is going to be worse in people with chronic illness or people with immunosuppression,” she added. “Hospitals are still operating at very high capacity, so please be patient with your health care providers.”
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Yahoo! News
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What mice in VR googles can tell us about our brains
Lab mice strapped to mini virtual reality googles are roaming through digital mazes in the latest breakthrough in neurobiology. And they hae a lot to teach us about how memory works. In pursuit of identifying the neurons in the brain that form memories, a team of researchers led by Daniel Dombeck, PhD, a professor in the university’s department of neurobiology, created miniature VR goggles to place on lab mice to study how they remember navigational cues when traversing digital mazes. “The most advanced instruments to image brain activity are large, table-top devices that cannot be carried around on a mouse’s head as they move through the environment. So instead, we hold the mouse’s head still under the large microscopes (so we can study their brains), and we let them run on a treadmill mounted under their limbs,” Dombeck said. He added that the movements of the treadmill move the animal through a virtual world displayed in the goggles, complete with twisting mazes and depictions of predators like owls. “With this set-up, we can then use our cutting-edge microscope systems to study brain activity during navigation,” Dombeck said. “We are trying to identify the exact neurons in the brain that are forming memories of the mazes, and in those neurons, we are trying to identify which synapses are being modified to form the memories and through what mechanisms those synapses are modified.”
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NPR
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Research shows a big increase in children taking melatonin.
New research shows a big increase in children taking melatonin to help with sleep. Pediatricians warn the long-term effects of the hormone supplement aren’t known. Nia Heard-Garris, MD is an assistant professor of pediatrics (advanced general pediatrics and primary care) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and says she understands why desperate parents turn to melatonin to help their kids sleep. “I’m also a mom, so for all the parents out there with kids that have sleep issues, I get it.” However, she says given all the unknowns, the focus needs to be on sleep hygiene first, things like turning off screens at least an hour before bedtime, using blackout shades and not letting kids stay up more than an hour or two past their normal bedtime on weekends and vacations. “Now, if we’re at a situtation that we have tried everything – they’ve seen a sleep specialist; you know we’ve kind of done all the things – then I will prescribe melatonin.” Heard-Garris says parents should definitely talk to their pediatrician before giving kids melatonin because it’s possible to give too much. Signs of an overdose in kids include irritability, headaches, stomach pains and dizziness and severe drowsiness.
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WGN Chicago
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Doctor warns against using weight loss drugs without medical supervision
There are several medications approved by the FDA weight loss and/or diabetes. However, there have been overdoses and illnesses from improper use. “There are side effects, like any medication. It can slow down the way your stomach empties so people can feel nausea if you don’t do it correctly, or dose it correctly according to how your physician told you, you can throw up,” said Nidhi Kansal, MD, health system clinician of medicine (general internal medicine) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She continues about the importance of drug safety and using these drugs for the right reasons. “It’s not for aesthetics, it is about pure health, so it should be a discussion between you and your clinician on what is the reason for taking this.” Weight loss drugs aren’t new, but with increased accessibility it’s important to be in communication with your healthcare provider to avoid misuse or dosing accidents.
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The Washington Post
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VR goggles aren’t just for people. Scientists built mini ones for mice.
Last week, Northwestern researchers revealed that they had created virtual reality lenses — each of which are 12 millimeters in diameter — that engross mice in virtual surroundings they believe are real. Researchers hope the goggles will expand findings on how mice and human brains process fear, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. “As crazy as mouse goggles sound, this is exactly the sort of research that eventually trickles down to discoveries that have impacts on human health and disease,” researcher Daniel Dombeck told The Washington Post. Dombeck is a professor of neurology and neuroscience at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “Our understanding of the brain is limited by technology,” Dombeck said. “And almost every time something new is invented to study the brain or behavior … we almost always find something new and unexpected.”
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TIME
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After Recalls and Infections, Experts Say Safer Eyedrops Will Require New FDA Powers
When you buy eyedrops at a U.S. store, you might assume you’re getting a product made in a clean, well-maintained factory that’s passed muster with health regulators. But repeated recalls involving over-the-counter drops are drawing new attention to just how little U.S. officials know about the conditions at some manufacturing plants on the other side of the world—and the limited tools they have to intervene when there’s a problem. The Food and Drug Administration is asking Congress for new powers, including the ability to mandate drug recalls and require eyedrop makers to undergo inspections before shipping products to the U.S. “These are very rare instances, but what we’ve seen is that these products can cause real harm,” said Timothy Janetos, MD, an ophthalmologist at Northwestern University. “Something needs to change.”
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HealthDay
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Heart Attacks Spike During Holidays: Tips to Protect Yourself
Late December is typically a time when holiday stress and winter weather can collide, creating a perfect recipe for a rise in heart attacks and stroke. “When we look across the year in terms of heart attack rates, what we see is fairly constant rates week by week with two exceptions: One is that there’s a broad, shallow dip in summer months and, two, there is a very short spike of about 30 to 40% in the last couple weeks of the year between Christmas and New Year’s,” said cardiologist Donald Lloyd-Jones, MD, chair of the department of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “During the holiday season, there are different stresses like dealing with your in-laws and travel arrangements that may add stress,” he explained in a Northwestern news release. “We’re often knocked off our eating and sleeping patterns, we tend to consume more alcohol, we’re not pursuing our typical physical activity and we may get thrown off our medication schedule.” If you experience any symptoms including face drooping, arm or leg weakness on one side or speech difficulty it’s time to dial 911. “If there’s any doubt, get checked out in person. At best, hopefully you are aborting a heart attack or stroke,” he said. “Time is heart muscle, time is brain cells, and so time is of the essence. The sooner you seek help in that situation, the sooner we can save your life or brain.”
