Medicine & Health

The cerebellum, once thought to be limited to controlling movement, is involved in every aspect of higher brain function — including attention, thinking, planning and decision-making — according to a new study by researchers at the School of Medicine.

A new study demonstrates that patients can safely use skin creams before undergoing radiation therapy. This contradicts common advice from radiation oncologists, according to researchers at the School of Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania.

A recent two-week crash course on global health helped prepare medical students, residents and fellows for clinical rotations and long-term careers in developing countries. Caring for such patients requires a different mindset for trainees accustomed to working in modern medical centers with updated technology and no shortage of supplies or medications.

A new study led by the School of Medicine shows a link between weight gain and increased risk of young-onset colorectal cancer. Rates of colorectal cancer diagnosed in people under age 50 are going up and researchers are searching for possible reasons behind the increase.

A multicenter study led by the School of Medicine and involving more than 2,400 first-time pregnant women, shows that the timing of pushing has no effect on whether women deliver vaginally or by C-section.

An inability to properly use the essential mineral manganese could be to blame for some cases of severe scoliosis, according to a new study from the School of Medicine.

Researchers at the School of Medicine and Northwestern have developed an implantable, bioabsorbable device that helps speed recovery of peripheral nerve damage in rats by stimulating injured nerves with electricity. The device degrades in a few weeks when exposed to saltwater, which mimics bodily fluid.

President Donald Trump has touted his new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement as a way to boost the American economy. It may not, however, have any impact on one of his other campaign promises: reducing prescription costs for U.S. consumers, says a drug pricing expert at Washington University in St. Louis.

A new study in mice from the School of Medicine shows that viruses that target the nervous system can kill neurons in the gut that coordinate the process of moving waste along. Such viruses may be involved in causing people’s digestive woes.

Analyzing data from more than 400,000 people, researchers at the School of Medicine have found that consuming one to two drinks four or more times per week — an amount deemed healthy by current guidelines — increases the risk of premature death by 20 percent.