The possibility of editing our genes to prevent disease is tremendously exciting, but this interesting article from National Public Radio highlights what a daunting task it is. (The piece also includes the fun tidbit that mitochondria, the powerhouses of our cells, are thought to have once been primitive bacteria that…
Happy new year, everyone. May it bring even more discoveries and breakthroughs than we saw in 2016. Medical research can happen slowly, but each step forward is just that: a step forward.
Jonathan Kipnis is on fire. First his lab discovered a previously unknown connection between the brain and the immune system, then his lab discovered that our immune system can influence our behavior, and now his lab has discovered powerful defenders of the brain that weren't thought to exist. He's pictured…
Dr. Leigh Grossman has a new book out for parents about daycare-acquired infections, and there's an interesting story behind it. She had written a popular book for physicians on the topic, but parents were so hungry for information that they started buying it online. The book clearly wasn't written for…
SHUTi is a neat example of UVA research that has been commercialized and brought to market as a product designed to improve people's health and wellbeing. It's an interactive online program designed to help people with insomnia get better sleep. In short, it works by retraining people in healthy sleep…
Congratulations to Dr. George Bloom (left), of the Departments of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, and Dr. David Brautigan, of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, for their selection as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This fellowship recognizes outstanding efforts to advance the field…