July 4: Beware Burns and Injuries from Fireworks, Campfires, Grills It’s a daunting statistic: More than half of the 11,000 injuries annual injuries associated with fireworks and grill fires occur within the first week of July, according to the National Fire Data Center. The encouraging news: Most of these accidents could have been avoided entirely just […]

For the Love of His Kids: Father Achieves Amazing Weight Loss, Stronger Heart With Father’s Day just behind us, it seems fitting to share a story about a man whose love for his kids inspired a dramatic, 225-pound weight loss. George Sparrow Jr. (pictured right) weighed more than 400 pounds when he began to lose weight. He struggled […]

WHO Adds Cell Phones to Long List of Potential Carcinogens: Now What? In May, the World Health Organization announced that it had added cell phone radiation to a long list of possible cancer-causing agents. But with no new evidence to point to – the 31-scientist team worked exclusively off previously published data – many people are […]

Get the Lead Out: Understanding – and Avoiding – Lead Poisoning Big box home improvement stores have thrown down the gauntlet, holding summertime paint sales that practically begyou to renovate. But don’t reach for that scraper just yet. If you’re living in a home built before 1978 (if you live in Rochester, the chances are good, considering […]

Pesticides: Pursuing that Lush, Lovely Lawn Darn you, dandelion. As summer unfurls in upstate New York, homeowners seek ways to keep lawns and newly mulched flower beds weed- and pest-free. But do we too often reach for chemicals to help our horticultural pursuits? And what are the lingering health concerns with residential pesticides anyway? If a […]

Could Your Coffee Habit Protect You from Some Cancers?   Already this month, two studies have published in prominent cancer research journals suggesting that your daily cup(s) of joe could play a role in keeping certain cancers at bay. But don’t run for a refill just yet, says cancer epidemiologist Dr. Susan Fisher. There’s a […]

Your Cup of Joe: Could it Ward Off Cancers? Already this month, two studies have published in prominent cancer research journals suggesting that your daily cup(s) of joe could play a role in keeping certain cancers at bay. Specifically, the first study – published in Breast Cancer Research – showed that Swedish women who drank five or more […]

Could Sugar Supercharge Some Antibiotics? While modern medicine boasts more and more implantable devices – items like urinary catheters, heart valves, even artificial hips – it’s important to note that these novel products carry some unique risks. One in particular has to do with infection. It turns out that everyday bacteria have a nasty habit of buildingeven hardier colonies […]

A Blow to the Head: Understanding the Full Impact of Brain Injuries A blow to the head might elicit more than a two-day headache. As more and more studies probe the link between repeat concussions and potential long-term effects (such as an Alzheimer’s-type dementia), it seems there may be more to the injury – on a […]

URMC Biochemistry Professor Elected to National Academy of Sciences Lynne E. Maquat Receives Top Scientific Honor University of Rochester Medical Center Professor Lynne E. Maquat, Ph.D. has been elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences – one of the highest honors possible for any scientist – for her exceptional work in the field […]