A Promising Drug for Alzheimer's Disease with William Klein, PhD, and Richard Silverman, PhD
Release Date: 07/07/2025
What is the Genetic Overlap Between Autism and Schizophrenia? with Peter Penzes, PhD
Breakthroughs
In this episode, Peter Penzes, PhD, director of the Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, discusses a recent discovery of a schizophrenia biomarker and how this research could one day offer earlier diagnosis, more precise treatment, and better outcomes for patients. Learn more about how the field of neurodevelopmental research has evolved over the past decade with major advances in genetics, brain imaging and laboratory models. Large genomic studies have uncovered many more genes associated with risk of...
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How a Tiny Device Could Transform Fetal Surgery with Aimen Shaaban, MD
Breakthroughs
Fetal surgery can be lifesaving for babies diagnosed with complex conditions before birth, but it comes with significant challenges, including limited ability to monitor the fetus in real time. A Northwestern Medicine team has developed a first-of-its-kind flexible probe, designed for continuous real-time fetal monitoring during surgery. This innovation is the result of a collaboration between Northwestern University bioelectronics pioneer John Rogers, PhD, and Aimen Shaaban, MD, director of the Chicago Institute for Fetal Health. In this episode,...
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Is Antimicrobial Resistance Threatening Modern Medicine? with Jennie Kwon, DO
Breakthroughs
As the new chief of Infectious Diseases at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Jennie Kwon, DO, is working in a rapidly evolving field rich with opportunities for discovery and impact. Her own research focus is one of the most pressing challenges in medicine today: antimicrobial resistance. In this episode, she discusses the growing global threat of antimicrobial resistance and why this crisis could fundamentally disrupt modern medicine.
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New Insights Into Dopamine with Raj Awatramani, PhD, and Daniel Dombeck, PhD
Breakthroughs
We are re-sharing this episode on dopamine and subtypes of dopaminergic neurons that may provide new insights into how we think about the role of dopamine. , and led this research, and in this episode they explain how the results could change the field of dopamine research and pave the way for new research possibilities, especially concerning Parkinson's disease, a condition marked by a loss of dopamine neurons and motor system challenges.
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Improving Testing and Diagnosis of Hepatitis C with Claudia Hawkins, MD, MPH
Breakthroughs
A new, rapid Hepatitis C test developed by Northwestern University scientists could change the future of Hepatitis C care by delivering faster diagnosis and treatments for a disease that is estimated to impact 50 million people around the world. The research behind this new test, which was built on the DASH (Diagnostic Analyzer for Specific Hybridization) Rapid PCR system was published in the . In this episode, Claudia Hawkins, MD, MPH, explains this study and the impact this test could have on the global effort to eliminate Hepatitis...
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Decoding Long COVID’s Impact on the Brain with Igor Koralnik, MD
Breakthroughs
Our understanding of how viral infections can affect the brain has changed dramatically in recent years, and the COVID-19 pandemic and research into long COVID has accelerated some of this new knowledge. Igor Koralnik, MD, chief of Neuro-Infectious Diseases and Global Neurology in the Department of Neurology at Feinberg has studied the long-term neurological effects of COVID-19 and developed tools to support patient recovery. In this episode, Koralnik shares the latest research on long COVID and talks about recent findings from his lab identifying a common virus in the brains of some patients...
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Improving Imaging of the Spinal Cord with Molly Bright, DPhil
Breakthroughs
A novel functional MRI (fMRI) technique has been developed by Northwestern Medicine investigators to more accurately assess blood flow in the spinal cord. In this episode, , explains how his noninvasive method could one day help clinicians detect early signs of neurological disease or injury, monitor recovery and guide treatment decisions for patients with spinal cord conditions.
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New Paths for Diagnosing and Treating Lyme Disease with Brandon Jutras, PhD
Breakthroughs
Lyme disease, the bacterial infection transmitted by ticks, is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States, with nearly half a million people diagnosed and treated each year, according to the CDC. Two pivotal studies on Lyme disease from the lab of Brandon Jutras, PhD, provide important insights into what may cause persistent Lyme disease symptoms in a subset of patients. This research points to some promising new directions for both diagnosis and therapeutic intervention.
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How Cell Function Can Shed Light on Neurodegeneration with Vladimir Gelfand, PhD
Breakthroughs
The tiniest parts of the cell may provide new insights into challenging neurodegenerative diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). New research from Northwestern University has revealed a key mechanism underlying the development of motor neuron diseases, such as ALS, offering new insights into potential treatment options. This new finding published in the Journal of Neuroscience, comes from the lab of Vladimir Gelfand, PhD, and may help inform the treatment of ALS and other motor neuron diseases.
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Advancing Health and Longevity by Analyzing the Retina with Manjot Gill, MD
Breakthroughs
One of the many ways the at Feinberg is studying aging is through the lens of the retina. a Northwestern Medicine retina specialist, explains the unique multi-disciplinary approach of the lab and how she is using AI in retinal imaging to predict biological age and help validate interventions that may slow aging. She is vice chair of clinical performance in the and Professor of Ophthalmology and .
info_outlineAn experimental drug called NU-9 was invented at Northwestern University by Richard Silverman, PhD. It has been approved for clinical trials for the treatment of ALS and found to improves neuron health in animal models of Alzheimer's disease according to a new Northwestern Medicine study published in PNAS.
This discovery is giving scientists hope that the drug could be effective in multiple neurodegenerative diseases by addressing the underlying mechanisms of these diseases. Silverman and Northwestern University Alzheimer disease expert, William Klein, PhD, discuss the potential of NU-9 in this episode.