Recent News

Brain Networks Change According to TaskUsing a newly released method to analyze functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), Northwestern University researchers have demonstrated that the interconnections between different parts of the brain are dynamic and not static. This and other findings answer long-standing debates about how brain networks operate to solve different cognitive tasks. They are[…]

Delinquent Youth at High Risk for Violent Death By Elizabeth Crown CHICAGO—Plagued by a high rate of homicides, America’s delinquent youth, a group largely composed of poor racial and ethnic minorities, are four times more likely to die—and if they are girls, eight times more likely—than their peers in the general population, according to a[…]

In Memoriam (Richard Evans III) Pediatric allergist Richard Evans III, MD, MPH, professor emeritus of pediatrics, died June 3 in Tucson, Arizona, at age 69. Former head of the Division of Allergy at Children’s Memorial Hospital, Dr. Evans became professor of pediatrics at Northwestern’s medical school in 1987. When he retired in 2003, Dr. Evans[…]

June 1, 2005 Kids Can Be Taught To Cut Down On Unhealthy Food—Except Pizza CHICAGO—Getting kids to eat foods that are good for them—that are lower in saturated fat and cholesterol—is an ongoing challenge for parents, especially for those whose children have elevated cholesterol levels. And even when kids with high cholesterol learn about good[…]

Dr. Philip Greenland Appointed to New Post Philip Greenland, MD, chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine since 1991, will assume the newly created post of executive associate dean for clinical and translational research, effective September 1. Dr. Greenland will step down as department chair but continue as the[…]

Public Health Director Addresses Long-Term Care With age in today’s graying America comes the wisdom that long-term care needs reform. This “demographic imperative” isn’t lost on the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Eric E. Whitaker, MD, MPH, who presented the 11th Annual Eckenhoff Lecture, “Long-term Care in Illinois: Financing, Regulation, and[…]

Protein Essential for Hearing Also Vital for Pain Perception The same protein that “translates” sound into nerve signals to the brain and enables individuals to hear is also required for pain perception, researchers from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine have found. Because the protein, TRPA1, is found in most—about 75 percent—of the body’s pain-perceiving[…]

June 7, 2005 Sleep Loss Affects High Schoolers CHICAGO—Current high school start times deprive adolescents of sleep and force students to perform academically in the early morning, a time of day when they are at their worst, according to a study in the June issue of the journal Pediatrics. Results from high school senior sleep-wake[…]

Clinical Research Conference Features NIH and FDA Leaders The Northwestern Center for Clinical Research presented the 2005 Clinical Research Conference and Career Fair on May 6. More than 450 individuals attended the event, which highlighted the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) “Roadmap for Medical Research,” efforts of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure[…]

Study Finds Unreported Drug ReactionsCHICAGO—A monitoring program developed by a Northwestern University researcher has successfully identified a large number of previously unknown, serious, and often fatal drug reactions associated with 15 commonly used drugs and devices, including Plavix®, thalidomide, and drug-coated cardiac stents. As described in an article in the May 4 issue of the[…]

May 10, 2005 Feinberg Commencement is May 20 Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine will hold graduation ceremonies beginning at 3:30 p.m. Friday, May 20, in the Navy Pier Grand Ballroom. Renowned cardiologist Eugene Braunwald, MD, will be the keynote speaker. Dr. Braunwald is the Distinguished Hersey Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He[…]

Celebrating the Noble Traditions of Medicine The traditions and future promise of medicine were emphasized at the Feinberg School of Medicine’s Graduation Convocation on Friday, May 20. Held in Navy Pier’s Grand Ballroom, the ceremony honoring 168 members of the Class of 2005, drew more than 1,800 friends and family members. As the crowd gathered,[…]

In Memoriam (James Hines) James J. Hines, MD, associate professor emeritus of medicine, died May 17, 2005, of complications from several strokes. He was 78. A resident of Northfield, Illinois, the internist held a reputation as a problem-solver with a strong passion for medicine and an exceptional mechanical acuity. His excellence as a physician and[…]

Annual Report Dissects “Anatomy” of the Feinberg SchoolExamining how the component parts of the Feinberg School of Medicine interconnect to enable success, the school’s 2003–04 annual report, entitled Anatomy, is now available online.The education section highlights students in the MD degree, physical therapy, and genetic counseling programs; Angela Nuzzarello, MD, the new associate dean for[…]

April 12, 2005 Sedentary Lifestyle Impairs Arthritic Elderly CHICAGO—A sedentary lifestyle in older adults with arthritis, particularly women and minorities, is associated with declining ability to perform basic functional tasks of daily living, a Northwestern University study has found. Dorothy D. Dunlop, PhD, and colleagues from the Feinberg School of Medicine and Rehabilitation Institute of[…]

Nursing Mothers Having Surgery—How Long a Wait to Breastfeed Safely? By Elizabeth Crown CHICAGO—Sometimes women who are breastfeeding must undergo surgery requiring general anesthesia or conscious sedation. They understandably want to know when they may safely resume breastfeeding. Because few data exist regarding how much of these drugs is actually excreted in the milk, physicians[…]

Contact: Megan Fellman at (847) 491-3115 or atfellman@northwestern.edu April 26, 2005 Faulty Body Clock Leads to Obesity and Diabetes EVANSTON, Ill.—Obesity and diabetes in both adults and children are rising at alarming rates, and a wide range of culprits—super-sized food portions, lack of exercise due to television and computers, suburban sprawl, l oss of gym[…]

Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center of Northwestern University DedicatedThe Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center of Northwestern University was dedicated on April 21, opening the doors of a new state-of-the-art research and teaching facility at the Feinberg School of Medicine. Taking part in the ceremony on the Chicago campus were Ann Lurie, wife of[…]

April 19, 2005 Many Elderly at Risk for Being Uninsured CHICAGO—Fully 25 percent of Americans will be uninsured at some point during late middle age, greatly increasing their risk for death or a decline in their overall health prior to retiring and becoming eligible for Medicare, finds a study in the April 11 issue of[…]