Italian medical geneticist Andrea Ballabio, M.D., an internationally recognized scientist who has devoted his career to elucidating the mechanisms underlying genetic diseases, has been named the recipient of the 2025 Beth Levine, M.D. Prize in Autophagy Research from UT Southwestern Medical Center. The $20,000 prize and lecture, established in honor of the late Dr. Levine, who was Director of UT Southwestern’s Center for Autophagy Research, is awarded biennially to exceptional scientists who have made significant contributions to the field of autophagy, ...

Thousands of bacterial and other microbial species live in the human gut, supporting healthy digestion, immunity, metabolism and other functions. Precisely how these microbes are protected from immune attack has been unclear, but now a study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators has found that this immune “tolerance” to gut microbes depends on an ancient bacterial-sensing protein called STING—normally considered a trigger for inflammation. The surprising result could lead to new treatments for inflammatory bowel disease and other conditions involving gut inflammation. In their ...

Aristotle praised the political organization of ant colonies while ancient Chinese Daoists appreciated ants as illustrative symbols showing how ephemeral human ambitions and power are. Throughout historical and pre-historic times, ant-workers are likely to be the first insects that toddlers relate to when they crawl around on all four. Similar to so much else in biology, the first scientific understanding of ants goes back to Darwin, who spent many pages of the Origin of Species (1859) on these conspicuous social insects. Their very existence seemed to fly ...

Exercising is healthy, but it also puts strain on the heart. During physical exertion, the protein troponin is released—a biomarker indicative of cardiac damage. New research from Radboudumc involving a thousand athletes shows that elevated troponin levels after exercise are not due to coronary atherosclerosis. This suggests that the cause of elevated troponin levels after exertion lies elsewhere. It’s a paradox: regular exercise is healthy and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, yet it also ...

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — June 16, 2025 — The first patient enrolled in a planned international clinical trial has been treated at HonorHealth Research Institute with a new type of immune therapy for those with a rare muscle-weakness disease known as Myasthenia Gravis. In an odd medical twist, this auto-immune disease — in which antibodies interfere with the connection between nerves and muscles — most often strikes young women in their 20s and 30s, and older men in their 60s and 70s, though it can affect others.  The disease affects fewer than 200 in every 1 million people. Symptoms range from droopy eyelids, problems ...

New York, NY | June 16, 2025 – On May 28, the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) unveiled “Trace,” an interactive art installation memorializing essential workers who lost their lives to COVID-19 in the early months of the pandemic. The launch event took place at the CUNY Center in Harlem, on the ground floor of the CUNY SPH campus at 55 West 125th street where the installation is housed, and invited community members to experience “Trace” in its new home. Community partners, elected officials, local businesses owners, and CUNY ...

The brain is constantly mapping the external world like a GPS, even when we don't know about it. This activity comes in the form of tiny electrical signals sents between neurons -- specialized cells that communicate with one another to help us think, move, remember and feel. These signals often follow rhythmic patterns known as brain waves, such as slower theta waves and faster gamma waves, which help organize how the brain processes information. Understanding how individual neurons respond to these rhythms is key to unlocking how the brain functions related to navigation in real time – and how it may be affected in disease. A ...

Certain bacteria isolated from soil could knock out “eternal pollutants”, substances that, once dispersed in the environment, do not degrade and threaten human and planetary health: per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), present in a wide range of products, from cosmetics to food packaging, from kitchen utensils to detergents. in fact, a research group from the Catholic University, Piacenza, has isolated about 20 species of bacteria from PFAS-contaminated soil in Veneto that are capable of degrading them, i.e. using them as a source of energy ...

Background and objectives Tumors are complex systems characterized by variations across genetic, transcriptomic, phenotypic, and microenvironmental levels. This study introduced a novel framework for quantifying cancer cell heterogeneity using single-cell RNA sequencing data. The framework comprised several scores aimed at uncovering the complexities of key cancer traits, such as metastasis, tumor progression, and recurrence. Methods This study leveraged publicly available single-cell transcriptomic data from three human breast cancer subtypes: estrogen receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive, and triple-negative. We employed ...

An eight-year study highlights Biscayne Bay as a vital nursery and seasonal refuge for great hammerhead sharks, underscoring its importance across life stages and for long-term shark conservation. A new study from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science finds that juvenile great hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna mokarran), a critically endangered species, rely heavily on the resources of Florida’s Biscayne Bay as a nursery habitat during their earliest and most vulnerable years. Nestled within the heart of the Miami metropolitan area, Biscayne Bay is a shallow, subtropical estuary known for its clear ...

New York, NY and Aspen, CO [June 16, 2025] — From the biology of aging to the future of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven medicine, Mount Sinai Health System will participate at the 2025 Aspen Ideas: Health (Sunday, June 22-Wednesday, June 25) and Aspen Ideas Festival (June 25-Tuesday, July 1) in Aspen, Colorado. Mount Sinai is proud to be a presenting underwriter of both festivals, where Mount Sinai thought leaders will lead discussions and the Health System will provide complimentary dermatologic screenings for attendees. “We return to Aspen ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new study offers insight into the health and lifestyle indicators — including diet, physical activity and weight — that align most closely with healthy brain function across the lifespan. The study used machine learning to determine which variables best predicted a person’s ability to quickly complete a task without becoming distracted. Reported in The Journal of Nutrition, the study found that age, blood pressure and body mass index were the strongest predictors of success on a test called the flanker task, which requires participants to focus ...

