Recent News

July 18, 2006 Drug Study Under Way for Lung Cancer CHICAGO—The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University will assess the use of Avastin® (bevacizumab) in squamous non–small cell lung cancer. Bevacizumab is an antibody that binds with vascular endothelial growth factor, which regulates angiogenesis, or blood vessel growth, and inhibits the growth[…]

Malaria Parasite, Potato Famine Pathogen Share Trait CHICAGO—The malaria parasite that infects humans and the Irish potato famine pathogen use the same strategy to inject disease-causing proteins into the cells of their respective hosts. That’s what researchers from Northwestern University and Ohio State University reported in the May 31 issue of the journal PLoS Pathogens.[…]

July 11, 2006 Physical Activity Extends Life of Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease CHICAGO—Patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) who are physically active have death rates less than one third of those in PAD patients who are inactive, according to research reported in the July issue of the journal Circulation. “We found that a survival[…]

Mittal Leads New Department of Radiation Oncology The ranks of Feinberg School departments has grown to 25 with the addition of the Department of Radiation Oncology. Formerly a division of the radiology department, the new department is led by Bharat B. Mittal, MD, GME ‘80, professor and faculty member since 1985. “The goals of the[…]

Garbes Honored as Employee of the Year Eleni Garbes, Employee of the Year for the Chicago campus (right), and finalist Andrena Logan. The University recently recognized a Feinberg School employee in its selection of outstanding staff members from both the Evanston and Chicago campuses. Honored on May 3 at Northwestern’s annual staff recognition luncheon held[…]

Contact: Megan Fellman at (847) 491-3115 or atfellman@northwestern.edu Researchers Link Brain Region to Fly Slumber EVANSTON, Ill.—Researchers at Northwestern University have pinpointed a brain area in flies that is crucial to sleep, raising interesting speculation over the purpose of sleep and its possible link with learning and memory. In a paper published June 8 by[…]

Laimins Named Microbiology–Immunology Chair Laimonis A. “Lou” Laimins, PhD, professor of microbiology—immunology and a faculty member at Northwestern University’s medical school since 1994, has been appointed department chair, effective June 1. He had served as interim chair since January 2004. Born in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, Dr. Laimins earned his BS degree in physics from Case Western[…]

June 2, 2006 Northwestern Researchers Work on Regeneration of Limbs Over six to eight weeks the newt can regenerate a limb after injury, as shown here in a sequence where the lighter color represents the newly formed forelimb. CHICAGO—Partial or complete loss of digits or limbs and deforming disabilities resulting from serious illness profoundly affect[…]

Tattoos and Piercings Go Mainstream, but Risks Continue CHICAGO—Almost a fourth of men and women between ages 18 and 50 currently sport a tattoo, and almost 15 percent have at least one body piercing, according to a survey from Northwestern University. Survey results were published in the June issue of the Journal of the American[…]

May 2, 2006 Contact: Megan Fellman at (847) 491-3115 or atfellman@northwestern.edu Discoveries Should Aid Research into Cause of ALS EVANSTON, Ill.—Two teams of researchers at Northwestern University have found a novel pathological hallmark of the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the molecular level. The neurologists and biochemists show how and why the mutated[…]

May 18, 2006 Program Launched to Treat Skin Problems from Anticancer Drugs CHICAGO—Northwestern University has launched the nation’s first program to treat skin conditions resulting from anticancer drugs. The Cancer Skin Care (Cancer Study of Chemotherapy-Induced Cutaneous Adverse Reactions) Program was established to develop research and clinical management strategies for skin conditions in cancer patients[…]

Children’s Memorial Hospital to Move to StreetervilleAfter reviewing various sites in the city of Chicago, Children’s Memorial Hospital’s (CMH) board of directors voted unanimously on April 4 to begin planning for a $800 million replacement hospital in the Streeterville area. This would place the Feinberg School of Medicine and its primary pediatric teaching hospital (affiliated[…]

Graduates Sent Off to Next Phase of Medical Careers On a cool spring day, with vistas of the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan around them, 143 members of the Class of 2006 at the Feinberg School of Medicine received their MD degrees during graduation ceremonies held May 19 at Navy Pier. Eight other graduates did[…]

Health Care Fraud Growing, Says Lisa Madigan As attorney general of Illinois, Lisa Madigan serves as the “people’s lawyer,” protecting consumers from fraudulent practices, recovering restitution on their behalf, and educating them about emerging scams. So why was she the keynote speaker at the Buehler Center on Aging’s long-term care conference held May 22 at[…]

May 9, 2006 Genetic Risk Factor for Prostate Cancer DiscoveredCHICAGO—Scientists from The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University participated in the discovery of a common genetic variant that predisposes men to prostate cancer. The gene discovery is described in a study in the online issue of Nature Genetics and will appear in[…]

May 2, 2006 University Receives $3.5 Million in Stem Cell Grants EVANSTON—Northwestern University has received almost $3.5 million in grants from the State of Illinois that will fund three stem cell research projects. The awards came from the Illinois Regenerative Medicine Institute (IMRI), which issues grants to medical research facilities for the development of treatments[…]

March 28, 2006 Magnesium-Rich Diet May Reduce Metabolic Syndrome Risk CHICAGO—A magnesium rich-diet may help reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome and, perhaps, a heart attack or diabetes, Northwestern University researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk factors, including excess waist[…]

April 4, 2006 Early Diagnosis Important in Muscle Disorder CHICAGO—Dermatomyositis, a rare, debilitating inflammatory disease, should be diagnosed and treated promptly in children, Northwestern University researchers recommend. Dermatomyositis is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks muscle and skin, often causing an extensive rash, as well as progressive, severe muscle weakness, pain,[…]

Michael Ravitch Lecture Series Takes Off When long-time Northwestern medical educator Michael M. Ravitch, PhD, suffered a stroke in 1997, he was catapulted into the world of the disabled. Upon his death in 2004, his family and friends established a lecture series in his memory to recognize three things: His many contributions to medical education—he[…]