Media Coverage

Northwestern University professor Chad A. Mirkin was recognized today (Feb. 11) with the prestigious 2016 Dan David Prize in the Future Time Dimension for his trail-blazing breakthroughs in nanoscience that hold great promise for improvement of our world.

Training on specific drug interactions in medical schools is lacking because of time constraints and the vast number of hazardous combinations, said Dr. Alfred George, chair of the pharmacology department at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Doctors also are not required to demonstrate knowledge of drug interactions to state licensing boards or when seeking hospital credentials, he said. “New drugs are hitting the market every day, and clinicians rarely have time to read all the literature on the drugs they prescribe,” George said.

“Is the virus still there? We don’t know the answer,” said Jampol. “Could there be a reaction in the future? We don’t know the answer to that either. This is a very important study showing us that retina damage is done but much more work needs to be done.”

A journal editorial by two Northwestern University eye specialists notes that infections other than Zika have been linked with similar eye problems, and calls the potential link with Zika “presumptive.” Drs. Lee Jampol and Debra Goldstein say it’s unclear if the eye lesions found in the study occur in babies without microcephaly, so they don’t recommend routine eye tests in all babies in Zika-infested regions.

A journal editorial by two Northwestern University eye specialists notes that infections other than Zika have been linked with similar eye problems, and calls the potential link with Zika “presumptive.” Drs. Lee Jampol and Debra Goldstein say it’s unclear if the eye lesions found in the study occur in babies without microcephaly, so they don’t recommend routine eye tests in all babies in Zika-infested regions.

ther recipients this year are historians Inga Clendinnen, Catherine Hall, and Arlette Farge, and scientists Paul Alivisatos, Chad Mirkin and John Pendry.

Previous recipients include former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Chad Mirkin, a star researcher at Northwestern University, is among three winners of a $1 million prize for his work in nanotechnology and medicine. Mirkin, a serial entrepreneur and director of Northwestern’s International Institute for Nanotechnology, is one of three winners of the Dan David Prize, a program at Tel Aviv University, which gives awards for outstanding achievements in the three time dimensions: past, present and future.

However, Dr. Lee Jampol and Dr. Debra Goldstein, from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, pointed out in an accompanying journal editorial that microcephaly may have several causes. The birth defect may be genetic, metabolic, drug-related or due to problems during pregnancy such as malnutrition, infection or lack of oxygen.

“Based on current information, in our opinion, clinicians in areas where Zika virus is present should perform ophthalmologic examinations on all microcephalic babies,” Dr. Lee M. Jampol, a professor of opthalmology at Northwestern University wrote in an editorial in Wednesday’s medical journal. “Because it is still unclear whether the eye lesions occur in the absence of microcephaly, it is premature to suggest ophthalmic screening of all babies born in epidemic areas.”

However, Dr. Lee Jampol and Dr. Debra Goldstein, from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, pointed out in an accompanying journal editorial that microcephaly may have several causes. The birth defect may be genetic, metabolic, drug-related or due to problems during pregnancy such as malnutrition, infection or lack of oxygen.