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (06/16/2024) — In a new study, researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities discovered surprising magnetic behavior in one of the thinnest metallic oxide materials ever made. This could pave the way for the next generation of faster and smarter spintronic and quantum computing devices.  The research is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), a peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary, high-impact scientific journal. Using an advanced materials growth technique—hybrid molecular beam epitaxy—the researchers created ultra-thin layers of RuO2, a compound typically known for ...

Organic chemistry features a wide array of reactions for creating complex molecules, among which the Diels–Alder reaction stands out for its versatility and precision. This reaction enables the construction of intricate polycyclic compounds—structures often found in natural products and pharmaceuticals—by joining dienes and dienophiles with high regio- and stereoselectivity.  One particularly valuable diene for this purpose is ortho-quinodimethane (oQDM), known for its ability to form fused-ring systems. However, synthesizing this reactive intermediate ...

WASHINGTON, DC – June 16, 2025 -- Despite the rise of the new anti-obesity drugs known as GLP-1s, rumors surrounding the death of metabolic and bariatric surgery have been greatly exaggerated. While the number of bariatric procedures were down about 3.5% in 2023 and likely dropped further in 2024, surgery now appears to be rebounding as many GLP-1 patients turn to one-time minimally invasive surgical procedures, including sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass, for even more robust and durable results. “GLP-1 ...

A patch containing tens of millions of microscopic nanoneedles could soon replace traditional biopsies, scientists have found. The patch offers a painless and less invasive alternative for millions of patients worldwide who undergo biopsies each year to detect and monitor diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s. Biopsies are among the most common diagnostic procedures worldwide, performed millions of times every year to detect diseases. However, they are invasive, can cause pain and complications, and can deter patients from seeking early ...

Scientists at UCLA and the University of Toronto have developed an advanced computational tool, called moPepGen, that helps identify previously invisible genetic mutations in proteins, unlocking new possibilities in cancer research and beyond.  The tool, described in Nature Biotechnology, will help understand how changes in our DNA affect proteins and ultimately contribute to cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and other conditions. It provides a new way to create diagnostic tests and to find treatment targets previously invisible to researchers. Proteogenomics combines the study of genomics and proteomics to provide a comprehensive molecular profile of diseases. ...

A new hereditary condition has been discovered that affects patients’ ability to repair DNA – leaving them both at greater risk of developing blood cancer, and unable to repair some of the damage caused by chemotherapy treatments.   In a paper published in Nature Communications, an international team of researchers led by cancer genetics experts at the University of Birmingham and funded by Cancer Research UK have found a new disease they call DIAL syndrome.   The rare, inherited ...

New results from a clinical trial reveal that a single dose of psilocybin—a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in mushrooms—can provide sustained reductions in depression and anxiety in individuals with cancer suffering from major depressive disorder. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. People with cancer often struggle with depression. In this phase 2 trial, 28 patients with cancer and major depressive ...

Scientists at EPFL have created MammAlps, a multi-view, multi-modal video dataset that captures how wild mammals behave in the Swiss Alps. This new resource could be a game-changer for wildlife monitoring and conservation efforts. Have you ever wondered how wild animals behave when no one’s watching? Understanding these behaviors is vital for protecting ecosystems—especially as climate change and human expansion alter natural habitats. But collecting this kind of information without interfering has always been tricky. Traditionally, researchers relied on direct observation or sensors strapped to animals—methods that ...

1 in 12 workers experienced threats, insults or physical attacks in the workplace in the past year, according to a new study. The research was co-authored by Dr Vanessa Gash (City St George’s, University of London) and Dr Niels Blom (University of Manchester), and found that violence and threats in the workplace are much more prevalent than previously thought: Workplace violence was found in all industries examined, from finance to construction to the arts 1 in 13 employees reported feeling unsafe at work Violence & fear in the workplace were linked to workers developing anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder Workers continued to experience symptoms of poor ...

When the brain is under pressure, certain neural signals begin to move in sync – much like a well-rehearsed orchestra. A new study from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) is the first to show how flexibly this neural synchrony adjusts to different situations and that this dynamic coordination is closely linked to cognitive abilities. "Specific signals in the midfrontal brain region are better synchronized in people with higher cognitive ability – especially during demanding phases of reasoning," explained Professor Anna-Lena Schubert from JGU's ...

ANN ARBOR, Mich. –   Parents’ visions of family vacation time may not always match what their teens have in mind. And many parents struggle with that transition in travel expectations as kids get older, a new national poll suggests, with one in five saying they have never allowed their teen to be away from them during a vacation or trip. Fewer than half of parents are also likely to leave a teen alone while they go to a hotel breakfast or out for dinner, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. “It’s natural for teens to seek more independence and time ...

The Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) in Klosterneuburg and Google have signed a “Master Sponsored Research Agreement” to explore joint scientific research areas. Under this agreement, Google will collaborate with and fund research projects at ISTA, ranging from AI and algorithms to neuro-imaging techniques useful for medical research. In addition, Google has opened a presence at the xista science park directly opposite the ISTA campus to form a liaison between the American corporation, ...

What inspired you to become a researcher? As a child, I was fascinated by reports and documentaries about field research and often wondered what it took to be there and what kind of knowledge was being produced. Later, as an ecologist, I felt the need for approaches that better connected scientific research with real-world contexts. I became especially interested in perspectives that viewed humans not as separate from nature, but as part of ecological systems. This led me to explore integrative methods that incorporate local and traditional knowledge, aiming to make research more relevant and accessible to the communities ...