UCSF ALS Center’s Founding Director Dies of the Disease He Studied Richard K. Olney, MD Photo courtesy of the ALS Association Richard K. Olney, MD, founding director of the ALS Treatment and Research Center at UCSF and a pioneer in clinical research on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), has died at age 64, following his own eight-year […]

David Brooks: The Social Animal … … Each day’s news brings new findings from the world of brain research, behavioral economics, psychology and the study of the human mind. But what do all these findings add up to? They add up to a new view of human nature and a new vision of how people […]

In lab, Pannexin1 restores tight binding of cells lost in cancer Ties that bind/ Cancerous rat cells (black) expressing the protein Pannexin1 are bound within a strong network of actin (red), while adjacent cells that don’t express Pannexin1 (green) have much less developed actin network around them. (Click image for higher resolution.) / Credit: Brian Bao/Brown University By studying tumor cell […]

How Often Should Women Have Bone Tests? Experts recommend that older women have regular bone density tests to screen for osteoporosis. But it’s been unclear how often to repeat the tests. A study of nearly 5,000 women now reports that patients with healthy bone density on their first test might safely wait 15 years before […]

Manganese May Prevent Toxin Damage A new study suggests that manganese, an essential nutrient, may prevent the deadly effects of Shiga toxin. The finding may lead to cheap, effective treatments for dangerous foodborne Shigella or E. coli infections, which currently affect millions worldwide. Foodborne illness is often caused by bacteria that contaminate raw foods. To healthy people, most of […]

Looking Inside Viruses Since the discovery of the microscope, scientists have tried to visualize smaller and smaller structures to provide insights into the inner workings of human cells, bacteria and viruses. Now, researchers have developed a new way to see tiny structures within viruses. Conventional cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has allowed researchers to image the surface […]

Collaborative ‘Rochester Model’ Gets Spotlight for Hypertension Program Business, health care partnership featured in national medical journal The fast-moving effort led by business leaders, in partnership with healthcare organizations, to make the Finger Lakes region the healthiest community in the country serves as a model for action that other cities could follow, according to a […]

Medical Center Psychiatrist Wins Award for Book on Workplace Violence Michael R. Privitera, M.D., M.S., associate professor of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center, will receive the 2012 Manfred S. Guttmacher Award, which is given for an outstanding contribution to the literature of forensic psychiatry. Privitera, director of the Psychiatry Consultation Service at the Medical […]

Step into American Heart Month with a Winter Walk Event benefits Golisano Children’s Hospital, promotes active lifestyle February is American Heart Month, and what better way to celebrate than outdoors in a winter wonderland? The third annual Winter Walk for Strong Kids, on Sunday, Feb. 5 at the Nazareth College Shults Center, is a fun way for the […]

An afternoon with bedheads and Deadheads Yes, it might seem like sleep researcher William Dement, MD, PhD, and the late Jerry Garcia would make very strange bedfellows. But, that wasn’t the case at a Stanford event on Saturday. There, they blended together – albeit, in a circular way – like a sweet dream in a deep sleep. More than 60 people with […]