Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Risk Perception in COVID-19 Era

New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 26, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor William Hallman is available for interviews on the science of risk perception and its practical implications in the COVID-19 era – a time of fear and anxiety among millions of…

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Coronavirus Risk from Surfaces, Groceries, Food, Airborne Exposures

New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 26, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Donald W. Schaffner is available for interviews on the likelihood of getting infected by the SARS-CoV-2  coronavirus via surfaces, groceries, eating food and airborne/aerosol transmission. “Current evidence still indicates that risk from surfaces remains…

National Academy of Medicine elects UCI biomedical engineer Kyriacos A. Athanasiou

Irvine, Calif., Oct. 22, 2020 — University of California, Irvine biomedical engineer Kyriacos A. Athanasiou has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine, one of the highest distinctions awarded to professionals in the medical sciences, healthcare and public health. He is one of 90 new U.S.-based members announced this week, along with 10 new international members.

UNLV Physician: Why COVID-19 Makes Flu Shots More Important Than Ever

As the race for a COVID-19 vaccine intensifies, health care officials are reminding the public not to forget another important vaccine this fall: the flu shot. Flu season in the U.S. technically began in September, with illnesses expected to peak in December and February, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Less than half of Americans received a flu vaccine during the 2019-2020 flu season, and a staggering 405,000 hospitalizations and 22,000 deaths were attributed to influenza.

Paul Torrens Health Forum | “The 2020 Presidential Election: What’s at Stake for Health?”

The outcome of the presidential election will determine our nation’s path forward on numerous health and healthcare fronts. As the nation continues to grapple with COVID-19, systemic racism, climate change and other critical public health issues, there’s much at stake. Join us for an insightful session moderated by Gerald Kominski, professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health professor and senior fellow at FSPH’s UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. The program will feature two health policy experts, Dr. Lanhee Chen of the Hoover Institution of Stanford University and Mark Peterson, professor of public policy, political science and law at UCLA, discussing the Democratic and Republican health platforms, their key policy implications, and how each reflects the party’s vision for the nation’s health. An optional small group networking session will follow the webinar.

Healthy Lung Month: Know these pulmonary fibrosis risk factors

October is Healthy Lung Month, an apt time to educate the public about the importance of protecting our lungs against mold, airborne pollutants and smoking – which put hundreds of thousands of Americans at higher risk for pulmonary fibrosis (PF).

Ultrasound Technique Offers More Precise, Quantified Assessments of Lung Health

Researchers have developed a technique that uses ultrasound to provide non-invasive assessments of pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary edema. The technique has been shown to both quantify lung scarring and detect lung fluid in rats. A study on pulmonary edema in humans is under way.

Nearly One in Three Americans Sacrifice Sleep on Election Night

A survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) finds that 32% of Americans are more tired than usual the day after election night. Poor sleep on election night is fueled by later bedtimes, blue light exposure and the physical and mental tolls of election uncertainty amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Seasonal time changes losing favor as U.S. prepares to “fall back”

A recent survey from the AASM found that 63% of Americans support the elimination of seasonal time changes in favor of a national, fixed, year-round time. As the U.S. prepares to “fall back” on November 1, are seasonal time changes losing favor? Medical experts and legislators say yes.

Genetic differences in fat shape men and women’s health risks

New findings about body fat help explain the differing health risks men and women face – and set the stage for better, more targeted treatments.

Neurotic college students could benefit from health education

College students are under a lot of stress, even more so lately due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on certain personality types, especially neurotic personalities, college health courses could help students develop a more positive stress mindset, according to research from faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York.

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Communicating About COVID-19 Vaccine

New Brunswick, N.J. (Sept. 17, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor William Hallman is available for interviews on how to communicate with the public about a potential COVID-19 vaccine. “For a COVID-19 vaccine to be embraced by the public, officials can’t…

FDA Guidance Fails to Ensure Security of 3D-Printed Masks and PPE

New Brunswick, N.J. (Sept. 16, 2020) – FDA guidelines for making 3D-printed masks, face shields and other personal protective equipment (PPE) in the COVID-19 era fail to defend against cyberattacks, according to Rutgers and Georgia Tech engineers. Due to the…

ChopChop Family partners with The Kids Cook Monday and UF/IFAS to offer webinar series

ChopChop Family, The Kids Cook Monday, and University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are partnering to produce a series of free webinars, through the Community of Practice Healthy Food Choices in Schools eXtension, for educators to help support families in making healthful and cost-effective food choices.

