Recent News

October 21, 2004 Grant to Advance Technologies for Diabetes By Elizabeth Crown CHICAGO—Northwestern University has received a major grant from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) to advance technologies in the field of islet cell replacement for the treatment of type 1 diabetes. Principal investigator on the $1.5 million JDRF program project is Dixon B.[…]

October 19, 2004 Contact: Pat Vaughan Tremmel at 847/491-4892 or atp-tremmel@northwestern.edu Researchers Pinpoint False Memories Formation EVANSTON—False memories are the controversial subject of hotly contested arguments about the validity of repressed memories that can surface years after a traumatic event and about the credibility of eyewitness accounts in criminal trials. Because memories are imperfect under[…]

Stem Cell Biologist John Kessler Argues for Change in Government Policies The controversy over stem cell research continues to grab headlines, especially in this presidential election year. For scientists, the field shows great promise for developing treatments and cures for a wide variety of diseases and conditions. For the general public, the field is often[…]

Young Women with Low Risk Have Lower Death Rate By Elizabeth Crown Young women at low risk for coronary heart disease and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have lower long-term death rates from these diseases and all other causes compared with those with higher risk levels, according to an article in the Oct. 6 issue of the[…]

October 12, 2004 Nobel Winner is Northwestern Researcher CHICAGO—Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine has a connection to the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Nobel laureate Aaron Ciechanover, PhD, who with two other scientists discovered how a protein called ubiquitin within cells targets other proteins to be discarded, is in the second year of a[…]

October 19, 2004 $2.1 Million Grant Funds Parkinson’s Research CHICAGO—Northwestern University has received a three-year, $2.1 million award from the Picower Foundation to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms of Parkinson’s disease. D. James Surmeier, PhD, Nathan Smith Davis Professor and chair of physiology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, is the principal investigator[…]

September 9, 2004 ‘Planned Care’ for Asthma Reduces Kids’ Symptoms CHICAGO— A “planned-care method” of providing primary care for children with asthma can significantly reduce symptoms and the need for emergency medications, according to a study published in the September issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Much of the asthma care in the[…]

Urban Heat Takes Toll on Elderly and Unfit A “hot” time in the city can turn deadly when it comes to heatstroke. In recent years, killer heat waves have taken their toll around the world from Chicago to Paris. And today’s contemporary urban landscape—from concrete buildings to dwindling green space—has only made matters worse, according[…]

Class of 2008 Brings Talent, Diversity Members of the Feinberg School’s Class of 2008 offer a diverse portfolio of achievements and experiences—from climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro to receiving a National Science Foundation fellowship. This year the Office of Admissions received 5,883 applications for the entering class (down slightly from 5,957 in 2003). The 172-member entering class,[…]

Enhancing Musicians’ Medical Care A program launched this fall by Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine and School of Music seeks to improve treatment of elite musicians and educate music students and teachers about the causes and prevention of performance injuries. Says Toni-Marie Montgomery, DMA, School of Music dean, “Few music schools have adequately addressed the[…]

Student Orientation Week Held Starting Monday, August 23, the Feinberg School of Medicine welcomed the Class of 2008 with an array of activities during Orientation Week. Students were introduced to the curriculum and learned about financial aid, professionalism, and student organizations, as well as received basic life support training. Social events included an evening at[…]

Robert Satcher Selected for Top 50 List The editors of Science Spectrum and U.S. Black Engineer & Information Technology have selected Robert L. Satcher, MD, PhD, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at the Feinberg School of Medicine, as one of this year’s “50 Most Important Blacks in Research Science.” Dr. Satcher and other honorees are[…]

September 14, 2004 Researcher Offers Tips for Better Sleep CHICAGO—The 2003 Sleep in America poll by the National Sleep Foundation found that 67 percent of older Americans report trouble sleeping. Sleep for people over 55 often involves waking up several times during the night, not being able to get back to sleep and waking up[…]

September 9, 2004 Broadcast Media: Tamara Kerrill Field at (847) 491-4888 or attlk@northwestern.edu Apparently Normal Teens are Not “Ticking Time Bombs,” Study Finds CHICAGO— Contrary to the psychoanalytic theory that children who appear to be well adjusted as adolescents are actually “ticking time bombs,” most normal teenagers adapt to and benefit from life experiences, a[…]

In Memoriam (Eugene Derlacki) Eugene L. Derlacki, MD, professor emeritus of otolaryngology—head and neck surgery at the Feinberg School of Medicine, died July 21 at a retirement home in Corvallis, Oregon; he was 91. Born and raised in the Chicago area, Dr. Derlacki obtained both his bachelor’s and MD degrees from Northwestern University. He completed[…]

August 25, 2004 Drug-Behavioral Therapy Helps Depressed Teens CHICAGO— Adolescents with major depressive disorder show improvement after treatment that combines the antidepressant fluoxetine (Prozac®) and cognitive behavioral therapy, according to the results of the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS), published in the August 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.[…]

August 12, 2004 Major Grant Renewal Funds Cancer Clinical Studies CHICAGO— Northwestern University has received a six-year renewal grant of $2.9 million from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) through the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG). The grant will fund an extensive portfolio of cancer clinical studies and will be administered by the Robert H. Lurie[…]

August 19, 2004 One in Four Adults at Risk for Irregular Heart Rhythm CHICAGO— One in four adults age 40 and older is at risk for developing a heart rhythm abnormality known as atrial fibrillation. What is worse, many of them may not even know they are having symptoms, according to a study in the[…]