Building a foundation for precision medicine.

Podcast: Pursuing Deeper Understanding of Inflammation with Murali Prakriya, PhD

Inflammation is a common feature of many diseases and Northwestern Medicine investigators have identified how a calcium channel contributes to inflammation in the brain and lungs. This could aid in finding new types of therapeutics for inflammation-related diseases and conditions. In this episode, Murali Prakriya, PhD, discusses the evolution of this groundbreaking research in ion channels as well as his latest findings published in Nature Communications.

Clever Carnivore Raises $7M to Expand Operations and Scale Up Production of Cultivated Meat

Northwestern biotech startup Clever Carnivore, co-founded by Paul Burridge, PhD, associate professor of Pharmacology, announced the successful closing of its $7M seed round funding to expand operations and scale the production of cultivated meat.

Understanding How Sex-Based Differences Impact Health Outcomes

Sex is a major determinant in disease prevalence and treatment response, caused by a vast number of genetic differences between men and women. However, the inclusion of both sexes in clinical and scientific research had not been mandated by federal law until nearly the turn of the century.  

October 2023 Breakthroughs newsletter feature story

“The Rise and Fall of Animal Experimentation: Empathy, Science, and the Future of Research”

Written by Richard Miller, PhD, emeritus professor of Pharmacology, "The Rise and Fall of Animal Experimentation" details the history of animal experimentation – from its early beginnings in the 17^th century through present day – citing diverse scientific, theological and philosophical bases for its use. Miller discusses important cutting-edge alternatives to the use of animals in biomedical research and examines the utility of animal research through a scientific lens.

Feinberg Research Drives Breast Cancer Screenings and Treatments Forward

At Feinberg, scientists across various disciplines are improving the efficiency of breast cancer detection through AI and machine learning, investigating disparities in patient outcomes and identifying new precision medicine strategies through robust clinical, basic science and population-health research.

May 2023 Breakthroughs feature story

Faculty Profile: Understanding and Improving Variant Interpretation in Minoritized and Underserved Populations

The Gordon laboratory investigates the implementation of genomic testing in medical and consumer contexts, and the process of variant interpretation that seeks to translate this testing into actionable clinical findings.

Tracing Back

Feinberg scientists get to the genetic roots of epilepsy to tackle this common and life-altering disorder.

Fall 2022 Northwestern Medicine magazine feature

Beyond Biology: Using the Fundamentals of Synthetic Biology to Address Complex Problems

At Feinberg, scientists are pursuing synthetic biology research to address the health challenges and diseases that humans face.

November 2022 Breakthroughs feature story

Podcast: Investigating Therapies for Genetic Epilepsy with Alfred George, Jr., MD

Alfred George, Jr., MD, is a pioneer in understanding the mechanisms by which ion channel mutations cause a variety of inherited disorders, such as genetic epilepsy. He discusses his recent breakthroughs in the field and his optimism for future RNA therapeutics to treat rare genetic diseases.

Dual Function Found for mRNA Modifier

A chemical modification of messenger RNA (mRNA) performs different functions depending on its location, according to a study published in the journal Molecular Cell.

Northwestern Investigates COVID-19: Antibodies, Global Surveillance, Women in Research

Northwestern Medicine continues to help advance the understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic and its widespread impact, from investigating antibody protection against COVID-19 reinfection to elevating women in academic research to highlighting racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 hospital mortality in Illinois.