Rutgers-Led Project Will Buy 76,000 Oysters From Farmers Struggling During COVID-19 Pandemic

New Brunswick, N.J. (Sept. 10, 2020) – A Rutgers-led project will buy 76,000 oysters from New Jersey oyster farmers who are struggling to sell the shellfish following the shutdown of restaurants and indoor dining as a result of the COVID-19…

Bat Tick Found for the First Time in New Jersey

A tick species associated with bats has been reported for the first time in New Jersey and could pose health risks to people, pets and livestock, according to a Rutgers-led study in the Journal of Medical Entomology. This species (Carios kelleyi) is a “soft” tick. Deer ticks, which carry Lyme disease, are an example of “hard” ticks.

Mindfulness with Paced Breathing and Lowering Blood Pressure

Now more than ever, Americans and people all over the world are under increased stress, which may adversely affect their health and well-being. Researchers explore the possibility that mindfulness with paced breathing reduces blood pressure. One of the most plausible mechanisms is that paced breathing stimulates the vagus nerve and parasympathetic nervous system, which reduce stress chemicals in the brain and increase vascular relaxation that may lead to lowering of blood pressure.

WHEN DOING GOOD BOOSTS HEALTH, WELL-BEING

Performing acts of kindness and helping other people can be good for people’s health and well-being, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. But not all good-hearted behavior is equally beneficial to the giver. The strength of the link depends on many factors, including the type of kindness, the definition of well-being, and the giver’s age, gender and other demographic factors.

How do wildfires affect ecosystems, the atmosphere, & human health? Connecting wildfire fuel to how fires behave & what ends up in the smoke.

What are the effects of wildfires on the ecosystem, the atmosphere, and human health? Through remote sensing, Nancy French, senior research scientist at the Michigan Tech Research Institute, connects wildfire fuel to how fires behave and what ends up in…

Who Could Benefit From Exercise and Behavioral Treatment?

Aerobic exercise clearly benefits young adults with major depression, and a Rutgers-led study suggests it may be possible to predict those who would benefit from behavioral therapy with exercise. Unique to this precision medicine study, published in the journal Psychological Medicine, is an assessment of cognitive control and reward-related brain activity, two facets of brain function that are impaired in people with depression. Like previous studies, this one showed that aerobic exercise helps young adults with major depression.

Rush System Leads The Way in Age-Friendly Care

After Rush University Medical Center was designated as an Age-Friendly Health System, the American Hospital Association developed a case study that took a deep dive into the Rush Center for Excellence in Aging and its successful impact on older adult health care.

Bacteria Can Defuse Dangerous Chemical In Passaic River

Bacteria that can help defuse highly toxic dioxin in sediments in the Passaic River – a Superfund hazardous waste site – could eventually aid cleanup efforts at other dioxin-contaminated sites around the world, according to Rutgers scientists. Their research, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, needs further work to realize the full potential of the beneficial bottom-dwelling microbes.

Quantum Materials Quest Could Benefit From Graphene That Buckles

Graphene, an extremely thin two-dimensional layer of the graphite used in pencils, buckles when cooled while attached to a flat surface, resulting in beautiful pucker patterns that could benefit the search for novel quantum materials and superconductors, according to Rutgers-led research in the journal Nature. Quantum materials host strongly interacting electrons with special properties, such as entangled trajectories, that could provide building blocks for super-fast quantum computers. They also can become superconductors that could slash energy consumption by making power transmission and electronic devices more efficient.

FAU’s ‘Fantastic Four’ Researchers Receive Prestigious NSF CAREER Awards

Four FAU researchers have received the coveted NSF Early Career (CAREER) award for research to develop a low-cost, disposable point-of-care platform to detect current and emerging infectious diseases; for a cognitive screening tool for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease using wearables and a smartphone; for mathematical tools and new ways of coding to enhance cybersecurity; and to better understand how marine animals tune, or dynamically adjust their movements using their skin and skeletons.

Epigenetic Changes in ADNP Syndrome, a Cause of Autism, Do Not Indicate Profound Presentation of the Disorder

A study led by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai found that two different blood epigenetic signatures associated with ADNP syndrome (also known as Helsmoortel-Van Der Aa syndrome) have only a modest correlation with clinical manifestations of the syndrome.

UCI to launch innovative School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Irvine, Calif., Aug. 4, 2020 — As part of a prescription to reshape 21st-century healthcare, the University of California, Irvine is announcing the establishment of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the first public pharmacy school in the Los Angeles-Orange County region and a pillar of UCI’s expanding Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences.

Mount Sinai Researchers Discover Treatment Option for Rare Genetic Disorder

Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine used a novel genetic sequencing technology to identify the genetic cause of—and a treatment for—a previously unknown severe auto inflammatory syndrome affecting an 18-year-old girl since infancy.