A $30 million dollar, phase 3 clinical trial is about to begin at Northwestern, investigating whether exercise can slow Parkinson’s disease progression. Daniel Corcos, PhD, a professor of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences is leading the trial and explains what he hopes to accomplish.

Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States, with more than 100,000 new cases diagnosed every year. Surgery is often the primary treatment. A new Northwestern Medicine study shows patients whose surgery was performed by a highly skilled surgeon had a 70 percent lower risk of dying over five years compared to patients with a lower skilled surgeon. 

A rare blood disorder related to people missing a protein, called PAI-1, was identified in a small Amish community. Douglas Vaughan, MD, studies the community and found that those without the protein seem to live longer and healthier lives. Now a PAI-1 inhibitor drug will be used for the first time in the U.S. in a clinical trial for people with COVID-19.

As flu season begins and COVID-19 continues to spread, Michael Ison, MD, is here to share some of his latest findings. He is part of Northwestern research teams running studies both on COVID-19 and on influenza vaccines and treatments.

Millions of people are now living with COVID-19 and their long-term outcomes are unknown. Northwestern’s Jeffrey Linder, MD, says more research studies on this group are needed to provide better information about COVID-19 care before, during and beyond the hospital.

A team of Northwestern scientists have come together from across disciplines to develop a COVID-19 antibody test designed for at-home use. Elizabeth McNally, MD, PhD, is part of the team working on this test to determine prior exposure to the virus.

Although COVID-19 doesn’t necessarily discriminate, some communities are far more susceptible to the disease. People who are black or African-American are more likely to contract the virus – and to die from it. Clyde Yancy, MD, discusses reasons for these outcomes and the need to fully address health care disparities in America.

Monitoring patients and frontline health care workers for symptoms of COVID-19 could get much easier with a small wireless sensor developed by scientists at Northwestern and the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. Northwestern’s John A. Rogers, PhD, explains.

While the world anxiously awaits a vaccine for COVID-19, some physicians on the front lines are trying new or repurposed therapies in an effort to help COVID patients. Benjamin Singer, MD, a Northwestern physician-scientist, discusses his experiences in the ICU during this time and his recently published letter warning against the use of unproven therapies.